Advice please for trips in and near Rotterdam

[Nicholas43]

My wife and I are travelling via Harwich-Hoek to stay in Schiedam for a few days. We'll be doing gentle low-key wandering in Schiedam, and also intend to visit Rotterdam and Den Haag. I already have an (anonymous) OV Chipkaart. As I understand it, we'll be issued at Harwich with 4 cards, each valid for 1 day on NS trains and the Rotterdam metro, including the Hoek-Schiedam buses.
Advice please:
1. Can we easily buy and load an OV Chipkaart for my wife, eg at the bus stop at Hoek?
2. Have I got it right that, provided we pay separately for Hoek>Schiedam, we can keep our daycards to use for Schiedam to Den Haag and back?
3. Any insiders' hints on what to see in Rotterdam?
4. We've previously much enjoyed Delft. This time, should we try Leiden, or Dordrecht, or both?

 

[radamfi]

I'm pretty sure you can use the day cards at your leisure, someone else will hopefully confirm.

If you only need to pay to get from Hoek van Holland to Schiedam then it might just be worth paying the 4 euro fare on the bus using a bank card (contactless or Chip & PIN) or using the RET app and not getting a OV-Chipkaart.

 

[Groningen]

RET dayticket 8 euro (just Rotterdam)
Tourist Day Ticket 14,50 (all Zuid Holland with some exceptions)

I have not seen multi day ticket yet. Try website of Randstadrail or/and RET.

 

[AlexNL]

May I suggest taking a look at the Rotterdam Tourist Information website to get an idea of what you can see and do?

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

The Euromast tower and Spido Harbour Cruises are both excellent in Rotterdam. The Model Village on the tram from Den Haag Central going towards the coast is good too as is just walking around The Hague.

 

[Groningen]

Forget not the museums!

 

[Spoorslag '70]

RET dayticket 8 euro (just Rotterdam)

Just to clarify: It is valid on all RET services, including Metro E to Den Haag, bus 40(I think) to Delft, the replacement buses (and when they run the metro) to Hoek van Holland...

The Tourist Day Ticket however is quite good value when using RET and anyother operator for more than a couple of journeys per day. It would also be valid to Dordrecht and Leiden - but not on the trains. Rotterdam has pretty fast buses to Dordrecht from Kralingse Zoom and Zuidplein - both well connected to the city by metro. To Leiden it would be the easiest to take the metro towards Den Haag and change for at Leidenschedam Voorburg or travel via Zoetermeer.

 

[Groningen]

That Tourist Day Ticket is only valid on the same day. They give an example that it is not valid from 11 hours to 11 hours the next day. So only from the first transport of the day till the last. Did not read of any blackout hours.

 

[dutchflyer]

And also I'am pretty sure youre ticket will NOT be valid on any NS-train at all. Plus that I suspect it will only be 2 singles from HvH outward and same inbound return eve. Except if you mean the ''any station in NL' option-in that case you wont get a daypass for RET.
That chipcard is thus not needed. But if you insist: you can load money on it-by card only-at any NSstation or metrostop (on the real metro even with coins in any amound of whole euro). I DK the current situation in HvH though.
If the wife also wants to see small trains: in the Groothandelsgebouw (=business centre, though this is quite old) beside Rotterdam CS (admire the new architecture) is a large room with model railways etc.
On weekends and daily high summer there is also a museum tram nr 10 doing the rounds in Rotterdam-and perhaps even the trammuseum might be open then. Its called RoMeO.

 

[superjohn]

I can confirm you are able to save the unused Stena day tickets and use them on another day. I did exactly that when I made a very quick visit (arriving at Hoek in the morning and leaving again the same night) on a Dutch flyer. I was still issued with two day tickets, one for each leg of the journey. I held on to the other one and was able to use it on another trip several weeks later when I arrived by Eurostar. I think they are activated the first time you touch in rather than being issued for a specific date.

I would highly recommend a visit to the SS Rotterdam cruise ship. I thoroughly enjoyed my tour when I went. Don’t overlook Rotterdam itself as well, the city centre still possesses that sense of ‘continental seediness’ (in a good way!) that Amsterdam has been sanitised of in recent years.

I’m pretty sure there was an RET ticket machine outside the ferry terminal at Hoek the last time I passed through. It will sell and top up a chipkart.

