Frequently Asked Questions
The Rotterdam City Card is your key to unlocking experiences for your city trip. Do you have questions about our City Card? Here are the frequently asked questions (FAQ) to help clarify any uncertainties you may have.
General Questions
The Rotterdam City Card is Rotterdam's official card that you can use to visit various attractions, must-see sights, museums, exhibitions, restaurants and more with a discount. You have the option of a 1, 2 or 3-day card with public transport or a 3-day card without public transport.
With the Rotterdam City Card you can visit over 25 attractions in Rotterdam with a discount of 25%. You can buy a Rotterdam City Card with or without unlimited public transport in Rotterdam. You can use the buses, trams and metros from Rotterdam's travel operator, the RET. Train travel is not included. You can also travel to Hoek van Holland beach or to Schiedam by metro.
You can visit all the attractions that are mentioned on the 'Deals' page on the website.
Yes, you can buy up to 10 Rotterdam City Cards in the webshop and save all the cards on one phone or transfer cards to another phone. Read more about this in the 'Practical Information' section below.
Yes, the Rotterdam City Card is strictly personal and valid for one person only.
No, at the moment the disounts for the City Card are only available for adult rates.
The more attractions you visit and take advantage of discounts, the more money you can save. On our homepage, you will find a savings example and an option to calculate your personal visit.
By exploring the city's attractions and utilising the card's benefits you are contributing to the local community by giving families from Rotterdam who don't have a lot to spend the chance to visit attractions as well. We collaborate with the Sam& foundation and 'De Rotterdamse Uitdaging' for fair distribution. More info: www.samenvoorallekinderen.nl.
Purchase
You can purchase the Rotterdam City Card on the official website or at the following Rotterdam Tourist Information locations:
Rotterdam Centraal (in the main hall)
Hoek van Holland (subway station Hoek van Holland Haven)
You can buy three types of Rotterdam City Cards with public transportation: the 1-day card costs €15, the 2-day card costs €22.50 and the 3-day card costs €27.50. We offer one card without public transportation, the 3-day card for €10.00.
You can pay with iDeal or creditcard (Mastercard/Visa) on the website. If you would like to buy your Rotterdam City Card when you arrive at one of our Tourist Information locations, you can also pay in cash.
There are two ways to use the discounts once you have access to them in the app:
1. Enter the unique discount code to purchase your ticket on the location’s ticketing page. The discount will be applied at checkout. Don’t forget to bring a valid Rotterdam City Card on the day of your visit.
2. Show your Rotterdam City Card QR code at the participating location. Once your card is scanned, the discount will be applied.
Yes, you can buy the card in advance and activate it later. Please note that you have six months to activate the card after payment. Before you first use public transport or visit an attraction, you can easily and quickly activate your card at any time using the 'activate now' option in the app.
You will always receive an invoice. However, if you wish to receive a personalized invoice, make sure to tick the box ''I want to receive a personalized invoice'' and complete the form during your check-out. Unfortunately, we cannot send you an invoice if you forgot to tick the box.
Please send an e-mail to citycard@rotterdamtouristinformation.nl.
Activation
After payment, you will get an e-mail with a link to your digital card. After you have downloaded the free Rotterdam City Card app, you can transfer the card from your e-mail to your phone by opening the link. Then you can enter your name and e-mail address, and active the card. The card is valid immediately and you can use public transport and all the discounts.
Download the Rotterdam City Card app on your phone via App Store or Play Store. You can also use the download url in your confirmation mail.
Download the Rotterdam City Card app on your phone. Then transfer your card via the link in the confirmation e-mail or by entering your code in the app. Please note: when you activate the card, your time will start. Before you use public transport or visit the first attraction, you must activate your Rotterdam City Card by using the 'activate' feature and by entering your name and e-mail address.
After payment, you have six months to activate the card. We advise you to activate the card when you go to your first attraction, because the timer (including the public transport timer) will start running from then.
Yes, you can use up to 10 City Cards on one phone. You can add cards by repeating the steps for adding a card until you have added the desired number of cards to the app. You can add City Cards before activation, allowing you to manage them in advance. Please note: if you are using public transport, it may be inconvenient to scan multiple cards from one mobile phone when getting on and off buses, trams and metros.
Please send an e-mail to citycard@rotterdamtouristinformation.nl.
From the moment of activation:
- The 1-day card is valid until 04:00 the next morning.
For example, if you buy the card on Wednesday at 10:00 (in the morning), the card is valid until Thursday at 04:00 (in the early morning).
- The 2-day card is valid for one full day (24 hours) until 04:00 the morning after that
For example, if you buy the card on Wednesday at 13:00 (one o’clock in the afternoon), the card is valid until Friday at 04:00 (in the early morning).
- The 3-day card is valid for two full days (48 hours) until 04:00 the morning after that
For example, if you buy the card on a Wednesday at 11:00 (in the morning), the card is valid until Saturday at 04:00 (in the early morning).
The cards are valid until 04:00 in the mornings because that's the RET's official timetable.
We only offer a digital version of the Rotterdam City Card that you can use by opening the City Card app or from your mobile wallet.
