Europe's largest port and a city of modern architecture: the Cube Houses, the arched Markthal, the Erasmus Bridge ('the Swan') and the mirrored bowl of Depot Boijmans. Rebuilt after the war, it feels nothing like Amsterdam — high-rises, docks and food from every corner of the world. Nearby are the UNESCO windmills of Kinderdijk (30 min by waterbus) and Vermeer's Delft (15 min by train). No direct flights from UB — land at Schiphol and take the train for ~25 min. Mongolian citizens need a Schengen visa, issued by the French Embassy in Ulaanbaatar.
#architecture#port#windmills#Delft#food#Schengen visa
Sign in to keep the plan — you'll continue right after.
💵
Costs and prices on the ground
…
return from $900
☀️
Weather
Daytime 7–23°C · warmest in July
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September.
📍
Things to see (12)
12 places: Markthal, Cube Houses, Erasmus Bridge…
🧸 for kids
Markthal
FoodFree entryMon–Sat 10:00–20:00 (Fri until 21:00); Sun 12:00–18:00
An indoor food market inside an arch-shaped apartment building, its ceiling covered by a giant mural of fruit, fish and flowers. Dutch cheese, stroopwafels and plenty of Turkish, Spanish and Asian stalls. A good place for a family meal on a rainy day.
City€3.50; ages 5–12 €1.50; under 5 freeDaily 10:00–18:00
Piet Blom's yellow cube houses tilted at 45 degrees (1984), right next to the Markthal. People live in them, so only one, the Kijk-Kubus, is a museum: see the slanted walls and triangular windows inside. Children love it; 20–30 minutes.
Show all (12)
🧸 for kids
Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen
Culture€20 (free under 18), timed bookingTue–Sun 11:00–17:00; closed Mondays
The world's first publicly accessible museum storage: a mirrored bowl holding over 150,000 works, from Bosch and Bruegel to Rembrandt and Dalí. The rooftop forest garden looks out over the city. The main museum is closed for renovation and expected to reopen around 2029–2030, so the Depot is the only way to see the collection. Online tickets only.
Adult return fare: $900–$1700Book to Amsterdam (AMS) and take the train to Rotterdam from the station beneath Schiphol — the Intercity Direct is fastest but carries a supplement; the regular Intercity runs via Leiden and The Hague, slower but with no supplement. From Frankfurt a direct ICE train to Rotterdam is another option. The winter timetable (from 25 October) has fewer flights, so check dates on miat.com and klm.com. Rotterdam is 7 hours behind UB (6 in summer). Fares peak in April–May and July–August.
🛂
Visa and documents
Visa required · 90 days · $101 · language, safety, medical, SIM
Visa required · 90 days · $101
Mongolian ordinary passport holders need a Schengen short-stay (C) visa (checked 2026.10). The Netherlands has no embassy in Mongolia, so if the Netherlands is your main destination you apply at the visa section of the French Embassy in Ulaanbaatar (15 Peace Avenue, Chingeltei district) — no VFS. Fill in the form on france-visas.gouv.fr and book the appointment on consulat.gouv.fr; applications are taken Mon, Wed and Fri 9:00–11:30. Fee €90, children 6–11 €45, under 6 free — cash only, in tögrög at the embassy rate; not refunded if refused; no third-party service fee. Passports are returned 2–3 weeks after submission; apply no earlier than 6 months and at least 10 days before travel. Medical insurance of at least €30,000 is mandatory. Up to 90 days in any 180. The EES border system records fingerprints and a face image; ETIAS does not apply to visa holders.
Visa rules can change — confirm with the embassy or an official source before you travel.
Language:Dutch; almost everyone in Rotterdam speaks fluent English — no problem in shops, restaurants or on transport
Safety:Generally safe; pickpockets work Centraal Station, Beurs metro, the Markthal area and trams. At night avoid walking alone in some outlying streets in the north and south of the city. The biggest danger is bikes: don't walk in the red bike lanes and watch for tram tracks. Hard drugs are illegal.
Healthcare:Hospitals such as Erasmus MC (university hospital), Maasstad and Franciscus Gasthuis have emergency departments. For non-emergencies, phone the out-of-hours GP service (huisartsenpost) first. Treatment is expensive, so carry the insurance your visa requires.
Phone:KPN, Vodafone and Odido prepaid SIMs are sold in shops and at Schiphol; the Netherlands does not require passport registration for prepaid SIMs. Easiest is an eSIM bought before the trip (Airalo, Holafly). On trains, metro and trams you can tap in directly with a contactless bank card (OVpay).
