Rotterdam Eurostar experiences

[itfcfan]

I'm interested to know how well organised Eurostar departures are at Rotterdam.

I'm coming to London from the Netherlands in August. On the Sunday I'm travelling, there are 2x direct trains from Amsterdam but 3x direct trains from Rotterdam (I presume there are some kind of engineering works preventing the third train starting from Amsterdam?). Needless to say, the one that starts in Rotterdam is a lot cheaper than the other two and I plan to take this one.

I travelled from Amsterdam Eurostar last summer and my experience wasn't so great. Compared to Paris or Brussels the Amsterdam Eurostar "terminal" is a fairly small space that I understand is a temporary building - people were encouraged to check-in early and although I arrived towards the end of the check-in period I still had 30~40mins stuck in space that was much more crowded (and hotter!) than Brussels Eurostar facilities. What's Rotterdam like in comparison? And how well does Rotterdam cope when its the origin point (rather than traffic being split between Amsterdam and Rotterdam)?

Thanks in advance for anyone reporting their experiences!

 

[DanielB]

On the Sunday I'm travelling, there are 2x direct trains from Amsterdam but 3x direct trains from Rotterdam (I presume there are some kind of engineering works preventing the third train starting from Amsterdam?). Needless to say, the one that starts in Rotterdam is a lot cheaper than the other two and I plan to take this one.

Presume you're travelling on the 7th of August. That weekend there are engineering works on the high speed line between Rotterdam and Breda, so probably there's insufficient time for reversing that one train at the yard in Amsterdam due to the alternate route it will have to take between Antwerp and Rotterdam.

What's Rotterdam like in comparison? And how well does Rotterdam cope when its the origin point (rather than traffic being split between Amsterdam and Rotterdam)?

I've never experienced the terminal personally, but the Rotterdam terminal looks bigger than the one in Amsterdam. There are some photos on Google Maps.
What potentially will help is that the Rotterdam terminal isn't in a temporary building, but within the station building itself with some nice views through the station.

 

[Ian99]

I've been in the Rotterdam terminal building a couple of times and there was more space per person than London or Paris for example.

 

[deltic]

I used it a few months ago. It's a small terminal building which is fine for when there are few passengers not sure how it copes when the service starts there. You are only allowed on to the platform a few minutes before the service arrives and are surrounded by security personnel who patrol the opposite platform, footbridge and end of the platform. I don't recall there being any facilities other than toilets.

 

[Jim the Jim]

There aren't normally enough seats for all passengers, so there are advantages to getting in early, but other than that it's a relatively nice terminal.

 

[sprunt]

As others have said, it's fine but small - definitely get there early if you want a seat. There are desks with plugs for laptops which give a good view over the platforms. Catering once you're in the terminal is limited to a couple of vending machines so I'd make sure you buy any food or drinks you might want first.

 

[tasky]

I've taken it a couple of times. They claim there are enough seats in the terminal for when the trains are full, but because people put their bags on seats etc you may not get one. I recommend getting there a bit early if you would like to sit down. Also, the business lounge isn't open on weekends and there appears to be no facility for express lane if you have a Carte Blanche or whatever.

 

[Trainbike46]

I've never travelled from Amsterdam with Eurostar, but all my experiences from Rotterdam have been positive. My understanding is that the Rotterdam terminal is the permanent one, and therefore bigger than the (temporary) Amsterdam one. It might get a bit busy if the train starts there though, but if the ticket prices are a lot lower that suggests there will be more empty spaces left on the train. It's obviously smaller than the London or Brussels terminal, but it's never felt as crowded as the london terminal regularly does, even when the previous eurostar service was cancelled.

 

[itfcfan]

Thanks for everyone sharing their experiences. I made the booking so I'll see how it works out. I'll report back if its especially good or bad!

 

[Citybreak1]

How possible is it to do Rotterdam in a day visit? I have only done it via Thalys but I wonder how easy it is to travel for a day? Shame there’s no shop in the terminal.

 

[DanielB]

How possible is it to do Rotterdam in a day visit? I have only done it via Thalys but I wonder how easy it is to travel for a day? Shame there’s no shop in the terminal.

With the current Eurostar timings you'd arrive earliest around half past twelve and the last Eurostar bach is leaving at 19.30. Taking in to account the time required for check-in and security that appears as a bit of a rushed visit to me.