LONG WEEKEND TRIP TO ROTTERDAM
Late October I had the opportunity to visit a new country I had never been to. I have been to many places in my life, but strangely (considering that it's only a 2-hour train ride away from France), I had never been to the Netherlands. This time, we were visiting Rotterdam, the second biggest city in the country after its capital Amsterdam. Rotterdam, also nicknamed R'dam, is a truly innovative and visually breathtaking city and is also Europe largest port. I had done some research before heading there, and seeing how unique the architecture was, I couldn't be more excited to visit.
Travel to Rotterdam on Norwegian Air
We hopped on a quick 6-hour Norwegian Air flight across the Atlantic from JKF to Schiphol Amsterdam Airport. Norwegian Air flights are surprisingly very affordable, and this was my first time flying on a 787 Dreamliner. Being on the Dreamliner was amazing for many reasons. It's fuel efficient (20% more fuel-efficient than similar-sized aircraft), both the cabin pressure and humidity are higher than other airplanes, which definitely helps with the fatigue, jet-lag, dry eyes and headaches, and the windows are 65% larger than your typical airplane (great for photos!). I'm usually bad at sleeping on planes, or anywhere else than my usual bed, but with the amount of legroom we had in the quiet Premium cabin I managed to sleep the whole way! Most people think that it is a hustle to hop on a long weekend trip to Europe, but in fact it doesn't require planning long ahead of time. Norwegian Air's inexpensive and very comfortable experience definitely made this long weekend trip easy and feasible. 100% recommend as the best way to travel non-stop to Amsterdam (and many other European cities) from New York. And guess what, even better, it offers free wifi on all cabins. I took full advantage of that on the flight back, super convenient for people like me who have no time to waste and have to work on the fire edits haha! No wonder why it was voted the World’s best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline for the 5th consecutive year at the Skytrax World Airline Awards.
All in all my first experience flying on Norwegian Air was nothing less than extremely comfortable and relaxing. The staff were the kindest, the flight was quiet, plenty of space as you can see from the picture below, and the seat reclined back to 150 degrees. Couldn’t ask for anything more!
Where we stayed
We arrived in Rotterdam and decided to head straight to the hotel to drop our belongings before heading out. We were staying at the Mainport Hotel, a 5-star hotel located in the heart of the city by the river Maas, right next to the iconic Erasmusburg Bridge. The luxurious interior design of the hotel made us feel special and comfy room offered stunning views of the city, perfect to unwind and relax from the travels. Amenities include a SPA, an hamam, a Swimming pool, a fitness gym, and the Down Under Restaurant where you can enjoy flavours from all 8 continents. The convenient location of the hotel made it easy for me to go on sunrise missions, my favourite thing to do when I explore a new place.
Here is a quick aerial cinematic video of the city and hotel I put together:
What to do in R'dam
Rotterdam offers a variety of exciting experiences, from fine-dining, shopping, electrifying nightlife and outdoors adventure, definitely a destination for all.
Here is a list of fun activities that should be on your list if you are to go to R'dam:
Pub crawl at the famous Witte de Withstraat street (the most famous pub is called De Witte Aap)
Visit the Cube Houses (you can actually go inside!) and the Markthal market
Shops and new restaurants at Het Industriebouw
Netherlands Fotomuseum
Dutch Pinball Museum (very cool neon lights, perfect for moody portrait photos)
Beer tasting at Kaapse Brouwers
Visit Hotel New York (represeeeeent!)
Go to Chinatown (locally known as Kruiskade)
Check out the Kunsthal Museum: Thierry Mugler Couturissime
Take a stroll at the Het Park
Fun fact about Rotterdam: it's the only city in the Netherlands with a skyline. You probably know me by now, and you know how I love to use architecture as one of my main elements in my photography. If you are a photographer, the cutting-edge and unique building architecture is definitely going to surprise you, just like it did to me. Personal tip: go to the waterfront next to the Willemskade tram stop; you will be facing the Erasmusburg bridge on the other side of the iconic De Rotterdam towers. This is one of the sweet spots to get that buttery smooth timelapse of R'dam's most recognizable bridge and building! (See below)
Where to eat:
Rotterdam is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, and this is well reflected in the diversity of the culinary landscape. From local food to fusion food, passing by the chinese food from Kruiskade and the Surinamese quick bites such as Warum Mini, one thing is for sure, you will never run out of food options in this city. Here are a couple of places you shouldn't miss:
Ballroom bar & restaurant (on Witte de Withstraat)
Restaurant Héroine
Op Het Dak (go have lunch on a rooftop!)
De Matroos en het Meisje (ate so much here I had a food baby...)
Special thanks to our partners for making this trip possible!
Norwegian Air: www.norwegian.com/us
Rotterdam Partners: www.rotterdampartners.com
Mainport Hotel: www.mainporthotel.com
