We arrive by cruise ship on morning of April 26 in Rotterdam. We are thinking of stashing bags somewhere and then taking Waterbus from Erasmusbrug to Kinderdijk. Returning late afternoon to Erasmusbrug and a nearby hotel. Is that a reasonable thing to do? We are three healthy seniors. We plan on continuing to Haarlem the following morning. Any suggestions?
https://www.waterbus.nl/
https://kinderdijk.com/
Posted by
Chicago
8184 posts
You should ask if your hotel will hold your bags until checkin or allow you to checkin early.
Posted by
985 posts
You'll love Kinderdijk! It makes for a wonderful day. There's the Thon Hotel which is steps away from the waterbus location in Rotterdam; and then the tram stops right there around the corner from the Thon so you can take that to the train station the next day. Check the waterbus schedule online. We were there this past April; and the waterbus schedule changes from winter to summer schedule about that time of the year.
There is also a Doubletree by Hilton City Centre about a 10 min walk way.
Enjoy!
Posted by
San Diego, California
5681 posts
You have a wonderful experience planned. Do check how the King's Day Holiday could affect the tram and water bus schedules.
We were there this past April, 2024. The summer waterbus schedule started around April 1. The Tourist Information Center in Rotterdam was very responsive to email questions.
I'll attach my recent Trip Report, you may find some helpful info on both Kinderdijk and Haarlem.
Have a wonderful trip.
Safe travels!
Posted by
985 posts
Pat is correct. We were on a RS tour this year and arrived in the Netherlands on King's Day. And another thing I learned on the tour about King's Day is if it falls on a Sunday (which it does in 2025) it will be celebrated on Saturday. So the day of your arrival on the cruise ship is on King's Day. Based on our experience; it's like Times Square in NYC on New Year's Eve as far as crowds go. Everywhere. Bring orange to wear!
Posted by
IJzendijke, The Netherlands
2113 posts
After visiting Kinderdijk you can also take the waterbus from there to Dordrecht. It has a nice historic center worth walking around, you have to walk anyway through it on the way to the railway station btw. From there many frequent trains to Rotterdam. Taking the waterbus back remains ofcourse an option too.
Worth considering is exploring Rotterdam and visit the old harbour of nearby Delfshaven. Once the place the Pilgrim Fathers set sail to England for joining the sea voyage with the Mayflower. It’s possible to visit the Pilgrims Fathers Church there. Delfshaven is easy to reach with the tram or metro.
https://www.oudeofpelgrimvaderskerk.nl/en/visit Best is to contact the church for more info in case this is of interest.
Posted by
Lake District, England
8208 posts
The waterbus terminal is straight across the Erasmusbrug from the Cruise Terminal- about ten minutes walk. Or you could take the tram one stop over the bridge.
It is a very well located cruise terminal