🧭
Travel guide
Arrival, SIM, transport, money, customs — step by step
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goSchengen visas for the Netherlands are issued by the French Embassy in Ulaanbaatar. Slots are few and it accepts applications only three days a week, so start early.+
1
Schengen visa: French Embassy
The Netherlands has no embassy in Mongolia, so if the Netherlands is your main destination you apply at the French Embassy (there is no VFS). Fill in the form on France-Visas, book on consulat.gouv.fr and go in person Mon, Wed or Fri 9:00–11:30 to give fingerprints (children under 12 give none but must attend). Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) — cash in tögrög only, not refunded if refused. Passports come back after 2–3 weeks.
Tip: If you fly via Frankfurt and spend longer in Germany, apply to the German Embassy (VFS) instead — the country of your longest stay decides.
Medical insurance valid in all Schengen states with cover of at least €30,000 is mandatory. Prepare the return ticket, hotel bookings, bank statements and employment letter as listed by France-Visas. You cannot apply more than 6 months ahead; slots fill fast around the summer and winter school holidays.
Instead of passport stamps, the EES system records your fingerprints and face at the Schengen border; the first entry may take longer. ETIAS is for visa-exempt travellers, so it does not apply to Mongolians with a Schengen visa.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityMost travellers land at Amsterdam Schiphol. Trains to Rotterdam leave from the station right beneath the terminal.+
1
From Schiphol by Intercity Direct
The Intercity Direct takes ~25 minutes from Schiphol to Rotterdam Centraal. A one-way 2nd-class ticket is €16.40, plus the Intercity Direct supplement of €3.20 at peak times or €1.92 off-peak. If you tap in with a contactless bank card, also tap it on the red 'Toeslag' pillar on the platform.
Tip: To skip the supplement, take a regular Intercity via Leiden and The Hague — slower but cheaper.
If you fly into the small Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM) from another European city, RET bus 33 reaches Centraal Station in ~20 minutes, every 10 minutes in the daytime; tap in with your bank card.
If you land in Frankfurt with MIAT, Schengen passport control happens there. From Frankfurt you can fly on to Amsterdam or take a direct ICE train to Rotterdam. On separate tickets, leave plenty of time to connect.
📶Phone and internet+
1
eSIM — the easiest
If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave — it works as soon as you land. A Europe-wide plan also covers Frankfurt or a side trip to Belgium.
Tip: Download Rotterdam and Delft in Google Maps for offline use.
2
Dutch prepaid SIM
KPN, Vodafone and Odido prepaid SIMs are sold at Schiphol, in city shops and supermarkets; no passport registration is needed. EU 'roam like at home' rules mean it works in other European countries too.
🚇Getting aroundRotterdam is spread out, so the metro and trams are the easiest way around. Always tap your card when boarding and when leaving.+
1
RET: metro, tram and bus
Tap a contactless bank card or phone (OVpay) on the five metro lines (A–E), trams and buses. An RET day ticket is €12 (child €6) and a 2-hour ticket €5.50. Forget to tap out and you are charged extra.
The WaterShuttle runs from the Willemskade stop near the Erasmus Bridge to Kinderdijk in ~30 minutes; €9.75 one way, €19.50 return, half price for ages 4–11 and free under 4. The timetable changes by season, so check ahead; a combi ticket with Kinderdijk entry is available.
Trains from Rotterdam Centraal reach Delft in ~15 minutes; a one-way 2nd-class ticket is €4.40, and a RailRunner for ages 4–11 is €2.50. The Hague is just as close, so the two combine well in one day.
💳Money and taxes+
1
Pay by card
The Netherlands is nearly cashless: many museums such as Depot Boijmans, and many cafés, take cards only. Visa and Mastercard work in most places, but some supermarkets and small shops take debit cards only (Maestro, V Pay), so carry both kinds of card and a little cash.
Tip: If the card reader offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose euros.
2
Tourist tax
Rotterdam's tourist tax in 2026 is 6.5% of the room price excluding VAT — about half of Amsterdam's. If it is not in your booking price, the hotel adds it at check-out.
Non-EU visitors who spend above a minimum amount in a shop showing the 'Tax Free' sign can reclaim the VAT. Ask the shop for the form and have it validated by customs at the airport where you leave the EU.
🍜FoodWith over 170 nationalities living in Rotterdam, food choices are huge — Dutch, Surinamese, Turkish, Cape Verdean and Indonesian.+
1
What to eat
Stroopwafels (syrup waffles), poffertjes (tiny pancakes — a children's favourite), bitterballen, fresh haring (salted herring), Gouda cheese and patat. Surinamese roti and Indonesian rijsttafel — many small dishes with rice — are good for sharing as a family.
Tip: Tipping is not required; round up a little for good service.
2
Food streets and markets
The Markthal is an indoor food market, good for a rainy family day. The Witte de Withkwartier is a street full of restaurants, bars and galleries. Try the Fenix Food Factory in Katendrecht and the Binnenrotte street market outside the Markthal on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Cheap groceries: Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Lidl.