 

[eastwestdivide]

I did the all-day port tour with Spido a couple of years back and thoroughly enjoyed it. Dinner on board, wiggling through all sorts of port facilities, up close to huge container ships. It took you all the way out to Europoort and the newly-reclaimed land for port extensions at Maasvlakte, with a trip to the visitor centre there.

 

[Groningen]

Website: www.touristdaytickets.nl (also in English language).

It is a shame that for every day you need a seperate ticket.

 

[Nicholas43]

Thanks very much everyone for all these insights.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Thanks very much everyone for all these insights.

Have a great trip.

 

[Nicholas43]

I can confirm you are able to save the unused Stena day tickets and use them on another day. ... Don’t overlook Rotterdam itself as well, the city centre still possesses that sense of ‘continental seediness’ (in a good way!) that Amsterdam has been sanitised of in recent years.

I’m pretty sure there was an RET ticket machine outside the ferry terminal at Hoek the last time I passed through. It will sell and top up a chipkaart.

Yes to all that, especially the enjoyable 'seediness'.
The tickets that Stena hands out to sailrail passengers at Harwich are disposable chipkaarts entitled Combi-Ticket NS-RET, and stating
"All busses, trams and metro operated by RET. All trains operated by NS. Not valid in ... other public transport operators." In practice, they are daycards valid from first check-in to (I assume) 0400 next day. On our last day we used them for train to Dordrecht and back, some tram hops in Rotterdam, and the 711 bus from Schiedam to Hoek.
Remarkably, Stena also sells them separately on the boat, for €18.00. Presumably they negotiated a price with RET and NS based on the assumption that each card will usually be used only for a one way trip between Hoek and Amsterdam. So, good value if you are going to Groningen!
We did successfully buy an anonymous chipkaart for my wife from one of the machines just outside the Stena terminal, and used this for trams in Rotterdam and Den Haag. There are two machines at the start of Platform 1 for the future Metro, and one to the left of the main entrance (which is difficult to read in the afternoon sun).

 

[superjohn]

It looks like we were on the same crossing on Friday night then! The gangway at Harwich was out of action yet again, it has been problematic since it was built. At least the resulting bus off the boat was reasonably painless, at the Harwich end most of the freight has unloaded before they disembark the passengers. It was a nightmare when I went out last Tuesday, a long wait in the departure lounge followed by a long wait on the bus itself before it was allowed to drive on to the car deck. Not helped by a coach load of elderly Indian tourists who were sent through as foot passengers. That said, I doubt they would have got on any better with the ten mile traipse up the gangway had it been working!

I’m glad you enjoyed Rotterdam. I was first introduced to the city when I had an enforced overnight stay there due to storm Oratia in November 2000. I spent the next day exploring the city before finally being put on the next overnight sailing to Harwich. This was in the HSS days when the night boats didn’t usually take foot passengers and that made for an interesting experience in itself.

 

[Nicholas43]

It looks like we were on the same crossing on Friday night then!

Yes, and the unreliable gangway at Harwich is indeed annoying.

I’m glad you enjoyed Rotterdam. I was first introduced to the city when I had an enforced overnight stay there due to storm Oratia in November 2000. ...

Aaah, this should really be on the nostalgia board, but my first experience of Hoek was arriving one morning in summer 1963, and successfully bagging one of the only two unreserved seats in the only carriage going to Heidelberg in the Basel (etc) train. My second was foolishly not reserving on the night boat back, and sleeping, reasonably comfortably, in one of the trains stabled overnight in the platforms.

 

[Ian99]

It looks like we were on the same crossing on Friday night then! The gangway at Harwich was out of action yet again, it has been problematic since it was built. At least the resulting bus off the boat was reasonably painless, at the Harwich end most of the freight has unloaded before they disembark the passengers. .

How long did it take you to disembark? I ask because I'm thinking about getting the day crossing back on the 24th June. I'm wondering if I should risk buying a cheaper advance ticket for Harwich to London but there's the risk I might miss the specific train. It's cheaper to buy the rail sail ticket but they'll only send it to Netherland addresses....

 

[superjohn]

It was pretty quick, no more than 30 mins to reach the platform. That was the night sailing though, it actually arrives at 0430 and the freight starts unloading immediately. The passengers then disembark from 0630. The day sailing has a much tighter turnaround, if the gangway is still out of action you may be held up until there is room on the vehicle decks for the bus to come aboard. Stena were initially advising it would be repaired by 5/6 but that has now become more vague.

