When you decide to visit Rotterdam the first time, there are many things that you should keep in mind. The Dutch ‘hulpvaardig’ (helpful) culture will make sure you find your way around, but it is important for foreign visitors to know what’s going on. 

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Here Are 10 Tips When Visiting Rotterdam For The First Time:

Enjoy The City

When planning a trip to Rotterdam, remember why you’re going. A lot of people from outside of Holland say they don’t want to visit Amsterdam because ‘everybody goes there. In Rotterdam, however, compared with most other cities in Europe, nobody really speaks English, and this might feel like a hassle at first. 

However, once you get to the city, you’ll enjoy it more than any other place. In Rotterdam, everyone is happy and smiling, people go out of their way to help you get around, and there are a lot of things going on. It’s a very cosmopolitan city with all sorts of food from different countries, and this is reflected in the atmosphere.

Walk As Much As Possible

This is especially true if you don’t own a car and can walk or ride your bike everywhere. It might be hard at first since Rotterdam was built after World War 2, and as many such roads are built as straight as an arrow – unfortunately, they’re sometimes also wide as an arrow too! But once you get used to it, you’ll realise that the city centre is pretty small, so everything is within walking distance. In addition, Rotterdam has some beautiful canals and buildings that are worth checking out by foot!

Visit The Countryside Around Rotterdam

If you have a car, it might be worth visiting one of the areas outside Rotterdam to explore more of the beautiful Dutch countryside.

Try All Kinds Of Food!

Rotterdam has quite an international feel with people coming from all over the world to visit. This means there’s a wide variety of food to be had, including many international cuisines which you might not have tried before.

Eat Some Bitterballen

Bitterballen are beef ragout-based snacks that can be found in almost every bar or restaurant in Rotterdam. They taste great with a beer so make sure you try them when going out for dinner. There’s no better way to get started at getting to know your neighbours than sharing some drinks and bitterballen together.

Explore Rotterdam’s History With A Free Audio Guide Or App

The city of Rotterdam has created several free apps that help you learn about the monuments and buildings around you as well as give you background information on what you’re seeing. To use an online translator is an excellent way to explore and learn more about Rotterdam!

Rotterdam Is Multicultural

This means there are 5 official languages: Dutch, English, Arabic, Turkish and Papiamento (spoken on the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao). When you want to ask for directions or recommendations, keep this in mind since not everyone speaks English. If you don’t speak any of those languages, make sure to at least learn how to say “thank you” (dank u well) as it’s always more than welcome!

Explore Rotterdam Through One Of Its Many Markets

You can find all kinds of markets in Rotterdam: from books to antiques, from food to clothing. So whether you’re looking for a souvenir or just want to explore some more, don’t forget to check out these places!

They Are Famous For Their Architecture! 

Rotterdam’s main sights are its world-famous architecture: from the modern, iconic cubes to the most beautiful bridges in Europe and a unique skyline. You can’t visit Rotterdam without noticing these things. Make sure to take a picture with the cubes in front of your background before going inside them!

Go Out For Drinks At Night

The most interesting thing about Rotterdam is that it never sleeps. There are many things going on around town during the weekends, and you can experience nights out with different themes every day of the week. There’s also a big chance you’ll meet people from all over the world when visiting bars in Rotterdam.