@Thor V. How would you even do that though? Just go u to the guy and be like 'hey I know I'm paying you for getting me from point A to point B but mind if you throw in some stunts pls?
Yes, I pronounce "Rotterdam" the Dutch way in this video (or at least, I try to). Deal with it. Only native Dutch speakers are allowed to criticize my pronunciation. 😂
You missed a 7th way: the autonomous mini busses at Kralingse Zoom, called Park Shuttles. Also, if you're on a Watertaxi and you slip the captain a bit of beer money, they can make the ride wilder than a rollercoaster for you.
Long time ago (previous century) I used to work at "Brainpark", Rotterdam. I disliked those autonomous shuttles. These autonomous shuttles only run between certain office hours. If you wanted to start early or worked late then ... tough luck. What I hated about it is that there was no walkway besides the shuttle road. I often ignored it and and walked on the shuttle road to work. The highway I crossed reminded me as a car centric obstacle preventig walking or cycling. Though you can go to Brainpark by foot or bicycle everything tells you in that area that it is build for cars. The same is true when you get out of the next station after the Kralingse Zoom, metro station "Capelsebrug". And walk in the direction of McDonalds Capelsebrug parallel to and on the side of this same highway. There is not even a footpath there! That whole area is more "americanized" than any other part of Rotterdam that I know of. NB I have not been in this area this century. So it might have been improved. But I doubt it.
@@wimahlers there is a walkway now and the hours are extended. There is also a sidewalk to McDonalds now and all traffic (exept highway ofc) has been slowed down. I actually live there ^^ They are actually encouraging people to use KZ as a hub when you come from the highway. Among other things they've build a really big parking lot over KZ with easy access to the metro and busses so you can park and go and vice versa.
I always get major city-envy watching these videos! While in North America we dream about a bright new urbanist future, Europe has been living the dream for years...also, green tramways are the best!!
Yeah, I was really impressed. As much as I have a personal preference for old building and traditional streets, Rotterdam is a great example of what a "modern" city should be. This should be what Sydney or Toronto or any similar city looks like in the future.
In Halle (Saale) in Germany we have the "Stadtbahnprogramm" (City Tram Programm). That's Why you can Go every where in the city by cheap Tram and every new street have to be built for a good Tram network.
@@thetoekster6728 not all of them, but yes, the terrible May 1940 bombing of the city by the Luftwaffe gave city planners a more-or-less blank canvas when rebuilding and developing the city after the war.
If you ever revisit Rotterdam, the tram stop at the Witte the Withstraat (halte Museumpark) is actually a piece of protest art. The stop was removed in 1993, to the displeasure of local residents, and an artist made an exact replica of the stop itself. The stop was reinstated again shortly thereafter and has remained in its original state since. It doesn't stand out, but the lack of advertising and the old analog clock betray its history. The only alteration that has been made to my knowledge is the addition of an electronic sign indicating wait times.
When you go cycling there: don't miss the Maastunnel, a pre-war tunnel built under the river Maas that has a special bike and pedestrian tunnel as well. You'll have to take your bike on the escalator though, so good look with that ;)
3:05 wow that is amazing, they tapped the customer off and blocked the door whilst they disembark before returning the card - meanwhile another staff is walking someone holding their hand! If only my grandparents were growing old in NL
Is there a point system to decide how "American" a city is? I would have gone with Almere as the most American city in the Netherlands, what with the suburban sprawl, but the highrise office buildings in the city center and the car friendliness does give Rotterdam a lot of "America-points"...
@@olevandongen96 Almere was founded on newly reclaimed polder land so they didn't have to cope with existing infrastructure. The city was only founded in 1976.
Hahaha I live for grassy tram tracks. Something about them just looks so aesthetically pleasing, and it reimplements nature a little bit into a city/concrete jungle. There's a bit in the west of Frankfurt am Main where I live and I love taking the tram there or just walking past it when going to school or work :) Great video, keep it up!
Been living in Rotterdam for about 5 years now as a student, and other than Hong Kong it's my favourite city in terms of living due to the variety of things the city has to offer. I'd personally recommend cycling in Kralingen around the Vijverlaan, really nice (unbombarded) area of town. Also Noord, near zomerhofkwartier and the hofbogen is a nice area, which shows that mixing of low-income housing and artsy shops and bars doesn't always lead to a mess of gentrification. Hope to have you back here soon!
I used to commute between Rotterdam and Amsterdam for school for a two year period, and I hardly ever was late for school unless I overslept once in a blue moon. From the neighbourhood we lived in, getting to Rotterdam Central Station I had both metro as well tram connections, and I had 3 trains to choose from in a 20 minute window to get me to a stop in Amsterdam or Schiphol for my connecting train or metro.
Hah. Yeah, sorry. I need a lot more footage of the GO Train to make that happen, but I can't go to Canada without a 14-day quarantine. Maybe I'll have to partner with a Canadian ... uh .. who doesn't mind me using his video to hate on Canadian trains. 😂
Good to see finally a video on Rotterdam. Plz do make more videos on Rotterdam. I am hopefully coming to Rotterdam to start my Masters at IHS in Erasmus University Rotterdam in Urban Management and Development. Looking forward to more videos from ur side.
I'm so glad you talked about the Water Taxi! They're by far my favourite way to get around the city. When I worked in a cafe, I'd always recommend them to visitors - not just as a means to get around, but also as a straight up experience. They're the best!
You should really cycle through the Maasvlakte (by which I mean the second one). As you said you can take the ferry there with your bike. The bicycle infrastructure in this port is amazing, cycling through all of those containers and ships. There is also a nice museum about this port and many beaches.
I stayed in The Netherlands a few years ago and cycled from Delft to Rotterdam with my brother. We had coffee outside the Food Market. Very easy to cycle to. As is anywhere in The Netherlands.
Bicycle scavenger hunt for you in Rotterdam: Find the sign that says "Roep boe tegen spookfietsers". Spot spiderman on his electric three wheeler. Take your bike onto the wooden escalators. Park your bike in the national bollards museum. Stop at a traffic light with a rain sensor, and trigger a green light with your super soaker Anything else that should be included, dear Rotterdammers? Good luck!
@@arthurhagen3826 Nothing more annoying than standing in Rozenburg after the last ferry has left and then deciding to go the long way round. Nasty by car, but hell by bike. God, to have that kind of fitness again, though :D
Wait, so the card works in ALL of the country? Here in Sweden each county has a different card which makes everything annoying and painful. Damn i really like the nationwide card thing.
Yes. It works everywhere, even on the bus in some tiny village somewhere. It works for trains, trams, buses, ferries ... even shared bicycles at train stations. It's incredible.
Yes, it did take them forever to get it introduced however! And there were some issues early on after the introduction but what new system doesn't come with implementation problems? It worked out well in the end, even the start went better than I initially expected!
The tricky part is when you change providers, so from 1 train company to another. you have to check out and check in, so if you're on a short connection you need to rush to the 'poles' and wait for the bleeps to make sure you checked out on the one pole and then run the other pole to get bleeped again to check in for the next change. Same for busses: you check in at the scanner near the driver and you check out when you exit the back door. If you change busses, it notices you're on a continued trip so it doesn't charge you the 'startup' money again. Each fare consists of a start-up fare and an amount per zone / kilometer. I've loved the card from the start, compared to the old system of having to buy cards for each leg of the journey if you changed providers. The busses and trams worked with stamp-cards, the trains with tickets before we had the universal 'OV-chip card'
If your biking in Rotterdam and just want a chill evening cycling evening, try to bike around the 'Kralingse plas' It's a nice place and espessially in the evening/morning it looks good. You have some spots in wich you can see the tall buildings from the city centre quite nicely.
I'm so happy you're focusing on Rotterdam! I emigrated here (from the US) about four years ago and lived there until a month ago. I never noticed how superior the R'dam metro and tram are, compared with other cities -- I just took them for granted. I also learned from the comments that the Maastunnel is open again (after renovations) and I agree with the commenter: Definitely bike through it if you get the chance. I've heard that the escalator (which is wooden, and huge, and terrifying) is the oldest in NL.
Maastunnel wooden escalators: Build near the end of the 1930ties. In use since 1942. Fun fact: As a protest against the German occupation the Maastunnel was never officially opened. See (Dutch link): www.maastunnel.nl/historie/14-februari-1942-de-openstelling-van-de-maastunnel#:~:text=Geschiedenis%20Maastunnel%3A%20opening%20in%201942&text=Toen%20een%20week%20later%20ook,genomen%20voor%20voetgangers%20en%20fietsers. Meaning it has been used but not opened for over 78 years now!
Rotterdam was the direct inspiration for the "light rail" concept in my hometown of Bergen, Norway. This "open-air metro, not quite a train, though" concept goes all the way out to the airport, almost an hour out of the center. It has very frequent service, and it has boosted car-free urban planning and living. The public response has been mixed, though. Since Bergen literally doesn't have enough space for a metro, the dedicated open-air lanes end up displacing a lot of other traffic. The tram-like, frequent stops combined with the long distances it covers also mean it's slower compared to, say, an express bus or a taxi.