To boost your chances I would suggest hovering around the model of the ship, next to the Bureau de Change desk. This will place you best to be among the first off with the least queuing at the passport check. Being a Monday will help, that is one of the quieter sailings for foot passengers.

With the rail and sail you print out your e-ticket which acts as your rail ticket in the UK. That means you would only lose out on the Dutch rail journey element. I believe you can book a journey commencing at Hoek at a slightly reduced price. It may be cheaper and safer to do that and buy a regular ticket to get to Hoek.

 

[Ian99]

It was pretty quick, no more than 30 mins to reach the platform. That was the night sailing though, it actually arrives at 0430 and the freight starts unloading immediately. The passengers then disembark from 0630. The day sailing has a much tighter turnaround, if the gangway is still out of action you may be held up until there is room on the vehicle decks for the bus to come aboard. Stena were initially advising it would be repaired by 5/6 but that has now become more vague.

To boost your chances I would suggest hovering around the model of the ship, next to the Bureau de Change desk. This will place you best to be among the first off with the least queuing at the passport check. Being a Monday will help, that is one of the quieter sailings for foot passengers.

With the rail and sail you print out your e-ticket which acts as your rail ticket in the UK. That means you would only lose out on the Dutch rail journey element. I believe you can book a journey commencing at Hoek at a slightly reduced price. It may be cheaper and safer to do that and buy a regular ticket to get to Hoek.

That's very useful advice - thanks. So to be clear - if I buy the Hoek to London ticket on http://www.stenaline.nl/ and have them posted to my hotel, then if they don't arrive then I still have an e-ticket I would have printed prior?

 

[superjohn]

I haven’t actually done it but the excellent Man in Seat 61 site has comprehensive instructions about halfway down the page at:
https://www.seat61.com/Netherlands.htm

The relevant part:

„If you live in the UK or anywhere else outside the Netherlands...

Step 1, use the rail & sail page atwww.stenaline.nl to book from Hoek van Hollandto Any Greater Anglia Station, which includes London Liverpool Street as well as other stations in East Anglia such as Norwich, Ipswich & Cambridge. You cannot book from Any Dutch Station as Stena would need to post train tickets and won't post to addresses outside the Netherlands. Anyone from any country can use this system, the ferry ticket will be emailed to you as a PDF e-ticket and your UK train tickets will be handed to you at the ferry terminal at Hoek van Holland when you check in for the ferry. Hoek van Holland to London starts at €49 + cabin cost.“

I’ve just done some dummy enquiries on stenaline.nl at the price from Hoek to any GA station is €49 compared to €66 from any NS station. The €17 saving should go a long way towards covering the additional ticket to Hoek.

There will be nothing to be posted if you book from Hoek.

I would definitely recommend getting a cabin. They are half price on the day sailing (£17 for the cheapest windowless single, not much more than the Stena plus lounge) and provide a useful base. All the passenger lounges and facilities are concentrated on deck 9. If there happens to be a school party on board there are precious few places to hide and the 6.5 hours will be the longest you have ever had!

 

[James H]

In a couple of weeks I am travelling as a group of 11 from Schiedam to Liverpool Street using a one-way Dutchflyer ticket starting at Hook of Holland (ie not including travel on the Dutch side)

I have a few queries I'd be grateful for help with

1. As a group of 11 with luggage are we going to have trouble getting on the 711 bus? I'm hoping to allow enough time to split onto two buses if need be.
2. The connecting buses advertised as part of the Dutchflyer timetable don't seem to fit the 711 timetable pattern - are these special/extra buses and is it possible to buy tickets on board if you're not on a 'through' ticket?
3. As foreigners without OV-chipkaart what's the best way to buy tickets for the bus? The best deal I've found so far is the Tranzer app which will give us tickets for EUR 2.22 each. However you have to book a specific journey and I'm worried if there's disruption or we have to split up this will cause problems
4. If we don't use Tranzer, then am I right in thinking it's 4 EUR each payable on the bus? Do the RET buses take cash? If paying by card, can i buy tickets for 11 people with one UK bank card?

