How to get to Rotterdam from Kingston upon Hull

Travel to Rotterdam

If you're travelling from Hull to Rotterdam, the most common way to travel is by train. These trains typically run once or twice in an hour starting around 5:30 a.m. and ending close to 7:30 a.m. most days have 3 - 4 trains running, with around 21 trains operating per week. To travel this route, you will need to board three different trains along the way. Your journey will start at Barnetby station, and you'll have two changes at Newark Northgate and London Kings Cross before heading through to Rotterdam Centraal. The travel time depends on how long the changes take and whether or not there are delays but they're usually between 7h - 9h. Buses and flights are less frequent and often hard to find.

About Rotterdam

Rotterdam stands as a major port city in the Netherlands, it's situated in the Dutch province of South Holland. Rotterdam attracts a ton of architecture aficionados every year to marvel at the city. Every year, Rotterdam Architecture Month makes visible the quality of architecture and innovative power that the city is known for and provides the perfect circumstances for the education, public, and design sectors to meet. The middle of the year months are typically the best times to visit Rotterdam and since the Netherlands is an EU country, their currency is the Euro. If you're wondering what time the shops, restaurants, and bars open, trading hours for most shops in Rotterdam are 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., while trading hours for restaurants are typically open until after 10:00 p.m.

Travel from Hull to Rotterdam

The distance between Hull and Rotterdam is 236 miles (381 km). Travellers heading to Rotterdam from Hull have the option of taking a bus, train, ferry or plane. Journey times for this route are roughly 4, 7, 11, or 16 hours for planes, trains, ferries, and buses respectively.  

What is the cheapest way to get from Hull to Rotterdam?

Among the various modes of transport that commuters can use to travel from Hull to Rotterdam, buses are the most economical. There are two bus companies that operate coaches to Rotterdam from Hull. These are National Express and BlaBla Bus Company.

There are no direct buses from Hull to Rotterdam. Commuters first have to take a 6 hour trip from Hull to London Marble Arch. From where they will have to take another 20-minute bus to the Victoria Green Line Coach Station. It is at this station where they will board the final coach to Rotterdam which will take close to 10 hours on the road. In total, travellers will spend roughly 16 hours en route to Rotterdam from Hull.

What is the fastest way to travel from Hull to Rotterdam?

For people keen to travel from Hull to Rotterdam in the shortest time possible, planes are the only logical options. However, travellers must first take a 55-minute train ride to get to Humberside Airport, the nearest airport. From here, there are daily flights to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.

After getting off the plane in Schiphol Airport, travellers will then have to take a 25-minute bus ride to get to Rotterdam. In total, getting to Rotterdam from Hull by plane will take approximately 4.5 hours.

Find and book with Omio the best tickets from Hull to Rotterdam

Whether you want to travel by bus, train, plane, or ferry the Omio website allows you to compare tickets from different companies and book one that suits your needs.

Travel from Hull to Rotterdam by train

To travel from Hull to Rotterdam by train, commuters must take three trains. The journey will begin on a train to Doncaster, which will arrive in slightly less than an hour. At Doncaster, passengers then have to board another train to London which will arrive at the Kings Cross Station in just over 1.5 hours. Trains from Hull to Doncaster and Doncaster to London depart every 30 minutes.

To board the final train to Rotterdam, commuters then have to make their way to the St Pancras Station. Here they will board a Eurostar train that will take them to Rotterdam. There are five daily departures for Rotterdam at the St Pancras Station every day.

Travel from Hull to Rotterdam by bus

National Express and BlaBla Bus Company are the only bus companies that commuters can use to travel from Hull to Rotterdam. Though they offer daily departures, all are connecting trips. The journey begins with a 6 hour trip to London Marble Arch. However, they will still have to take another 20-minute bus ride to the Victoria Green Line Coach Station, where they will board the last bus.

Once the coach departs Victoria Green Line Station, it will be another 10 hours before passengers arrive in Rotterdam. Travelling to Rotterdam by bus can take as much as 16 hours, but it is the best option for those who wish to reduce costs.

Travel from Hull to Rotterdam by plane

There are no airports in Hull. The closest airport, Humberside Airport, is a 55-minute train ride away. The airport offers daily flights to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. Since planes arrive in Amsterdam, travellers have to board a bus which will take less than half an hour to get to Rotterdam.

Though travellers can first take trains to London or Manchester, the Hull to Rotterdam route via Humberside and Amsterdam takes the least amount of time. In total, from the moment of departure in Hull to the time of arrival in Rotterdam, the journey takes roughly 4.5 hours. As such you can depart in the morning and arrive on time for a lunch meeting.

Travel from Hull to Rotterdam by ferry

To travel to Rotterdam via ferry, voyagers should book tickets with P&O Ferries. There is at least one ferry that departs to Rotterdam from Hull every day. Ferries depart at the Hull Ferry Terminal 1 and dock at the Europort in Rotterdam. On average, the journey takes approximately 11.5 hours.