I live close to Hoek van Holland in the town with the unpronouncable name of 's-Gravenzande and know the area very well. It's very convenient that the metro goes from there to the city centre without having to take a million different connections. It saves a lot of time compared to a bus.
As someone who only used that line to go to the ferry in Hoek van Holland, I did and do not understand the improvement. Many international travelers now have to add a mode of transport to their travels, and with the line changed in nature, the direct boat trains are not coming back.
@@willekevanderham5326 There were, and are, other users you know. People who live in the Westland and commute to Rotterdam for work. For them this metro line is a godsend as it extends all the way to Capelle on the Eastern outskirts of Rotterdam. The same is true for the metro line from Slinge station in South Rotterdam all the way to The Hague Central Station, along the former commuter railway line.This metro line connects a string of villages with Rotterdam at one end and The Hague at the other end. International travellers probably prefer the direct rail link to London anyway.
I recently found your channel and I love it! As a German I'm kind of envious how traffic is handled over there. If my whole life wasn't in Germany I would totally move there! But ... when Corona is over I definitly want to have my vacations in the Netherlands (learning Dutch at the moment).
Beautiful city, i live in Amsterdam since 2020, and stopped in Rotterdam last month on the way back from France, and it's indeed incredibly convenient that the chipcard just works in the city, and even to take the train between Rotterdam and Amsterdam, it might be "car centric" for the Netherlands, but it's incredibly better than say even Paris, let alone any city in the USA. Definitely planning to go back.
I got on the ferry at Harwich after a near death experience with a lorry and 6 hours later I was cycling from the Hook of Holland to Amsterdam without ever leaving a bike lane. Heaven.
This city seriously have one of the best traffic ever, very well-organized, much more organized any other city I've seen, someday I would like to go cycle there.
For cycling it's one of the worst cities in the Netherlands. No matter where I go I cycle. The only exception is Rotterdam. I've to wait longer at traffic lights and road infrastructure just isn't designed for cyclists especially when compared to The Hague.
@@Mwestside010 I've no clue when you've cycled in both Rotterdam and The Hague for the last time. But in the last five years The Hague is focusing all on bicycles. I can cycle from one end to the other end of the Hague in 30 minutes. The same distance in Rotterdam takes me a lot longer. Cycling over the Erasmusbrug is a hell in itself.
@@codex4046 I dont know where you got these experiences. Most traffic lights are pretty good and theres roundabouts as well. I think we can all agree that Amsterdam is the worst lol
@@NotJustBikes ok, you said it yourself here, was just about to comment on UDP packages :) love the channel btw and greetings from another IT guy from Berlin!
My sister studies in Rotterdam, so I've been there a few times. The last time we went to tour Rotterdam by car, this was in april and after that we went home to Twente. She talked allot about the willemsbrug being her favorite bridge when we drove over it.
I've lived near this city my entire life and I'm studying there at the moment and this made me look at the public transport in a whole new way. I'm always complaining about it, but in perspective... it's pretty great! Really nice video.
I have cycled before from England round Holland on holiday and you are absolutely right the ferry port in (harwich) England does not have any cycle paths. You either walk to the car park or train station or drive your car off the ferry!
I'm also dreaming of a transport network that blends all modes of transport this well in Australian cities. Love the videos and keep up the great work, they help inspire me to make transport and planning content about Australia!
I was really surpised by the "tweede heinenoordtunnel" (in the south of Rotterdam) during my cycling hollyday to France. Its a bicycle and pedestrian tunnel under the river Maas. You enter and exit it by taking an elevator (also with bike). Then its several hundred meters of underground bikepath. Really amazing
@@NotJustBikes you have to visit the maastunnel. It's in the centre of the city and you take the escalator with the bike (make sure your back wheel is on a step fully and turn your steering wheel to lock the bike in place). It has just been reopened and it's one of the major connections between North and South Rotterdam.
Hey buddy, I've watched every single one of your videos - even the ones with the not so compelling titles. I love the channel, I'm currently in London and looking to move to the NL. These videos help so much, seriously! All the best!
You are surely a fun person to hang out with, and that is evident by some of your comments across your videos ;) Favourite so far is at 3:51, "I love shipping containers, they are the TCP/IP packets of the sea"
Glad that you went to Rotterdam, I miss it much. And I agree with you the city is somehow felt having more cars than the rest of the cities in the Netherlands so the abroad urbanplanner may look in to it, to adapt the system to what they have in their country.
Something that might be worth looking into visiting (Rotterdam is my home city after all) is taking the "Rotterdam Street Art Route". It's an art tour that takes you through the city starting at central station showing the different murals commissioned by the city itself (the walking route goes straight through a building with a sky bridge, which is fun). Also, aside from trams, metros, water taxis and water busses, there's also busses and trains that are great for other major parts of the city, like the southern part of the city. getting to Zuidplein/Ahoy and the other major parts of the city. Busses have their own dedicated lanes and in some cases even their own roads entirely. so they're an easy way to get around.
1:59 In my country it used to be that only bus services with a frequency of less than once every 20min had publicly published timetables. For other services you'd just be told that the bus service interval can be anywhere between, say, 11-17min, or 9-21min etc. You also had an online next bus waiting duration query service since ~2007, but back then mobile data/Internet was expensive (~$0.01/KB)
You could go rowing or sailing in Hillegersberg on de Rotte. It is a weird mix of modern houseboats, typical mills and expensive, mega houses. If you row past the Irenebrug, you will find peace. It is weird to think that all of this is right next to the motorways. Visit Kralingen, the old grand houses/villa’s, the Kralingsche Bos and the Kralingse Meer. I recommend you to go cycling in the Kralingsche bos, it is lovely to cycle right through the park and forest.
Be sure to take the Maastunnel while cycling, which is a tunnel you exit and enter with a escalator. no ramps. Also make sure to visit the south end of the van brienenoordbrug, where there is a two-way cycling path passing up to 5 times below the road, with up to 4 cycling intersections, without crossing any other traffic.
Hey, congratulations on you being featured on the Dutch national radio! I was just listening to it when I heard your name, and i was quite surprised. Good job man!
Not Just Bikes yeah i just heard it. They were quite surprised about it, but they were very supportive of your videos and they did tell your name. They didnt directly say to go to your channel, but they were positive. And it aired on the main news channel in the Netherlands, so good job!
Good to see you in Rotterdam. You should cycle from katendrecht to the maastunnel and afterwards through Het Park and De Veerhaven (a 19th century park and old harbour with villa’s) to the museum booijmans en van beuningen and after that towards the coolsingel and the Markthal. When you are looking for a ride through nature you should cycle around the kralingse plas.
There is a possibility to Bike the Maastunnel. Pedestrians and Bikes. Located at the corner of the Parkkade close to the Euro mast. Though it takes a long old wooden reliable escalator down and up.while holding the bike. A very different experiance.
One of the most fascinating things about city design in the Netherlands is the visibility design. If you go to any neighborhood build in the 90's or later, and look for a hiding spot, you will not find a good one. This prevents all sorts of crime such as drug dealing, mugging, stalking, doing your business in a public area etc. There are countless ways city planners ensure this: closing rarely used tunnels; Bushes are kept too low to hide behind, to densely too get into, or have a fence inside them; digging small waterways between the road and a place you're not allowed to be; alleyways have either streetlights to keep them light, or are closed at one end to prevent it from being used as a shortcut. It is basically impossible to find a public space that is not directly in the line of sight of a building or a busy road.
The bit about water taxis reminded me of something: Amsterdam used to have hydrofoil ferries to Velsen, travelling at 65 km/h. Unfortunately they were taken out of service in 2014.
@@xFD2x Helaas wel, de grotere scheepvaart was er juist blij mee. Ze veroorzaakten minder vervelende golfslag dan de Waterbus doet. De Waterbus zorgt voor vrij lange deining.
One great place to go to, is the Zuidplaspolder, lowest point in the Netherlands and it's near Rotterdam, on the way to it you can pass through Nesselande (a Rotterdam suburb) or though Capelle aan den IJssel and Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel, Both are villages next to Rotterdam which are nice to circle trough
Rotterdam center is in a constant build. You might have noticed while you were there. Next time you visit the center will be more pedestrian friendly and difficult to go around with cars.
I recently started living next to Rotterdam and the metro stops near my house. It only takes 10 minutes to go from my house to the middle of Rotterdam. Such great public transport!
Love this video and can vouch for everything you say here. I go to Rotterdam at least 3-4 times a year and have gotten to know the city quite well. In my 1st few trips, I didn't use a bike much and it was still fine to get around with the tram and walking. This cannot be said about Amsterdam or Den Haag for example. However afterwards I did find a way to rent OV Bikes through a friend and started doing that but it didn't vastly improve my movement around the city compared to the other two mentioned above! Cheers and looking forward to watching the next video!