Many thanks for any pointers

 

[radamfi]

In a couple of weeks I am travelling as a group of 11 from Schiedam to Liverpool Street using a one-way Dutchflyer ticket starting at Hook of Holland (ie not including travel on the Dutch side)

I have a few queries I'd be grateful for help with

1. As a group of 11 with luggage are we going to have trouble getting on the 711 bus? I'm hoping to allow enough time to split onto two buses if need be.
2. The connecting buses advertised as part of the Dutchflyer timetable don't seem to fit the 711 timetable pattern - are these special/extra buses and is it possible to buy tickets on board if you're not on a 'through' ticket?
3. As foreigners without OV-chipkaart what's the best way to buy tickets for the bus? The best deal I've found so far is the Tranzer app which will give us tickets for EUR 2.22 each. However you have to book a specific journey and I'm worried if there's disruption or we have to split up this will cause problems
4. If we don't use Tranzer, then am I right in thinking it's 4 EUR each payable on the bus? Do the RET buses take cash? If paying by card, can i buy tickets for 11 people with one UK bank card?

Many thanks for any pointers

The 711 bus is a full size single decker so should be able to cope with 11 passengers with luggage. Even if it is full, there is a fast bus every 30 minutes and a slow bus (713) every 30 minutes.

The Tranzer app is tied to particular time and route to avoid reuse so it is best to buy just before boarding. If there are delays, the ticket is still valid.

Conditions in English:

https://www.ret.nl/fileadmin/user_u...er_mobiel_ticket_-_Engelse_prodvoorw_2019.pdf

Bus drivers don't accept cash but accept bank cards, both Chip & PIN and contactless. Schiedem Centrum also has a metro station, so you can get a 2 hour ticket there from the machine. The 2 hour ticket can also be bought from the RET app.

 

[AlexNL]

Bus drivers don't accept cash but accept bank cards

Do they accept credit cards?

The debit card system used in the Netherlands is "Maestro", which isn't compatible with debit cards issued abroad (which may be VISA Debit or MasterCard Debit).

 

[radamfi]

Do they accept credit cards?

The debit card system used in the Netherlands is "Maestro", which isn't compatible with debit cards issued abroad (which may be VISA Debit or MasterCard Debit).

https://www.ret.nl/en/home/travelli...ment-bus-services-hoekse-lijn/stena-line.html

At the ticket & top-up machines, you can top up your balance or load a travel product onto your public transport chip card ('OV-chipkaart'). Don't have an OV-chipkaart and/or only travelling once? You can choose from RET 2-hour, RET 2 x 1-hour or RET 1-day tickets. At the machines you can pay with debit card (MAESTRO, VPAY), credit card (MASTERCARD, VISA) and coins.

(that's out of date though as RET 2 x 1-hour tickets no longer exist)

GVB buses and trams even accept American Express and Diners Club which some British operators don't accept

https://reisproducten.gvb.nl/nl

Al het GVB OV is cashloos. Een kaartje kopen in de tram, (nacht)bus of op de Noordzeekanaalponten kan dus alleen met een betaalpas of een creditcard (PIN of contactloos). Je kunt met deze kaartsoorten bij ons terecht: V-pay, Maestro, VISA, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club, Union Pay en American Express.

I can't find a list of cards accepted by RET buses unfortunately. But the metro station should accept credit cards by the look of it.

Connexxion accept credit cards

https://www.connexxion.nl/nl/vervoerbewijzen/kaartjes/papieren-kaartje

Reizen kan nog steeds met papieren kaartje. Veel kaartjes kun je kopen bij de buschauffeur met je pinpas of creditcard.

HTM accept credit cards

https://www.htm.nl/vervoerbewijzen/losse-kaartjes/htm-2-uurskaart/

Bij de buschauffeurs HTMbuzz: betalen met je bankpas of creditcard (Visa, Mastercard)

It would be surprising if GVB, HTM and Connexxion buses accept credit cards and RET don't.

 

[radamfi]

Ah, looks like I read the website wrong!

RET still accept cash on the bus! No bank cards.

They've only been testing card acceptance:

https://www.ret.nl/home/reisproducten/cashless-betalen-in-de-bus.html

 

[James H]

Many thanks radamfi

So basically - without an OV-chipkaart - the only way to pay the kilometric fare is the Tranzer app. Otherwise the only way to pay cash for a single journey is a two-hour ticket at 4 euros?

My only worry with Tranzer is it's a bit fiddly entering all the passenger names in a hurry when you're about to board a bus. But I need to keep costs down.

 

[radamfi]

So basically - without an OV-chipkaart - the only way to pay the kilometric fare is the Tranzer app. Otherwise the only way to pay cash for a single journey is a two-hour ticket at 4 euros?

Looks like it.