Rotterdam Centraal

One of my favourite stations, which is lucky since I’m here a lot. It’s quite roomy — the high ceilings don’t make it feel super crowded even during peak hours. There’s lots of choice of places to grab some food for in the train, and shops like Etos or Hema if you’ve forgotten something like make-​up or aspirin. The only thing is that it’s difficult to find where the rental bikes are: they’re underground in the new bike parking under the station but it’s not clearly signed in the station. Follow the stairs down towards the metro, and then just keep walking around the metro turnstiles and all the way at the back you will see the underground bike parkade.

Clean and new station. Well organized and easy to get around.
The food selection wasn’t to my liking. It was Burger King, Döner Kebab, La Place or various bread places. There isn’t a nicer sit-​down restaurant as far as I could tell.
The bathrooms were hard to find and you have to badge out to get to them for some reason.

Amazing station, beautiful architecture and easy to get around.

Really a nice new station. I am normally a fan of old train stations but there is also something to say about super modern ones like Rotterdam Centraal. There is lots of room inside with stores and fast food places, finding trains and connections to the bus station next door is also very easy. The architecture is really neat to see, especially from the outside.
The only problem for me was that it was extremely hard to find where the ov-​fiets rental location was, there were not signs at all. Finally I found it down a random unmarked staircase in front of the train station.

I go through this station several times a month while connecting to the Thalys train. What I hate about it is that there is nowhere on the platform to check-​in/​check-​out with my OV-​chipkaart. The only check-​in terminals are at the entrances to the station. Therefore I have to get out of the train, go down stairs, walk to the entrance of the station, check out, walk back, and go back up to the platform, which in many cases is the same one I arrived on, to wait for the Thalys. All because they had the bright idea to remove the check-​in/​out terminals from the platforms. On my return trip this often causes me to miss the first train to the Hague. I’m So annoyed by this. Most of the other train stations have the OV-​chipkaart terminals right next to he train. And there you don’t need it! Why on earth did they remove them from the platforms at Rotterdam???

I always stop through here on my way to Antwerp. I rather switch in Rotterdam, than at Rosendal station. The traveling is much smoother and faster. There were a number of projects under construction near the station, so initially the station seamed a bit hectic. However, now I am please to say that I am really impress with the end results of the Rotterdam Central station, to me it maybe now one of the best stations in the Netherlands. I think they did a fine job of the reconstruction of the station. It has everything a traveler needs when traveling. If you happen to miss your train, just check out the boards, which are posted everywhere at the station.

Os vais a reír, pero a mí está estación me recuerda un montón a la de Córdoba, aunque no sabría decir realmente por qué ya que apenas me acuerdo de esta última, ¡pero fue lo primero que me vino a la cabeza cuando llegué esta mañana!
Ahora mismo está un poco desastrada porque están haciendo una reforma integral de varias vías y de la salida principal, así que se pierden un poco el glamour y la luz que debe tener de habitual. Sin embargo, cuenta con las principales características de todas las estaciones europeas: tiene un caos organizativo muy difícil de alcanzar sin premeditarlo, y es maravillosa a nivel de servicios: tiendas, farmacias, comisaría, cafeterías… Todo muy limpio, incluyendo los cuartos de baño (no lo sé, me lo han contado); en esto no tiene nada que ver con ciertas estaciones patrias donde da miedo tomar algo o ir a hacer aguas menores.
Aún así, ¡sigue recordándome a la estación de Córdoba!

All of the train stations in Holland are wonderful. This one is no different. They have shops, a friendly and helpful staff, and an easy to navigate layout. What else do you need?