Rotterdam is a big “modern” city with lots of support for cars. But it somehow manages to support every other form of transit completely. You can cross the city by bike in 20-30 minutes. You can be in the country side in 15 minutes. You can easily ride to a metro station or even Centraal Station from most of the core and then continue on to another city. I thought Rotterdam has done a great job at mixing it’s transit options and still building very livable neighborhoods.
Been living in Rotterdam for close to ten years now. I've really fallen in love with the city, also how it's still growing. Not in size I mean, but as a city in progress. It's terrible what happened in WWII, and it never should have happened. But at the very least it gave way to a unique city. My hometown also got bombed in WWII (Nijmegen), but many parts were never rebuild in a right way again, which gave rise to many concrete buildings. Which makes Nijmegen such a mix between pretty old and ugly new. I feel the city never got it quite right. I think Rotterdam, in many ways (definitely not all though) did get it right, especially since the 90s.
The skatepark in the middle of the city is also very nice to be (as a skater) but it's also cool if you walk pass it. It's not in the way, it nicely blends in. It's at Eendrachtsplein (metro stop).
The younger generation also gets around on the hundreds of Felyxes, Go scooters and Lev mini cars. I hope you’ve visited the ‘Fenix food factory’ and some of the city centers within Rotterdam.
It makes me so happy on how you talk about the Netherlands, me as a dutchie really like the way you explain our way in the Netherlands because you explain it so good! keep it up!
Lived in Rotterdam in the early seventies. I was impressed to see so much of empty space . (comming right from the then newly - beautiful- build central station you bumped on an improvised deer park for children, in the middle of what used to be the city before it was completely whiped-out by the bombs of may 1940. Hearing the stories of Rotterdammers who servived made tears in my eyes. The man who was my landlord described how they were forced to clean-up hundreds of dead bodies. 40 years later I visited Rotterdam and again tears came to my eyes seeing so much efford was done to rebuild the city ...
Rotterdam is much loved by people who've been there and know the city. To much of the netherlands though, it's considered ugly and dangerous. Too bad it has such a bad rep, but great to hear that you have such warm memories. Whenever people build and work together it creates something beautiful. I hope you can come back sometime again
Some places that might be interesting from a infrastructure standpoint: - Maastunnel escalators - The way to the Willemsbrug has nice ramps with minimal intersections with cars - The hofpleinvijver and coolsingel. You'll be waiting for the lights forever. It's insane they haven't made the coolsingel car free. - The entire nieuwe Binnenweg, part of it has now been closed from one side which makes it way better. But used to be really busy with cars and lots of double parking. The tram tracks are also not always in the best place I think. - Zwart Jan straat. There are multiple streets like this in Rotterdam where people just drive around in cars. But for some places it's only during weekends and in the evening. Like the witte de withstraat and the meent.
Been living in Rotterdam for my studies since 2015. It really is a great city in terms of public transit, modern architecture, and vibe. Actually, when you were talking about the water bus, I was secretly hoping that you meant this one: www.goudsepost.nl/nieuws/algemeen/247711/met-de-waterbus-naar-rotterdam or this one rotterdamnieuws.nl/te-doen/splashtours-de-varende-bus/ This is an actual water bus on wheels which is pretty amazing!
I don't feel the "vibe" in the center at night. Around and between the Lijnbaan, Meent, and Hoogstraat up till the Laurens church. Most of that area is dark and pretty much "dead" at night. This used to be the center (before the WWII bombings). Sure, Rotterdam has its vibes at certain spots (like Witte de Withstraat). But it misses its heart. NB the waterbuses are not so special. They are for tourists. If you want to be a tourist and want to really experience Rotterdam harbor you are better of taking Spido. As to the amphibian bus, you can take this bus in Amsterdam, Stockholm, Salsburg, Lisbon, and some place(s) in Germany, Hungary and Canada too (like Toronto).
I honestly believe the OV-Chipkaart is the key to what makes Dutch public transport reign supreme and its convenience is something Dutch students (who have access to FREE public transport during weekdays in most cases, powered by the Chipkaart) tend to take for granted way too much. Having to get separate tickets for different public transport operators just feels so archaic and inefficient when you got a pass that can be topped up on the go and at home that does all that throughout the entire country and with every operator. I also believe its a huge benefit for buses as drivers don't have to deal with selling and checking tickets anymore, speeding up the boarding process to just mere seconds.
RandstadRail has done a remarkable job of repurposing existing rail corridors for public transit. I really like lines 3 and 4 out to Zoetermeer. They show how adaptable low-floor lrt can be. Surface tram lines within the surburban and inner city parts of Den Haag, the downtown tunnel/viaduct (with the stop at the central rail station) then interlined with Rotterdam Line E, then commuter tram-train out to Zoetermeer, then a remarkable light metro system within Zoetermeer itself (I don't know of any other cities that size with a grade-separated light rail system). All on the same lines! And yeah, I really wish cities in western Canada would look at Rotterdam for how to repair our decades of car-centric planning.
The decisions to implement it was taken a long time ago in the late 80's. But the results are impressive. The E-line from Slinge to Den Haag Centraal is a huge success. Pedro Peters, the guy who implemented it retired a few years ago. He did an amazing job with the Rotterdam public transport system. His replacement immediately ran into trouble with the Hoek van Holland line (usual bureaucratic incompetence, EU rules and IT-systems) but with an extra delay of a few years it's now working since about 1 year. Leiden made an enormous mistake (due to incompetent left wing politicians) by refusing another Randstad rail system centered on that city.
Really nice to include the Watertaxi! I happen to work there, and can confirm, they're fast... If you're looking for special bike infrastructure, you might wanna look at the tunnels near Rotterdam. They all have a separate bike tunnel!
Something you might find interesting: the green tram tracks (or non paved) arefunctional as well as pretty. They are important for groundwater recharge and stormwater drainage. The water from the streets and roofs around them end up in the lower green tracks and gets to infiltrate in the soil instead of moving into the sewers to a moving watrr body. If you have any questions about water management in dutch cities, i might be able to answer them!
The metro is being extended to Hoek van Holland beach so you can take the metro from downtown Rotterdam straight unto the beach, like 100 meters from the beach!
Thank you for including information about the accessibility of the public transit. One of the major pushbacks I receive when I talk about de-prioritizing the car is that bike lanes will make the streets less accessible for people with mobility impairments. That doesn't make intutitve sense to me, but I want to address the good faith argument on the occasions when I it occurs. (The video about the little wheelchair cars has been a big help on that front.)
Life is so much easier for disabled people here in the Netherlands than in any other country I've lived in. It's so pathetic when that's used as an excuse to improve other cities.
Take a ride along the Rotte river, the river who gave the city it's name! Especially in the northern outskirts of Rotterdam, it's an magnificent area. Nobody will image the view you have over their, if you ask what the first thing in mind is when mentioning Rotterdam.
You should make a video on how good walkability, cycling, and transit is in smaller Dutch cities, ones with even less than 100k people. You mentioned Ermelo before but a dedicated video to small cities would be really cool
Being half Dutch half American myself, though born and raised in the Netherlands (funfact my family is from Buffalo so even across the pond we're basically neighbours as far as i'm concerned ;D ), these videos hit so many of the points i try and fail to convey to a lot of my stateside friends and family about living in the Netherlands and why it's so great. Maybe they just don't have the frame of reference to understand but i find myself oddly satisfied by someone with a partially similar cultural background, ie North American, understanding and appreciating the other half of my heritage. Plus, y'know, the whole city planning and urban development thing is super interesting and you make entertaining videos about them XD
Nice to see you went to Rotterdam, and i'm happy it didn't dissapoint. ;) After the pandemic make sure to come and check out the World Harbour Days which are usually the first two weeks of September. They allow you to go on ships and boats that are usually inexcessable for the public, for example the dutch royal navy, airforce and army usually have fun activities for adults and children and teach people how they work and why they are needed. it's very educational for kids (and grownups ofcourse). There are also demonstrations of the harbour companies ships, divers, helicopters and a massive fireworkshow at the end of the two weeks. The water taxi's were designed that way to be a fast way of transport between towns, cities and villages all on the water front of the Maas. they are a fun and thrilling way to get somewhere fast, relatively cheap. (they're more expensive then the public transport, but much cheaper and faster than an actual taxi.) I would concider them as a thrilling transportation system, and i ride them maybe once or twice a year as a fun thing to do with friends of family to add to our day out.
World Harbour Days sounds really cool, thanks! And yeah, the water taxis are pretty neat. I have seen water taxis in ohter cities (even Toronto has them) but usually the number of places they service is quite limited. The Rotterdam water taxis are way more useful.