Public Transport
You can use all the buses, trams and metros from the RET (Rotterdam's public transport operator). Train travel is not included. Tip: take the metro to Hoek van Holland Beach or go on a day trip to Schiedam.
On the buses and trams, you can scan your card on the device scanner at every door. At the subway stations, you can use the barcode on your mobile ticket to check in and out. At the gates, you hold the barcode over the card reader. The barcode gates can be recognized by the light box in the card reader and the red barcode stickers on the gate.
Yes, you must always scan your card when you get on and off public transport.
It is your own responsibility to always scan your card when you get on and off public transport. If you forgot to check out, you can simply check in again on your next trip.
Children aged 0 to 3 always travel free on public transport; children aged 4 to 11 can travel at a reduced rate.
Open the Rotterdam City Card app, click on 'more' and you can find the maps under 'Public Transportation Info'.
No, that's not possible. You can buy train tickets to Schiphol Airport at the train stations in Rotterdam or via the website of NS.
A Rotterdam City Card is valid for one person only.
From the moment of activation:
- The 1-day card is valid until 04:00 the next morning.
For example, if you buy the card on Wednesday at 10:00 (in the morning), the card is valid until Thursday at 04:00 (in the early morning).
- The 2-day card is valid for one full day (24 hours) until 04:00 the morning after that.
For example, if you buy the card on Wednesday at 13:00 (one o’clock in the afternoon), the card is valid until Friday at 04:00 (in the early morning).
- The 3-day card is valid for two full days (48 hours) until 04:00 the morning after that.
For example, if you buy the card on Wednesday at 11:00 (in the morning), the card is valid until Saturday at 04:00 (in the early morning).
Deals
With an active Rotterdam City Card, you have access to all discounts and offers from our partners. You can either book directly via the app in our partners' webshops or redeem them on-site when purchasing your discounted tickets.
Yes, you need to show your card when visiting an attraction. For some attractions, you can buy tickets online by using the discount code in the app. The Rotterdam City Card app will link you to our discount partner's webshop and you can purchase your discounted ticket. Your discounted ticket will be sent to you by our partner, and you can use it straight away or later. For other partners, you can buy a ticket on-site by showing your city card. The app will let you know when you can buy tickets online or on-site.
No, it is not possible to combine discounts with other discounts or promotions.
No, you cannot visit the same attraction multiple times. The cardholder is entitled to one visit per attraction, regardless of the card type. Additional visits are not possible with the same card. All travel companions need a Rotterdam City Card for discounts.
With a Rotterdam City Card, you can visit as many attractions as you want in one day - there are no limits. Please note, however, that the Rotterdam City Card entitles the cardholder to only one visit per attraction; and to redeem only one discount per partner, regardless of the card type . Repeat visits or multiple redemptions of discounts are not possible with the same card.
You can enter an attraction by buying your ticket in advance or on-site.
No, the discounts are only available on the regular/adult tickets.
Practical Information
Please send an e-mail to citycard@rotterdamtouristinformation.nl
You can send an email to info@rotterdamtouristinformation.nl or visit one of the following Rotterdam Tourist Information locations:
Rotterdam Centraal (in the main hall)
Hoek van Holland (subway station Hoek van Holland Haven)
Please send an e-mail to citycard@rotterdamtouristinformation.nl so we can remove the card from your lost/broken/stoeln phone and you can register it on a new device.
The Rotterdam City Card is digital and can only be used on a mobile phone. You can always use the app, scan the City Card or use public transport without internet.
If you'd like to buy tickets from the app and don't have access to the European 5G network, you can either search for Wi-Fi points in the city or get an eSIM so you won't have to search for WiFi points every time you want to buy a new discount ticket via the app.
You can see the card when opening the app. If you prefer to use your mobile wallet, you can download the card and store it in your Apple Wallet (iPhone). On an Android phone, you may need to download a separate app (PassWallet) for this purpose, this is usually offered when you download the Rotterdam City Card.
You have purchased two Rotterdam City Cards and want to move one card to a different device?
Follow these steps:
- Open your Rotterdam City Card app
- Go to My ticket
- Click Transfer ticket
- A QR-code pops up that you can scan with a different phone. Ensure that the app has been installed first.
- The transfer is complete, you can now use the Rotterdam City Card on the other device.
The growth paper voucher contains a wildflower mix with only unmodified Dutch seeds that attract bees and butterflies. To plant growth paper seeds, wet the paper voucher, put it in a pot or garden in a sunny spot and cover it with a thin layer of soil. Keep the soil moist; the seeds will germinate in 5-10 days. Outside of the growing season, plant in a warm, sunny spot so that flowering can begin in spring.
Please send an e-mail to citycard@rotterdamtouristinformation.nl.
If you bought the card via the webshop, please send an e-mail to citycard@rotterdamtouristinformation.nl. You have a 14-day right of withdrawal.
If you bought a voucher for the Rotterdam City Card at our Rotterdam Tourist Information locations, it is not possible to get a refund.
Please send an e-mail to citycard@rotterdamtouristinformation.nl. For phone support: call Rotterdam Tourist Information customer service at +31 10 790 01 77.