Police, ambulance and fire — 112, free, 24 hours, answered in English. For non-urgent police matters call 0900-8844. For non-urgent illness, phone the out-of-hours GP service (huisartsenpost) first.
Most accidents involve bikes: don't walk on the red bike lanes, and look both ways for bikes and trams before crossing. Watch for pickpockets at Centraal Station, Beurs metro, around the Markthal and at crowded events. Don't walk alone at night in outlying neighbourhoods.
3
Drug laws
Cannabis is only tolerated inside coffeeshops; hard drugs are fully illegal. Taking cannabis out of the Netherlands is a serious crime in other countries, including Mongolia — don't try.
🙏Manners+
1
People live here
People live in the Cube Houses, the Kinderdijk mills and the houses of Delfshaven: don't peer into windows or gardens, knock on doors or fly drones. Cyclists use the paths between the mills, so don't stand in the middle of them.
2
Everyday contact
The Dutch, and Rotterdammers especially, are direct and to the point — don't take it as rudeness. 'Hallo' and 'Dank je wel' (thank you) go down well. Punctuality matters; arrive late for a timed museum slot (Depot Boijmans) and you may not be let in.
📱Useful apps+
1
Transport
NS app — train times, tickets and delays. RET app and 9292 — metro, trams and buses. The Waterbus site — boats to Kinderdijk and Dordrecht. Google Maps works very well in the city and gives cycling routes too.
Buy Depot Boijmans, Euromast and Kinderdijk tickets online on the official sites — some are sold online only with a time slot. Rotterdam.info covers events and the City Card. Google Translate's camera translates Dutch menus and signs.
The Intercity Direct from Rotterdam to Schiphol takes ~25 minutes; don't forget to pay the supplement at a 'Toeslag' pillar. Schiphol is one of Europe's busiest airports — allow plenty of time for security, the EES exit check and the customs stamp for Tax Free.
Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically, and an overstay will hurt your next application. Carry Tax Free goods unopened and show them to customs before check-in.
Rotterdam's landmark: an 802 m white cable-stayed bridge nicknamed 'the Swan'. Walk across to Kop van Zuid on the far bank — skyscrapers, the Wilhelminapier and Renzo Piano's KPN tower. Best for photos at sunset.
A 185 m tower: the 100 m deck overlooks the port and the whole city, and the rotating glass 'Euroscoop' lifts you to the top. Reopened on 20 June 2026 after renovation. Het Park, with a playground, lies at its foot.
City€18.75; children €10.55Daily; check the sailing schedule on the website
A 75-minute boat trip from the foot of the Erasmus Bridge (Willemsplein): giant container ships, shipyards and docks in one of Europe's biggest ports. Audio guide included, with indoor and open-air seating.
Culture€15; ages 18–25 €7.50; free under 18Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00; closed Mondays
Opened in 2025, the world's first major art museum about migration, in an old port warehouse. The 'Tornado' spiral staircase climbs to the roof for great views. Katendrecht around it has the Fenix Food Factory and restaurants; across the water, the historic Hotel New York (former Holland America Line headquarters) has a café.
CultureFree24 hours; cafés and shops in the daytime
The only old harbour to survive the wartime bombing: 17th-century houses, canals, a windmill and a brewery. The Pilgrims sailed for America from here in 1620. Reach it by metro or tram and spend a calm half-day at canal-side cafés.
A UNESCO World Heritage site of 19 windmills from the 1740s that once pumped water from the polders. The ticket covers museum mills, a boat tour and pumping stations; walking around the mills outside is free. About 30 minutes from Rotterdam on the WaterShuttle waterbus.
CultureBoth churches €10, + tower €15; Vermeer Centrum €15 (ages 7–12 €2)Vermeer Centrum daily 10:00–17:00; churches — check times on the website
A small town of canals and bridges ~15 minutes from Rotterdam by train. The Nieuwe Kerk on the Markt holds the tombs of the House of Orange; its 376-step tower looks out to Rotterdam and The Hague (no children under 5). The Vermeer Centrum tells the life of the painter of Girl with a Pearl Earring, with reproductions of all his works.
Shopping€17.50Daily 9:30–17:00 (1 Apr–15 May from 9:00)
The last Delft Blue pottery factory still working since 1653: watch painters decorate by hand and tour the museum with an audio guide. The shop sells genuine hand-painted pieces. About a 20-minute walk from central Delft.
Kids€27.50–31.50 (depends on date); ages 3–12 €22.50–26.50; under 3 freeDaily, summer 9:00–18:00, winter 9:00–17:00
One of the largest zoos in the Netherlands (Diergaarde Blijdorp): areas grouped by continent, the Oceanium aquarium with sharks and sea turtles, elephants, lions and red pandas. A short bus ride from Centraal Station. Dated online tickets are cheaper.