When the metro line to Hoek van Holland was still an normal railway, it used to facilitate international trains which where a connection for the ferry boat to Harwich in England. These international trains had coaches that went s4s Moscow.
my fav part of this vid: (2:25 repurposed heavy rail line (3:01 convenient level trams - i have never thought about that - EVER, and now that i think about that, its kinda strange how i missed this. but hey, i am yet another human ;0 haha 4:16)( bicycles in ferries (4:16 payement cards working on ALL public transports throughout WHOLE country. this is my dream for india. like strange that here, we have different cards for same mode of even adjoining states (Metro: Delhi - Noida: requires different cards, and they both have an intersecting station at 2 minute walk - so like, why they didnt combine cards - it's absolute crap) - let alone a unified payment for ALL modes, or even a single mode across WHOLE country. i dont hucking care if the country is big or what, i want single card across at least all metros throughout country {or} metro + local public buses throughout an continuous region :cry: :cry: (future mono rails and trams for later extension)
It's not just India: so many other countries (including Canada, the US, and the UK) don't have half of this stuff. Especially the public transit card working everywhere - that should be normal!
If you go cycling in Rotterdam it could be interesting to visit the long, dedicated cycling tunnels that are here. There's the old Maastunnel that is very convenient and has an interesting history for cyclist. And then there's the Benelux cycling tunnel and the Heienoord cycling tunnel. These types of tunnels are rare even in the Netherlands and really show the effort that has been made to make cycling possible even in industrial areas as the harbour of Rotterdam.
As a Rotterdammer i can advise you to go to the ‘kralingse plas’. Its a big Lake not far From the downtown. Perfect for a sunny Sunday. Everybody is enioying the Weather walking trough the big park, swimming at the beach or barbecuing in the grass
There is a bicycle ‘highway’ between Rotterdam and Delft. Its a lovely route. Also the route through the Kralingsebos is nice and next to the maas River (north side). I wouldve definitely included the Brio rental EV thingy’s and the sharing scooters. I live in Rotterdam and i love the infrastructure. As i work near Leiden im depending on a good connection. By car its just a 35 minute commute.
We have just come back from a week in Rotterdam and totally agree with your video. We used the public transport to travel across the city, to the beach at the Hoek van Holland and to nearby cities. We were last there in 2016, and noticed that there seemed to be fewer cars than previously
I'd love for someone to build a private city as a showcase for what could be done here. I was hoping Babcock Ranch, FL would be that city given its initial concept art. But alas, it's just another car-centric suburban village.
@@alexismiller288 Well Rottardam is also car-centric as is shown in the video but they have great public transit. I think they can both coexist and would be the most pragmatic approach to getting less americans to drive
Hey, how good that you have been to Rotterdam. I have been watching your videos for a while now and I find it very interesting how you look at the infrastructure in the Netherlands. I was born in Canada but have lived here most of my life. two years ago I went back to Canada for the first time and found out that it was not only "Different but good", but it was much less efficient than I had thought, especially the stop signs. I am a draftsman myself and would like to do more and more with cities and infrastructure, this makes me very enthusiastic. If you are in Rotterdam again, the "Van Brienenoordeiland" is a good option to visit. And if you feel like it, you are welcome to come by, I live in Rotterdam South.
I just wanted to compliment you on your pronunciation of Rotterdam, Den Haag en Hoek van Holland. Too many English speakers do not even try for correct pronunciation of Dutch words, so your effort is much appreciated! Also: is the planned extension of the line to Hoek van Holland Strand finished by now? When I was there when the line had just opened, there was a giant building site just past the old Hoek van Holland Haven station.
You still have to walk or bus or bike about 1,5km before you can dip into the north sea. It will take a while for the last stretch to be finished, with the notoriously difficult dutch planning permissions, tight budgests, high safety standards, NIMBY's and difficult soil, but from what I saw and read recently there is already some construction going on.
Thanks! I am trying to improve my Dutch, and practicing these names is part of that. There was still a giant building site just past the Haven, so I suspect they're not done yet!
"the bizarre experience of passing farmer's fields while on a metro train". That actually was my standard commute for a couple of years.^^ Was very pretty in the morning light.
Rotterdam was the largest port in the world from the early sixties, it was surpassed by Shanghai in 2004-5. It's about 10-11 nowadays and the largest outside China and Singapore.
Glad to see you've finally visited Rotterdam! Some really nice but underrated spots that I know there are Warung Mini's (the best Surinam sandwiches and more), the nHow Hotel rooftop bar&restaurant. Also Diergaarde Blijdorp is worth a visit. As for cycling, try to avoid the city centre and you'll have a better time. You've said it in the video already it's more a car friendly city.
“Water taxis go uncomfortably fast” - so, like regular taxis..
Well when you put it that way ... 🤔
This man has never taken a taxi in Rome or New York before
A truly universal feeling.
The New York East River Ferry is awesomely fast as well.
I nearly lost my camera as it flew me across the East River.
@Thor V. How would you even do that though? Just go u to the guy and be like 'hey I know I'm paying you for getting me from point A to point B but mind if you throw in some stunts pls?
Yes, I pronounce "Rotterdam" the Dutch way in this video (or at least, I try to). Deal with it.
Only native Dutch speakers are allowed to criticize my pronunciation. 😂
Its fine how u say Rotterdam! I have heard worse
@@thetoekster6728 a very dutch 'compliment'
9/10 there are dutch people who say it worse at this point
Needs more emphasis on the t's, Not 'Rodderdahm' but 'RoTTerdahm'
@@MakerTim hahhah its rea i did hear worse lol, he ranounces it rlly fine
You missed a 7th way: the autonomous mini busses at Kralingse Zoom, called Park Shuttles.
Also, if you're on a Watertaxi and you slip the captain a bit of beer money, they can make the ride wilder than a rollercoaster for you.
I wouldve loved to see him being shaken around in that lmao. good memories. "A bird?" Lets wait 15mins xD
Yeah, I really wanted to go on the Park Shuttles, but we just didn't have time. :(
Long time ago (previous century) I used to work at "Brainpark", Rotterdam.
I disliked those autonomous shuttles.
These autonomous shuttles only run between certain office hours. If you wanted to start early or worked late then ... tough luck.
What I hated about it is that there was no walkway besides the shuttle road. I often ignored it and and walked on the shuttle road to work.
The highway I crossed reminded me as a car centric obstacle preventig walking or cycling.
Though you can go to Brainpark by foot or bicycle everything tells you in that area that it is build for cars.
The same is true when you get out of the next station after the Kralingse Zoom, metro station "Capelsebrug". And walk in the direction of McDonalds Capelsebrug parallel to and on the side of this same highway. There is not even a footpath there! That whole area is more "americanized" than any other part of Rotterdam that I know of.
NB I have not been in this area this century. So it might have been improved. But I doubt it.
@@wimahlers there is a walkway now and the hours are extended. There is also a sidewalk to McDonalds now and all traffic (exept highway ofc) has been slowed down. I actually live there ^^
They are actually encouraging people to use KZ as a hub when you come from the highway. Among other things they've build a really big parking lot over KZ with easy access to the metro and busses so you can park and go and vice versa.
@@anglerfish61 Thanks. That is great!
I should go there again and check it out for myself.
I always get major city-envy watching these videos! While in North America we dream about a bright new urbanist future, Europe has been living the dream for years...also, green tramways are the best!!
Yeah, I was really impressed. As much as I have a personal preference for old building and traditional streets, Rotterdam is a great example of what a "modern" city should be. This should be what Sydney or Toronto or any similar city looks like in the future.
@@NotJustBikes Exactly, just give them a few decades to catch up!
@@NotJustBikes its sad how Rotterdam lost all its old buildings
In Halle (Saale) in Germany we have the "Stadtbahnprogramm" (City Tram Programm). That's Why you can Go every where in the city by cheap Tram and every new street have to be built for a good Tram network.
@@thetoekster6728 not all of them, but yes, the terrible May 1940 bombing of the city by the Luftwaffe gave city planners a more-or-less blank canvas when rebuilding and developing the city after the war.
If you ever revisit Rotterdam, the tram stop at the Witte the Withstraat (halte Museumpark) is actually a piece of protest art. The stop was removed in 1993, to the displeasure of local residents, and an artist made an exact replica of the stop itself. The stop was reinstated again shortly thereafter and has remained in its original state since. It doesn't stand out, but the lack of advertising and the old analog clock betray its history. The only alteration that has been made to my knowledge is the addition of an electronic sign indicating wait times.
So ive lived in this city for basically my entire life passing this stop quite often.. HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS 😂
When you go cycling there: don't miss the Maastunnel, a pre-war tunnel built under the river Maas that has a special bike and pedestrian tunnel as well. You'll have to take your bike on the escalator though, so good look with that ;)
Best check if the renovations are finished yet.
If not: pontje!
@@ervie60 They are finished. :)
Check some old videos of taking bikes on the escalator. There is a way to do this safely!
Also the Brienenoord for a nice climb.
