After the Eindhoven Marathon: Rotterdam
The Route: Eindhoven Centraal → Rotterdam Centraal → Schiphol Airport Logistics: NS train, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes depending on the service, usually with one change. Check the NS planner. Marathon Month: October Duration: 2 nights
Eindhoven Centraal ──(1h15-1h45, NS, usually one change)──> Rotterdam Centraal
│
Schiphol Airport (AMS) <──(about 25-30 mins, direct)─────┘
The Eindhoven Marathon finishes on Vestdijk on a Sunday in October. Rotterdam suits a design-minded runner, because the city was rebuilt after 1940 and its architecture is the attraction. It is also flat and compact enough for short outings.
October in Rotterdam: daytime highs are around 13°C, with wind off the Nieuwe Maas and showers common. The harbour is exposed, so bring a windproof layer. Many museums close on Mondays, so check opening hours, and keep the covered Markthal for the wettest hours.
Dutch rail has no advance fares, so there is nothing to book early. A single is paid with a contactless card or OVpay. Check the NS planner, because the journey time varies with the route.
Nights One and Two: Rotterdam
The Markthal, a horseshoe-shaped covered market with an arched ceiling painted in fruit and flowers, is level, dry and full of food stalls. It is a short walk from Blaak station and the Cube Houses, a group of tilted yellow apartments that includes a small show house that can be visited for a few euros. The show house has steep stairs, so look at the outside if the legs complain.
The Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, a mirrored art storage building in the Museumpark, costs around €20 and has lifts. Check whether it is closed on Mondays. The Maritime Museum Rotterdam, by the Leuvehaven, is level inside and shows the history of the port. The Euromast has a lift to its viewing platform, though the wind at the top is strong.
A water taxi or waterbus crosses the river to the Katendrecht district and the old Holland America Line pier. It is the easiest way to see the harbour without walking. Check timetables and fares on the day. Fenix Food Factory in Katendrecht is an indoor food hall with a brewery.
For a room, Hotel New York on the Wilhelminakade, in the former Holland America Line offices, is a famous hotel on the river. citizenM Rotterdam, near the station, is a modern hotel with self-service check-in. Confirm lift access and the walk from the station.
On the second morning, walk the Witte de Withstraat and Nieuwe Binnenweg for cafés and small galleries, both flat and paved. The Kunsthal, a museum of changing exhibitions beside the Museumpark, has lifts and a café, and costs around €15; check the current programme. The Museumpark itself has level paths and benches among the buildings.
A gentler way to see the architecture is by tram or waterbus: tram 20 and 23 run through the centre, and the Erasmus Bridge, a white cable-stayed bridge known as the Swan, is best seen from the water. The SS Rotterdam, a former ocean liner moored on the Katendrecht side, has a hotel and restaurants aboard; check opening times. The Kop van Zuid on the south bank is flat and open, with wind off the river, so bring a hat.
Rotterdam's Sunday evening is quiet, and several kitchens close early on a Monday, so book a table. The rebuilt centre has wide pavements and few cobbles, which is a relief after Bruges or Antwerp.
Getting to Schiphol Airport (AMS)
Rotterdam Centraal to Schiphol is a direct NS train of about 25 to 30 minutes, several times an hour. The airport station is under Schiphol Plaza. Check the NS planner for the day, and leave extra time for the platform stairs.