No matter where you want to go in Rotterdam, there is always some method of getting around with ease. You can take the metro, the tram, the bus or you can hire a bike from central station.

With a bicycle, you can go virtually anywhere within the city, as the whole area is flat, and the city has dedicated lanes for the use of bicycles and motorcycles.

The Metro, has two lines, The North-South line (which is the BLUE line), and the East-West line (which is the RED line)

If you ever find yourself lost, then just jump onto one of these and you will end up in central station, and from here you can start your journey again.

The tram system is different, they don't have colored lines, they have numbered trams that take you to different areas of the city. For example, the number 4 tram will take you from Central Station past the back of the Youth Hostel, past the Roc Zadkine College, and near to the American School.

Then there is the buses, these will take almost all over the city.   From Central Station, they leave every 3 to 4 minutes.  Like the trams they are numbered, this shows you what area they are travelling to.

With the three form of public transport, you have to buy a "National Strippen Kaart". They have 15 areas that you get stamped.  You stamp the first ticket from where you start, then for the next hour, you don't have to stamp the card again.  This means you can travel on all three forms of transport as many times as you want within that one hour.

But if you want to see the city in its full glory, then we think that you should take a trip around the city on foot or on roller skates/roller blades. That way, you get to know where things are, what things there are to do in the city, and where all the metro stations and bus/tram stops are incase you get lost.  You also get to see the modern architecture in contrast with all the old architecture.

If you want to use a bicycle in Rotterdam, you can hire one from the Central Station. They are open from 04.50am untill 01.45am the next mornig. It will cost f 9.50 for the day, or f 38 for the week. But you need to pay a deposit of f 100, and show a valid identity card.

OR...you could try: the white bicycle project". This is where you get a card for f 50, you bond it at Tourist Information Office (the VVV). You can then get a bicycle from one of three electronic depots in in Rotterdam with this card. At the end of the day you return it to one of the three depots. The use of the bicycle is free, the bond will be paid back to you when you return the card to the Tourist Information Office.