Yes, that is *definitely* on my list for next time.
3:05 wow that is amazing, they tapped the customer off and blocked the door whilst they disembark before returning the card - meanwhile another staff is walking someone holding their hand! If only my grandparents were growing old in NL
I think its amazing that you find this amazing. I don't get it, its just a normal way to treat the elderly.
The most American city of The Netherlands, still doing it better than the US
Still doing better then basicly any city in europe outside of the low countries
American cities suck
Is there a point system to decide how "American" a city is? I would have gone with Almere as the most American city in the Netherlands, what with the suburban sprawl, but the highrise office buildings in the city center and the car friendliness does give Rotterdam a lot of "America-points"...
@@olevandongen96 if you look at Rotterdam from a distance it looks like a north american city. On street level not so much
@@olevandongen96 Almere was founded on newly reclaimed polder land so they didn't have to cope with existing infrastructure. The city was only founded in 1976.
Hahaha I live for grassy tram tracks. Something about them just looks so aesthetically pleasing, and it reimplements nature a little bit into a city/concrete jungle. There's a bit in the west of Frankfurt am Main where I live and I love taking the tram there or just walking past it when going to school or work :) Great video, keep it up!
Grassy tram tracks are the best. I don't think I saw them in Frankfurt, so I'll have to look closer next time I'm there!
If well maintained. Otherwise, they become a collection of dirt puddles.
Been living in Rotterdam for about 5 years now as a student, and other than Hong Kong it's my favourite city in terms of living due to the variety of things the city has to offer. I'd personally recommend cycling in Kralingen around the Vijverlaan, really nice (unbombarded) area of town. Also Noord, near zomerhofkwartier and the hofbogen is a nice area, which shows that mixing of low-income housing and artsy shops and bars doesn't always lead to a mess of gentrification. Hope to have you back here soon!
That low income housing will soon be demolished to make way for apartment buildings
Vijverlaan😍 most beautiful street of Rotterdam. Even has its own song
I love how your videos make me appreciate the things we Dutch take for granted, another great vid!
Thanks!
I used to commute between Rotterdam and Amsterdam for school for a two year period, and I hardly ever was late for school unless I overslept once in a blue moon. From the neighbourhood we lived in, getting to Rotterdam Central Station I had both metro as well tram connections, and I had 3 trains to choose from in a 20 minute window to get me to a stop in Amsterdam or Schiphol for my connecting train or metro.
I was hoping for part two of "Why passenger trains suck in Canada". Just very curious.
Me too
Hah. Yeah, sorry. I need a lot more footage of the GO Train to make that happen, but I can't go to Canada without a 14-day quarantine. Maybe I'll have to partner with a Canadian ... uh .. who doesn't mind me using his video to hate on Canadian trains. 😂
@@Noam-Bahar Nobody makes stock footage of tapping your Presto card on a GO Transit reader. Or films GO Parking lots. :)
If you do 2 videos on sucky Canadian trains. American trains ought to get a whole “suck” channel.
@@NotJustBikes You could sell some of your footage then to a stock footage company and be the first :)
Good to see finally a video on Rotterdam. Plz do make more videos on Rotterdam. I am hopefully coming to Rotterdam to start my Masters at IHS in Erasmus University Rotterdam in Urban Management and Development. Looking forward to more videos from ur side.
Thanks! I have one more video planned, but any more will have to wait for a while, I think!
I'm so glad you talked about the Water Taxi! They're by far my favourite way to get around the city. When I worked in a cafe, I'd always recommend them to visitors - not just as a means to get around, but also as a straight up experience. They're the best!
yeah, they're pretty great. Other cities have "water taxis" but these ones are so much better organized, rather than just some dude with a boat.
5:54 So in other words, you can support the video with not just likes.
*Rimshot
haha that would be a phenomenal name for his patreon: patreon.com/notjustlikes
Oh man. That literally made me LOL. I wish I could "heart" it twice. I should've named my Patreon that (I might still do that ;) ).
@@NotJustBikes Thank you! That made my day
You should really cycle through the Maasvlakte (by which I mean the second one). As you said you can take the ferry there with your bike. The bicycle infrastructure in this port is amazing, cycling through all of those containers and ships. There is also a nice museum about this port and many beaches.
www.futureland.nl/en/
I actually know someone in the industry and I'm in the middle of arranging a private port tour. Stay tuned! :)
I almost can't handle all those complements🙏💕🤗
Love from the Netherlands!
I saved the bad stuff for the next video. ;)
Only in the Netherlands would someone visit just for the public transit...
Main thing I wanted to see in Moscow and st Petersburg was the metro. And I was not disappointed.
Hehe. I’ve been all over Europe mainly to look at public transport, especially trams
Swiss public transit system is also worth a try!
I guess you don't know Geoff, Vicky and the All The Stations?
@@Taladar2003 Great, now I have to watch all the trainstations in the UK and Ireland.
I stayed in The Netherlands a few years ago and cycled from Delft to Rotterdam with my brother. We had coffee outside the Food Market. Very easy to cycle to. As is anywhere in The Netherlands.
Bicycle scavenger hunt for you in Rotterdam:
Find the sign that says "Roep boe tegen spookfietsers".
Spot spiderman on his electric three wheeler.
Take your bike onto the wooden escalators.
Park your bike in the national bollards museum.
Stop at a traffic light with a rain sensor, and trigger a green light with your super soaker
Anything else that should be included, dear Rotterdammers?
Good luck!
Find a traffic light that turns green in all directions.
Lmao the asian dude in a spiderman costume is an easy one to find i'd say, nearly saw him every day i took a bike ride
Geen Rotterdammer, maar "Roep boe tegen spookfietsers" zou een nationaal ding moeten worden!
@@arthurhagen3826 Fietstunnel reopened last month...
@@arthurhagen3826 Nothing more annoying than standing in Rozenburg after the last ferry has left and then deciding to go the long way round. Nasty by car, but hell by bike. God, to have that kind of fitness again, though :D
Wait, so the card works in ALL of the country? Here in Sweden each county has a different card which makes everything annoying and painful. Damn i really like the nationwide card thing.
Yes. It works everywhere, even on the bus in some tiny village somewhere. It works for trains, trams, buses, ferries ... even shared bicycles at train stations. It's incredible.
I can even take the bus or train in Maastricht to go to Aachen in Germany with that card, in that regard its awesome
Yes, it did take them forever to get it introduced however! And there were some issues early on after the introduction but what new system doesn't come with implementation problems? It worked out well in the end, even the start went better than I initially expected!
The tricky part is when you change providers, so from 1 train company to another. you have to check out and check in, so if you're on a short connection you need to rush to the 'poles' and wait for the bleeps to make sure you checked out on the one pole and then run the other pole to get bleeped again to check in for the next change. Same for busses: you check in at the scanner near the driver and you check out when you exit the back door. If you change busses, it notices you're on a continued trip so it doesn't charge you the 'startup' money again. Each fare consists of a start-up fare and an amount per zone / kilometer.
I've loved the card from the start, compared to the old system of having to buy cards for each leg of the journey if you changed providers. The busses and trams worked with stamp-cards, the trains with tickets before we had the universal 'OV-chip card'
@@weerwolfproductions yeah the providers should just somehow figure it (share income somehow) out without the checking in/out/in mess.
If your biking in Rotterdam and just want a chill evening cycling evening, try to bike around the 'Kralingse plas' It's a nice place and espessially in the evening/morning it looks good. You have some spots in wich you can see the tall buildings from the city centre quite nicely.
I'm so happy you're focusing on Rotterdam! I emigrated here (from the US) about four years ago and lived there until a month ago. I never noticed how superior the R'dam metro and tram are, compared with other cities -- I just took them for granted. I also learned from the comments that the Maastunnel is open again (after renovations) and I agree with the commenter: Definitely bike through it if you get the chance. I've heard that the escalator (which is wooden, and huge, and terrifying) is the oldest in NL.
Maastunnel wooden escalators: Build near the end of the 1930ties. In use since 1942.
Fun fact:
As a protest against the German occupation the Maastunnel was never officially opened. See (Dutch link):
www.maastunnel.nl/historie/14-februari-1942-de-openstelling-van-de-maastunnel#:~:text=Geschiedenis%20Maastunnel%3A%20opening%20in%201942&text=Toen%20een%20week%20later%20ook,genomen%20voor%20voetgangers%20en%20fietsers.
Meaning it has been used but not opened for over 78 years now!
Rotterdam was the direct inspiration for the "light rail" concept in my hometown of Bergen, Norway. This "open-air metro, not quite a train, though" concept goes all the way out to the airport, almost an hour out of the center. It has very frequent service, and it has boosted car-free urban planning and living. The public response has been mixed, though. Since Bergen literally doesn't have enough space for a metro, the dedicated open-air lanes end up displacing a lot of other traffic. The tram-like, frequent stops combined with the long distances it covers also mean it's slower compared to, say, an express bus or a taxi.
