North of England to Rotterdam & Amsterdam
A short cut from the North to the Netherlands! P&O's comfortable overnight ferry from Hull to Rotterdam is a floating hotel, a time-effective alternative to flying for a weekend away or a short break in Holland. You sleep in a comfortable private cabin with shower & toilet after dinner in the restaurant or an evening in the nightclub.
Hull ► Rotterdam & Amsterdam
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Step 1, take a train from your local station to Hull.
There are direct trains to Hull from Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds & York. If you're taking the transfer bus, time your train to arrive by about 16:40. If you're taking a taxi, time your train to arrive before 18:30. Check train times & fares using www.nationalrail.co.uk.
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Step 2, transfer from Hull station to Hull International Ferry Terminal.
A transfer bus leaves from the bus interchange adjacent to Hull railway station at 17:30, taking 25 minutes.
You can add the transfer bus to your ferry booking or pay on the bus by contactless card. It's run by Stagecoach, route 70, latest reports say it uses bus stand 3, but always check locally. Confirm bus times with P&O. Feedback appreciated.
A taxi from Hull station to the P&O ferry terminal (Terminal 1) costs around £10, it's about 3 miles, journey time 15 minutes.
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Step 3, sail overnight from Hull to Rotterdam Europoort with P&O Ferries.
The ferry starts boarding at 17:30 with bars & restaurants open for business. Check-in closes at 19:00.
The ferry sails from Hull International Ferry Terminal at 20:30 and arrives Rotterdam Europoort at 08:30 (09:00 weekends).
The ferry has bars, restaurants, cinema & cosy private cabins all with en suite toilet & shower. You can add dinner and/or breakfast to your ferry booking if you like, or pay on board. Check ferry times at www.poferries.com.
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Step 4, transfer from the ferry terminal to Rotterdam Centraal.
A P&O transfer bus will be waiting outside the terminal building at Rotterdam Europoort to take you to Rotterdam Centraal railway station. This is around 24 miles, the bus takes around 40 minutes. You must add the bus to your ferry booking.
Expect to arrive at Rotterdam Centraal around 10:15 on weekdays, 10:45 at weekends.
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Step 5, take a train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam & beyond.
Trains run from Rotterdam Centraal to Amsterdam Centraal every 10-15 minutes, taking 41 minutes on the high-speed line.
Expect to arrive at Amsterdam Centraal around 11:15 on weekdays, 11:45 at weekends.
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For onward trains from Amsterdam to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland & so on, see the Trains from Amsterdam page.
Tip: You don't necessarily have to go into Amsterdam first. You can take a train from Rotterdam Centraal to Utrecht and pick up the ICE trains to Cologne & Frankfurt there, for onward trains to Southern Germany, Switzerland & Austria. Trains also run south from Rotterdam Centraal to Antwerp & Brussels every hour, change in Brussels for Luxembourg.
Amsterdam, Rotterdam ► Hull
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Step 1, take a train from Amsterdam Centraal to Rotterdam Centraal leaving around 16:30.
Trains run every 10-15 minutes, journey time 41 minutes using the high-speed line.
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Step 2, transfer from Rotterdam Centraal to Rotterdam Europoort ferry terminal.
A P&O transfer bus leaves Rotterdam's Eurolines bus stop in Conradstraat (just outside Rotterdam Centraal) at 17:00 for the 24 mile 40-minute journey to the P&O Europoort ferry terminal.
After arriving at Rotterdam Centraal by train and passing through the ticket gates into the main station hall, turn immediately right and leave by the station by the side exit marked Conradstraat. Look for the last bus-stop in the row straight ahead of you.
You must add the bus to your booking when you buy your ferry tickets. Check bus details at www.poferries.com and allow plenty of time to connect, don't cut it fine. A taxi costs over €80.
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Step 3, sail overnight from Rotterdam Europoort to Hull.
Boarding starts around 17:00, with all the ship's bars & restaurants open. Check-in closes at 19:30 weekdays, 19:00 weekends.
The ferry sails at 21:00 weekdays or 20:30 weekends, arriving in Hull at 07:30 weekdays or 08:00 weekends.
The ferry has bars, restaurants, cinema & cosy private cabins all with en suite toilet & shower. You can add dinner and/or breakfast to your ferry booking if you like, or pay on board.
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Step 4, a bus takes you from the ferry terminal to Hull city centre on arrival. You can add this transfer bus to your ferry booking.
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Step 5, take a train to anywhere in Britain, you can check train times and buy online on the UK page or using www.nationalrail.co.uk.
How much does it cost?
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Hull to Rotterdam by ferry varies greatly by season & type of cabin, so go to www.poferries.com to check prices for your date.
For two people, Hull to Rotterdam one-way sharing a 2-bed cabin with shower & toilet costs starts at around £63 per person.
For a solo traveller, Hull-Rotterdam one-way with sole occupancy of a 2-berth cabin with shower & toilet starts at around £111.
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The transfer bus from Hull station to Hull ferry terminal costs £3.75, added to your ferry booking.
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The transfer bus from Rotterdam Europoort to Rotterdam Centraal costs £12, added to your ferry booking.
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Rotterdam Centraal to Amsterdam Centraal by train costs €16.90 + €2.70 supplement to use the high-speed line.
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Rotterdam Central to Germany starts at €18.90 if booked in advance.
How to buy tickets
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Step 1, book the ferry at www.poferries.com. It's ticketless, you simply bring your booking printout to the ferry terminal.
Remember to add the Hull station transfer bus and the Europoort to Rotterdam transfer bus to your booking.
You can add dinner and/or breakfast to your ferry booking if you like, in either The Kitchen or the à la carte Brasserie.
You can add a dog or other pet and either a pet-friendly cabin or a kennel to your booking. More about travel with pets.
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Step 2, buy a train ticket to Hull online as shown on the UK page or using www.nationalrail.co.uk. Remember to allow plenty of time for the transfer to the P&O ferry terminal.
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Step 3, buy an onward train ticket from Rotterdam.
If you're only going as far as Amsterdam, buy a Rotterdam-Amsterdam ticket at the station on the day or buy online at the Dutch Railways website www.ns.nl. It's €1 cheaper online, even on the day of travel. If you want to use the high-speed line (41 minutes versus 1h13 via the classic line), remember to add the small ICD (InterCity Direct) supplement. Tickets are good for any train that day, you sit where you like.
If you're going to Germany & beyond on daytime trains, book from Rotterdam Centraal to anywhere in Germany and most destinations in Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. You can travel via Amsterdam if you like by clicking Stopover and entering Amsterdam Centraal as a via station, with optional stopover duration - this will be cheaper than buying a Dutch domestic ticket from Rotterdam to Amsterdam then an international ticket from Amsterdam.
If you're going from Amsterdam to Munich, Switzerland or Austria by Nightjet sleeper train, book this at www.thetrainline.com or www.nsinternational.nl and add a separate Rotterdam-Amsterdam ticket at www.ns.nl.
Route map
What's the ferry like?
P&O Ferries Pride of Rotterdam at Rotterdam Europoort. Launched in 2000, at almost 60,000 tons she's a large & steady ship.
Restaurant on the Hull-Rotterdam ferry. As far from Ryanair as you can get.
Lounge bar with sea views on the Pride of Rotterdam.