Public transport in Rotterdam

The public transport system in Rotterdam is top-tier and makes it easy for visitors to get around the city and the rest of the Netherlands. With the size of the city, you can travel by public transport, ferry, bicycle, or by foot. RET runs public transport in Rotterdam and requires that you pay for the bus, tram, or Metro using a RET card, which can be bought at different service shops and service centres around the city. A RET Tourist Day Ticket will give you a full day of travel in South Holland on any of the trams, buses, or the Metro. The Metro system consists of five lines, each marked with their own letter, colour, and with their final destination. The trains start as early as 5:15 a.m. and run until after midnight. All trams converge at Central Station and start running at around 5:00 a.m. until after midnight. The RET also provides several bus routes through the city.

Rotterdam Bike. Source: Shutterstock

Important bus & train stations, airports to Rotterdam?

Rotterdam Centraal station: will be your final stop when travelling by train from Hull to Rotterdam. It is located around 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from the city centre and serves as the main railway station for Rotterdam and South Holland. With hundreds of thousands of travellers moving through the station every day, it's important to have top-class facilities and services on-site. At Rotterdam, you'll find a variety of cafes, coffee shops, supermarkets, and shops to peruse. You'll also have access to several cash machines, baggage storage, self-serving ticketing machines, bike rental and storage, as well as baby-changing facilities. If you're spending time at the station before or between trips, the NS International Lounge is open daily from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. on weekdays and from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on weekends.

Which companies travel to Rotterdam?

If commuters are travelling by train from Hull to Rotterdam, their first train will be operated by Northern Rail and at Doncaster, they'll switch to a train operated by London North Eastern Railway. Once commuters reach London Kings Cross, they'll need to make their way to London St Pancras International station and board their final train to Rotterdam, run by Eurostar.

These trains typically run three to four times a day depending on the time of year. There are only two buses that commuters can use to travel from Hull to Rotterdam on. These are National Express and BlaBla Bus Company. Daily departures are typically offered but they are all connecting trips. They'll start with a 6-hour journey to London Marble Arch, a 20-minute bus ride to Victoria Green Line Coach Station, and then board the final bus to Rotterdam.

National Express bus to Rotterdam

National Express is one of only two buses that travel from Hull to Rotterdam and usually offer daily trips between the two destinations. The distance between Hull and Rotterdam when travelling by bus is approximately 364 miles (586 km) and requires at least two connections along the way. A bus trip from Hull to Rotterdam can take as long as 16h, although it is often the most affordable option.

BlaBlaBus to Rotterdam

BlaBlaBus is the second bus that runs between these two destinations and typically runs along the same route as the National Express and requires commuters to make two changes along the way. BlaBlaBus is one of the newer bus companies on the scene and they aim to provide comfortable, affordable, and flexible travel throughout Central Europe.

Northern Railway train to Rotterdam

Northern Railway is your first point of call when travelling via train from Hull to Rotterdam, these trains run 3 - 4 times a day from Hull Station. If your train has a single change along the way, you will stop at London Kings Cross and then make your way to London St Pancras where you'll board the next train.

Rotterdam Happiness. Source: Shutterstock

Eurostar train to Rotterdam

Eurostar will operate the final leg of your journey from their hub at St Pancras International station to Rotterdam. Eurostar is the only high-speed train in the UK with direct routes to France, Belgium, and the Netherlands and offers several advantages for travelling with them, including no restrictions on food and drinks, as well as no restrictions on luggage weight.

How to find cheap tickets to Rotterdam?

If you're trying to find the most economical way to travel between Hull and Rotterdam, here are a couple of tips for you. Buses and trains will typically be a cheaper option than flying, so if you don't mind the time it takes, consider booking one of these services. Since tickets come online months before their departure date, consider booking well in advance to get the best deals.

You may also want to consider having flexible travel dates, sometimes you'll find cheaper tickets during the middle of the week and sometimes there will be specific deals on certain days. Select flexible dates and let Omio do the rest to help you compare tickets and choose the best one.

Travel to Rotterdam —travel tips

Rotterdam is located in the South Holland province of the Netherlands and is one of the largest cities in the country, next to Amsterdam, the capital. Rotterdam is most well-known for its historical port and magnificent architecture. If you're an architecture fanatic, you'll want to visit places like the Cube Houses, Kunsthal Rotterdam, and Market Hall.

Make your way to Markthal Rotterdam to experience the beautiful architecture, as well as shop in the marketplace which houses an array of stalls, shops, restaurants, and various bars. Rotterdam Zoo is a great option if you're travelling with children. Another popular attraction is the Euromast Tower, an observation station built in 1960 to offer panoramic views of the Rotterdam Cityscape. The Erasmus Bridge is another architectural feat that stretches the length of 802 metres across the Rhine and serves as the second largest bridge in the Netherlands.