I live close to Hoek van Holland in the town with the unpronouncable name of 's-Gravenzande and know the area very well. It's very convenient that the metro goes from there to the city centre without having to take a million different connections. It saves a lot of time compared to a bus.
Yeah, it's a very convenient (and quick) metro ride.
@@NotJustBikes and in the Summer a lot of people use it to go to the beach I guess.
As someone who only used that line to go to the ferry in Hoek van Holland, I did and do not understand the improvement. Many international travelers now have to add a mode of transport to their travels, and with the line changed in nature, the direct boat trains are not coming back.
@@MrWiggenhammer There are plans to extend the metro to the beach but for now you have to walk a while.
@@willekevanderham5326 There were, and are, other users you know. People who live in the Westland and commute to Rotterdam for work. For them this metro line is a godsend as it extends all the way to Capelle on the Eastern outskirts of Rotterdam. The same is true for the metro line from Slinge station in South Rotterdam all the way to The Hague Central Station, along the former commuter railway line.This metro line connects a string of villages with Rotterdam at one end and The Hague at the other end. International travellers probably prefer the direct rail link to London anyway.
I recently found your channel and I love it! As a German I'm kind of envious how traffic is handled over there. If my whole life wasn't in Germany I would totally move there! But ... when Corona is over I definitly want to have my vacations in the Netherlands (learning Dutch at the moment).
Beautiful city, i live in Amsterdam since 2020, and stopped in Rotterdam last month on the way back from France, and it's indeed incredibly convenient that the chipcard just works in the city, and even to take the train between Rotterdam and Amsterdam, it might be "car centric" for the Netherlands, but it's incredibly better than say even Paris, let alone any city in the USA. Definitely planning to go back.
I got on the ferry at Harwich after a near death experience with a lorry and 6 hours later I was cycling from the Hook of Holland to Amsterdam without ever leaving a bike lane. Heaven.
This city seriously have one of the best traffic ever, very well-organized, much more organized any other city I've seen, someday I would like to go cycle there.
For cycling it's one of the worst cities in the Netherlands. No matter where I go I cycle. The only exception is Rotterdam. I've to wait longer at traffic lights and road infrastructure just isn't designed for cyclists especially when compared to The Hague.
@@codex4046 Rotterdam is the best for cycling, den haag is much worse.
@@Mwestside010 I've no clue when you've cycled in both Rotterdam and The Hague for the last time. But in the last five years The Hague is focusing all on bicycles. I can cycle from one end to the other end of the Hague in 30 minutes. The same distance in Rotterdam takes me a lot longer. Cycling over the Erasmusbrug is a hell in itself.
I enjoy watching Dutch people arguing about which city is best/worst for cycling.
@@codex4046 I dont know where you got these experiences. Most traffic lights are pretty good and theres roundabouts as well. I think we can all agree that Amsterdam is the worst lol
As an IT guy. It feels good to see such TCP/IP reference.
Good! They're more like UDP packets, though. Especially when they fall off the ship.
@@NotJustBikes Package loss.
@@NotJustBikes But i'm sure something will be re-shipped if it's lost :)
Definitely did not expect this kind of references either, really liked it haha!
@@NotJustBikes ok, you said it yourself here, was just about to comment on UDP packages :) love the channel btw and greetings from another IT guy from Berlin!
My sister studies in Rotterdam, so I've been there a few times. The last time we went to tour Rotterdam by car, this was in april and after that we went home to Twente. She talked allot about the willemsbrug being her favorite bridge when we drove over it.
I've lived near this city my entire life and I'm studying there at the moment and this made me look at the public transport in a whole new way. I'm always complaining about it, but in perspective... it's pretty great! Really nice video.
I have cycled before from England round Holland on holiday and you are absolutely right the ferry port in (harwich) England does not have any cycle paths. You either walk to the car park or train station or drive your car off the ferry!
I'm also dreaming of a transport network that blends all modes of transport this well in Australian cities. Love the videos and keep up the great work, they help inspire me to make transport and planning content about Australia!
I was really surpised by the "tweede heinenoordtunnel" (in the south of Rotterdam) during my cycling hollyday to France. Its a bicycle and pedestrian tunnel under the river Maas. You enter and exit it by taking an elevator (also with bike). Then its several hundred meters of underground bikepath. Really amazing
Yeah, I want to check it out but it will have to wait until next time.
Or take the tractortunnel and climb that hill like a champ (only 6%). Always very cold down there even in the summer.
@@knarf_inc4790 So basically... You're telling us you set up a tent there and that's where you're sleeping in this heat?
@@NotJustBikes you have to visit the maastunnel. It's in the centre of the city and you take the escalator with the bike (make sure your back wheel is on a step fully and turn your steering wheel to lock the bike in place). It has just been reopened and it's one of the major connections between North and South Rotterdam.
"Did I ever mention that I love the Netherlands" :D Great videos, keep them coming! So much better than over-rated Danish blue paint.
I biked from Den Haag to The Hook of Holland once -- gorgeous ride along the oceanfront.
Hey buddy, I've watched every single one of your videos - even the ones with the not so compelling titles. I love the channel, I'm currently in London and looking to move to the NL. These videos help so much, seriously! All the best!
You are surely a fun person to hang out with, and that is evident by some of your comments across your videos ;)
Favourite so far is at 3:51, "I love shipping containers, they are the TCP/IP packets of the sea"
Glad that you went to Rotterdam, I miss it much. And I agree with you the city is somehow felt having more cars than the rest of the cities in the Netherlands so the abroad urbanplanner may look in to it, to adapt the system to what they have in their country.
Something that might be worth looking into visiting (Rotterdam is my home city after all) is taking the "Rotterdam Street Art Route". It's an art tour that takes you through the city starting at central station showing the different murals commissioned by the city itself (the walking route goes straight through a building with a sky bridge, which is fun). Also, aside from trams, metros, water taxis and water busses, there's also busses and trains that are great for other major parts of the city, like the southern part of the city. getting to Zuidplein/Ahoy and the other major parts of the city. Busses have their own dedicated lanes and in some cases even their own roads entirely. so they're an easy way to get around.
Man, your videos made me want to move to the Netherlands. Great job.
Yeah, that's a known side-effect of watching this channel. I should probably put up a warning label. 🤔
1:59 In my country it used to be that only bus services with a frequency of less than once every 20min had publicly published timetables. For other services you'd just be told that the bus service interval can be anywhere between, say, 11-17min, or 9-21min etc. You also had an online next bus waiting duration query service since ~2007, but back then mobile data/Internet was expensive (~$0.01/KB)
You could go rowing or sailing in Hillegersberg on de Rotte. It is a weird mix of modern houseboats, typical mills and expensive, mega houses. If you row past the Irenebrug, you will find peace. It is weird to think that all of this is right next to the motorways.
Visit Kralingen, the old grand houses/villa’s, the Kralingsche Bos and the Kralingse Meer. I recommend you to go cycling in the Kralingsche bos, it is lovely to cycle right through the park and forest.
Be sure to take the Maastunnel while cycling, which is a tunnel you exit and enter with a escalator. no ramps.
Also make sure to visit the south end of the van brienenoordbrug, where there is a two-way cycling path passing up to 5 times below the road, with up to 4 cycling intersections, without crossing any other traffic.
Hey, congratulations on you being featured on the Dutch national radio! I was just listening to it when I heard your name, and i was quite surprised. Good job man!
Thanks! They were going to let me know when it would air so I could promote it, but they forgot to tell me. I haven't heard it yet myself!
Not Just Bikes yeah i just heard it. They were quite surprised about it, but they were very supportive of your videos and they did tell your name. They didnt directly say to go to your channel, but they were positive. And it aired on the main news channel in the Netherlands, so good job!
Jeez louise the streets look so frigging beautiful. The trees, the trams, the grass, the lanes, dammit I'm jealous!
Good to see you in Rotterdam. You should cycle from katendrecht to the maastunnel and afterwards through Het Park and De Veerhaven (a 19th century park and old harbour with villa’s) to the museum booijmans en van beuningen and after that towards the coolsingel and the Markthal.
When you are looking for a ride through nature you should cycle around the kralingse plas.
There is a possibility to Bike the Maastunnel. Pedestrians and Bikes. Located at the corner of the Parkkade close to the Euro mast. Though it takes a long old wooden reliable escalator down and up.while holding the bike. A very different experiance.
This is such perfect timing, i'm moving to rotterdam in a few weeks!
One of the most fascinating things about city design in the Netherlands is the visibility design. If you go to any neighborhood build in the 90's or later, and look for a hiding spot, you will not find a good one. This prevents all sorts of crime such as drug dealing, mugging, stalking, doing your business in a public area etc. There are countless ways city planners ensure this: closing rarely used tunnels; Bushes are kept too low to hide behind, to densely too get into, or have a fence inside them; digging small waterways between the road and a place you're not allowed to be; alleyways have either streetlights to keep them light, or are closed at one end to prevent it from being used as a shortcut. It is basically impossible to find a public space that is not directly in the line of sight of a building or a busy road.
The bit about water taxis reminded me of something: Amsterdam used to have hydrofoil ferries to Velsen, travelling at 65 km/h. Unfortunately they were taken out of service in 2014.
Die dingen waren gevaarlijk voor de kleine scheepvaart.
@@xFD2x Helaas wel, de grotere scheepvaart was er juist blij mee. Ze veroorzaakten minder vervelende golfslag dan de Waterbus doet. De Waterbus zorgt voor vrij lange deining.
Oh man, I didn't know that. Hydrofoils are great. There's a good one between Hong Kong and Macau.
@@NotJustBikes yes its called the fast flying ferry from ijmuiden to amsterdam in 30 min. ua-cam.com/video/pWPtH04v8MY/v-deo.html
ye such a shame it was by far the fasted way to get to amsterdam
One great place to go to, is the Zuidplaspolder, lowest point in the Netherlands and it's near Rotterdam, on the way to it you can pass through Nesselande (a Rotterdam suburb) or though Capelle aan den IJssel and Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel, Both are villages next to Rotterdam which are nice to circle trough
Nice! I will try to do that.
@@klontjespap oof unlucky
@@NotJustBikes :-)
Rotterdam center is in a constant build. You might have noticed while you were there. Next time you visit the center will be more pedestrian friendly and difficult to go around with cars.
Moving to Rotterdam in two months. Incredibly excited
I recently started living next to Rotterdam and the metro stops near my house. It only takes 10 minutes to go from my house to the middle of Rotterdam. Such great public transport!
Nice! That's very convenient!
Exactly the same for me! Only 10 minutes. Crazy!
Waar woon je?
Love this video and can vouch for everything you say here. I go to Rotterdam at least 3-4 times a year and have gotten to know the city quite well. In my 1st few trips, I didn't use a bike much and it was still fine to get around with the tram and walking. This cannot be said about Amsterdam or Den Haag for example. However afterwards I did find a way to rent OV Bikes through a friend and started doing that but it didn't vastly improve my movement around the city compared to the other two mentioned above! Cheers and looking forward to watching the next video!
Rotterdam is a big “modern” city with lots of support for cars. But it somehow manages to support every other form of transit completely. You can cross the city by bike in 20-30 minutes. You can be in the country side in 15 minutes. You can easily ride to a metro station or even Centraal Station from most of the core and then continue on to another city. I thought Rotterdam has done a great job at mixing it’s transit options and still building very livable neighborhoods.
Grassy tracks are pretty cool! I never saw them before. Great channel too, btw.
Been living in Rotterdam for close to ten years now. I've really fallen in love with the city, also how it's still growing. Not in size I mean, but as a city in progress. It's terrible what happened in WWII, and it never should have happened. But at the very least it gave way to a unique city. My hometown also got bombed in WWII (Nijmegen), but many parts were never rebuild in a right way again, which gave rise to many concrete buildings. Which makes Nijmegen such a mix between pretty old and ugly new. I feel the city never got it quite right. I think Rotterdam, in many ways (definitely not all though) did get it right, especially since the 90s.
Can’t wait for the next video!
The skatepark in the middle of the city is also very nice to be (as a skater) but it's also cool if you walk pass it. It's not in the way, it nicely blends in. It's at Eendrachtsplein (metro stop).
Nice! Hopefully I can check that out next time.
Finally a video about Rotterdam
The younger generation also gets around on the hundreds of Felyxes, Go scooters and Lev mini cars.
I hope you’ve visited the ‘Fenix food factory’ and some of the city centers within Rotterdam.
It makes me so happy on how you talk about the Netherlands, me as a dutchie really like the way you explain our way in the Netherlands because you explain it so good! keep it up!
Lived in Rotterdam in the early seventies.
I was impressed to see so much of empty space .
(comming right from the then newly - beautiful- build
central station you bumped
on an improvised deer park
for children, in the middle
of what used to be the city
before it was completely
whiped-out by the bombs
of may 1940.
Hearing the stories of Rotterdammers who servived made tears in my eyes.
The man who was my landlord described how they
were forced to clean-up hundreds of dead bodies.
40 years later I visited Rotterdam and again tears came to my eyes
seeing so much efford was done to rebuild the city ...
It is a very impressive rebuilding.
Rotterdam is much loved by people who've been there and know the city. To much of the netherlands though, it's considered ugly and dangerous. Too bad it has such a bad rep, but great to hear that you have such warm memories.
Whenever people build and work together it creates something beautiful. I hope you can come back sometime again
@@RS-zp1we IMO its the most beautiful city in the Netherlands. The only city that really looks like a city.
Some places that might be interesting from a infrastructure standpoint:
- Maastunnel escalators
- The way to the Willemsbrug has nice ramps with minimal intersections with cars
- The hofpleinvijver and coolsingel. You'll be waiting for the lights forever. It's insane they haven't made the coolsingel car free.
- The entire nieuwe Binnenweg, part of it has now been closed from one side which makes it way better. But used to be really busy with cars and lots of double parking. The tram tracks are also not always in the best place I think.
- Zwart Jan straat. There are multiple streets like this in Rotterdam where people just drive around in cars. But for some places it's only during weekends and in the evening. Like the witte de withstraat and the meent.
Been living in Rotterdam for my studies since 2015. It really is a great city in terms of public transit, modern architecture, and vibe.
Actually, when you were talking about the water bus, I was secretly hoping that you meant this one: www.goudsepost.nl/nieuws/algemeen/247711/met-de-waterbus-naar-rotterdam or this one rotterdamnieuws.nl/te-doen/splashtours-de-varende-bus/
This is an actual water bus on wheels which is pretty amazing!
Yeah, I didn't go on that because it looks quite touristy, and we have Hippo Tours (with the same vehicle) in Toronto, too!
I don't feel the "vibe" in the center at night. Around and between the Lijnbaan, Meent, and Hoogstraat up till the Laurens church. Most of that area is dark and pretty much "dead" at night. This used to be the center (before the WWII bombings). Sure, Rotterdam has its vibes at certain spots (like Witte de Withstraat). But it misses its heart.
NB the waterbuses are not so special. They are for tourists. If you want to be a tourist and want to really experience Rotterdam harbor you are better of taking Spido.
As to the amphibian bus, you can take this bus in Amsterdam, Stockholm, Salsburg, Lisbon, and some place(s) in Germany, Hungary and Canada too (like Toronto).
@@NotJustBikes Indeed very touristy, but if I'm not wrong Rotterdam was the first city in the world to have this amphibious bus.
I honestly believe the OV-Chipkaart is the key to what makes Dutch public transport reign supreme and its convenience is something Dutch students (who have access to FREE public transport during weekdays in most cases, powered by the Chipkaart) tend to take for granted way too much.
Having to get separate tickets for different public transport operators just feels so archaic and inefficient when you got a pass that can be topped up on the go and at home that does all that throughout the entire country and with every operator. I also believe its a huge benefit for buses as drivers don't have to deal with selling and checking tickets anymore, speeding up the boarding process to just mere seconds.
yeah i realized that when I was travelling in belgium and they were using hand written tickets, shocking
RandstadRail has done a remarkable job of repurposing existing rail corridors for public transit. I really like lines 3 and 4 out to Zoetermeer. They show how adaptable low-floor lrt can be. Surface tram lines within the surburban and inner city parts of Den Haag, the downtown tunnel/viaduct (with the stop at the central rail station) then interlined with Rotterdam Line E, then commuter tram-train out to Zoetermeer, then a remarkable light metro system within Zoetermeer itself (I don't know of any other cities that size with a grade-separated light rail system). All on the same lines!
And yeah, I really wish cities in western Canada would look at Rotterdam for how to repair our decades of car-centric planning.
Yeah, absolutely. It is seriously impressive. Every city should be like that.
@@NotJustBikes The funny thing is that it is also a repurposed heavy rail line.
The decisions to implement it was taken a long time ago in the late 80's. But the results are impressive. The E-line from Slinge to Den Haag Centraal is a huge success. Pedro Peters, the guy who implemented it retired a few years ago. He did an amazing job with the Rotterdam public transport system. His replacement immediately ran into trouble with the Hoek van Holland line (usual bureaucratic incompetence, EU rules and IT-systems) but with an extra delay of a few years it's now working since about 1 year. Leiden made an enormous mistake (due to incompetent left wing politicians) by refusing another Randstad rail system centered on that city.
Really nice to include the Watertaxi! I happen to work there, and can confirm, they're fast... If you're looking for special bike infrastructure, you might wanna look at the tunnels near Rotterdam. They all have a separate bike tunnel!
Yeah, the watertaxis were much better than I thought. I would never have even thought to try them if I hadn't been told to by those UA-cam comments.
I love trams, I wish we had more in the UK.
Something you might find interesting: the green tram tracks (or non paved) arefunctional as well as pretty. They are important for groundwater recharge and stormwater drainage. The water from the streets and roofs around them end up in the lower green tracks and gets to infiltrate in the soil instead of moving into the sewers to a moving watrr body. If you have any questions about water management in dutch cities, i might be able to answer them!
The metro is being extended to Hoek van Holland beach so you can take the metro from downtown Rotterdam straight unto the beach, like 100 meters from the beach!
Are that meters in the metric system?
I love taking a metro to the beach.
Thank you for including information about the accessibility of the public transit. One of the major pushbacks I receive when I talk about de-prioritizing the car is that bike lanes will make the streets less accessible for people with mobility impairments. That doesn't make intutitve sense to me, but I want to address the good faith argument on the occasions when I it occurs. (The video about the little wheelchair cars has been a big help on that front.)
Life is so much easier for disabled people here in the Netherlands than in any other country I've lived in. It's so pathetic when that's used as an excuse to improve other cities.
Take a ride along the Rotte river, the river who gave the city it's name! Especially in the northern outskirts of Rotterdam, it's an magnificent area. Nobody will image the view you have over their, if you ask what the first thing in mind is when mentioning Rotterdam.
I feel like my city is overlooked a lot but this video brings me joy. thanks :)
Nice city you've got there :)
@@NotJustBikes thanks!
You should make a video on how good walkability, cycling, and transit is in smaller Dutch cities, ones with even less than 100k people. You mentioned Ermelo before but a dedicated video to small cities would be really cool
Being half Dutch half American myself, though born and raised in the Netherlands (funfact my family is from Buffalo so even across the pond we're basically neighbours as far as i'm concerned ;D ), these videos hit so many of the points i try and fail to convey to a lot of my stateside friends and family about living in the Netherlands and why it's so great. Maybe they just don't have the frame of reference to understand but i find myself oddly satisfied by someone with a partially similar cultural background, ie North American, understanding and appreciating the other half of my heritage.
Plus, y'know, the whole city planning and urban development thing is super interesting and you make entertaining videos about them XD
Nice to see you went to Rotterdam, and i'm happy it didn't dissapoint. ;) After the pandemic make sure to come and check out the World Harbour Days which are usually the first two weeks of September. They allow you to go on ships and boats that are usually inexcessable for the public, for example the dutch royal navy, airforce and army usually have fun activities for adults and children and teach people how they work and why they are needed. it's very educational for kids (and grownups ofcourse). There are also demonstrations of the harbour companies ships, divers, helicopters and a massive fireworkshow at the end of the two weeks.
The water taxi's were designed that way to be a fast way of transport between towns, cities and villages all on the water front of the Maas. they are a fun and thrilling way to get somewhere fast, relatively cheap. (they're more expensive then the public transport, but much cheaper and faster than an actual taxi.) I would concider them as a thrilling transportation system, and i ride them maybe once or twice a year as a fun thing to do with friends of family to add to our day out.
World Harbour Days sounds really cool, thanks!
And yeah, the water taxis are pretty neat. I have seen water taxis in ohter cities (even Toronto has them) but usually the number of places they service is quite limited. The Rotterdam water taxis are way more useful.
When the metro line to Hoek van Holland was still an normal railway, it used to facilitate international trains which where a connection for the ferry boat to Harwich in England. These international trains had coaches that went s4s Moscow.
WOOOO this is my city!
Nice city you've got there!
Rotterdam always in my heart
Finally my nationalism for the Netherlands can be translated to localism for my hom city!
Jaaa. 010 all the way
Great point about having to look a transit schedule vs just showing up being a short hand metic of whether public transportation in a city is good.
my fav part of this vid:
(2:25 repurposed heavy rail line
(3:01 convenient level trams - i have never thought about that - EVER, and now that i think about that, its kinda strange how i missed this. but hey, i am yet another human ;0 haha
4:16)( bicycles in ferries
(4:16 payement cards working on ALL public transports throughout WHOLE country. this is my dream for india. like strange that here, we have different cards for same mode of even adjoining states (Metro: Delhi - Noida: requires different cards, and they both have an intersecting station at 2 minute walk - so like, why they didnt combine cards - it's absolute crap) - let alone a unified payment for ALL modes, or even a single mode across WHOLE country. i dont hucking care if the country is big or what, i want single card across at least all metros throughout country {or} metro + local public buses throughout an continuous region :cry: :cry: (future mono rails and trams for later extension)
It's not just India: so many other countries (including Canada, the US, and the UK) don't have half of this stuff. Especially the public transit card working everywhere - that should be normal!
@@NotJustBikes yeah, exactly. state govts (state as in small province/region, not as in country ofc) fighting like little kids for control.
Found out your channel a few days ago. Great videos, big fan.
Glad you like them!
I love my city, it may not be perfect, it definitely is iconic
If you go cycling in Rotterdam it could be interesting to visit the long, dedicated cycling tunnels that are here. There's the old Maastunnel that is very convenient and has an interesting history for cyclist. And then there's the Benelux cycling tunnel and the Heienoord cycling tunnel. These types of tunnels are rare even in the Netherlands and really show the effort that has been made to make cycling possible even in industrial areas as the harbour of Rotterdam.
Great video as usual, stay safe!!
Thanks!
As a Rotterdammer i can advise you to go to the ‘kralingse plas’. Its a big Lake not far From the downtown. Perfect for a sunny Sunday. Everybody is enioying the Weather walking trough the big park, swimming at the beach or barbecuing in the grass
There is a bicycle ‘highway’ between Rotterdam and Delft. Its a lovely route. Also the route through the Kralingsebos is nice and next to the maas River (north side). I wouldve definitely included the Brio rental EV thingy’s and the sharing scooters.
I live in Rotterdam and i love the infrastructure. As i work near Leiden im depending on a good connection. By car its just a 35 minute commute.
I actually did the Biro rental! I'll mention that a bit in the next video, but I plan to do a longer Biro review in the future.
We have just come back from a week in Rotterdam and totally agree with your video. We used the public transport to travel across the city, to the beach at the Hoek van Holland and to nearby cities. We were last there in 2016, and noticed that there seemed to be fewer cars than previously
Every US city and town should have great public transit like rotterdam
I'd love for someone to build a private city as a showcase for what could be done here. I was hoping Babcock Ranch, FL would be that city given its initial concept art. But alas, it's just another car-centric suburban village.
@@alexismiller288 Well Rottardam is also car-centric as is shown in the video but they have great public transit. I think they can both coexist and would be the most pragmatic approach to getting less americans to drive
Hey, how good that you have been to Rotterdam. I have been watching your videos for a while now and I find it very interesting how you look at the infrastructure in the Netherlands. I was born in Canada but have lived here most of my life. two years ago I went back to Canada for the first time and found out that it was not only "Different but good", but it was much less efficient than I had thought, especially the stop signs. I am a draftsman myself and would like to do more and more with cities and infrastructure, this makes me very enthusiastic. If you are in Rotterdam again, the "Van Brienenoordeiland" is a good option to visit. And if you feel like it, you are welcome to come by, I live in Rotterdam South.
I just wanted to compliment you on your pronunciation of Rotterdam, Den Haag en Hoek van Holland. Too many English speakers do not even try for correct pronunciation of Dutch words, so your effort is much appreciated!
Also: is the planned extension of the line to Hoek van Holland Strand finished by now? When I was there when the line had just opened, there was a giant building site just past the old Hoek van Holland Haven station.
You still have to walk or bus or bike about 1,5km before you can dip into the north sea. It will take a while for the last stretch to be finished, with the notoriously difficult dutch planning permissions, tight budgests, high safety standards, NIMBY's and difficult soil, but from what I saw and read recently there is already some construction going on.
Thanks! I am trying to improve my Dutch, and practicing these names is part of that.
There was still a giant building site just past the Haven, so I suspect they're not done yet!
Yes, that would be the future Hoek van Holland Strand station.
"the bizarre experience of passing farmer's fields while on a metro train". That actually was my standard commute for a couple of years.^^ Was very pretty in the morning light.
Outside China, Rotterdam is the largest port in the world. Many think this is the greatest city in the world, based on specific crtiteria.
The port of Singapore is also larger than the Rotterdam port iirc.
Rotterdam was the largest port in the world from the early sixties, it was surpassed by Shanghai in 2004-5.
It's about 10-11 nowadays and the largest outside China and Singapore.
Glad to see you've finally visited Rotterdam! Some really nice but underrated spots that I know there are Warung Mini's (the best Surinam sandwiches and more), the nHow Hotel rooftop bar&restaurant. Also Diergaarde Blijdorp is worth a visit. As for cycling, try to avoid the city centre and you'll have a better time. You've said it in the video already it's more a car friendly city.
Thanks for the tips!