——Guide to airlines, flight features and practical booking platforms
Rotterdam is the second largest city in the Netherlands, attracting travelers from all over the world with its modern architecture, port culture and avant-garde lifestyle. As a transportation hub, it has its own airport, Rotterdam The Hague Airport (airport code: RTM). Although it is not as large as Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, it has extremely high practical value on regional routes with its convenience, comfortable passenger experience and fast security clearance process.
For travelers who are preparing to explore other European cities from Rotterdam, knowing which direct flights to the city, as well as the service features, flight time and fare references of various airlines will undoubtedly bring great convenience to itinerary planning. The following will take you through one by one, from route cities, airline selection to booking suggestions, to fully grasp the direct flight resources of Rotterdam.
Ⅰ. Overview of Rotterdam Airport: European medium and short-haul route hub
Rotterdam The Hague Airport is located in the north of Rotterdam, about 7 kilometers from the city center, and only takes 15-20 minutes by car. The airport is medium-sized, but the service is efficient, mainly serving European medium and short-haul routes. Because it is close to The Hague (the political center of the Netherlands), it is often chosen as an entry and exit port by political and business travelers.
Flights at Rotterdam Airport are mainly concentrated in daytime operations, and most routes are mainly low-cost airlines and regional airlines. At the same time, some traditional airlines also operate high-frequency routes.
Ⅱ. Summary of direct flights to Rotterdam: covering key cities in many countries
The direct flights to Rotterdam are mainly concentrated in Europe. The following are cities with year-round or seasonal high-frequency flights, covering leisure, business, and cultural categories:
1. United Kingdom: London (London City / London Heathrow)
Airline: British Airways, Transavia
Flight time: about 1 hour
Flight features: high-frequency short-distance business routes, suitable for one-day round trips
Fare reference: one-way about 70-120 euros, advance booking can be as low as 50 euros
Booking platform recommendation: Omio, Skyscanner, Google Flights, British Airways official website
The London route is one of the most mature direct flights to Rotterdam, covering two airports, especially London City Airport flights, suitable for passengers working in the financial district. Transavia provides a more cost-effective option, suitable for short vacation travel.
2. France: Nice, Marseille
Airline: Transavia
Flight time: about 1 hour and 45 minutes
Flight features: seasonal tourist routes, covering the Mediterranean cities in southern France
Fare reference: about 90-150 euros one way, slightly more expensive during peak tourist season
Booking platform recommendation: Kiwi.com, Tiqets (including travel packages)
Nice routes are mostly operated during the spring and summer peak seasons, attracting tourists to the Cote d’Azur for vacation. Transavia’s economy class service is simple and bright, suitable for light travel.
3. Spain: Malaga, Barcelona
Airline: Transavia
Flight time: about 2 hours and 50 minutes in Malaga, about 2 hours and 10 minutes in Barcelona
Flight features: the preferred route for sunny vacations, operating all year round
Fare reference: about 100-180 euros one way
Booking platform recommendation: Momondo, Google Flights
This type of flight is popular all year round, especially for people planning short weekend trips. Transavia provides a paid luggage service. It is recommended to book a package ticket through its official website to save money.
4. Austria: Vienna
Airline: Transavia
Flight time: about 1 hour and 50 minutes
Flight features: cultural tourism + business mixed routes
Fare reference: about 90-140 euros one way
Booking platform recommendation: Omio, Kiwi.com
Vienna route has high-quality service and is often chosen by cultural travelers and international conference participants. Suitable for use in conjunction with Eastern European journeys.
5. Portugal: Faro, Lisbon
Airline: Transavia, TUI Fly
Flight time: about 2 hours and 40 minutes
Flight features: holiday charter + regular routes in parallel
Fare reference: about 80-160 euros one way
Booking platform recommendation: Expedia, Lastminute.com
These two routes are very suitable for tourists who travel in winter to find sunshine. The Faro route is especially popular with German and Dutch tourists.
6. Italy: Milan Bergamo, Bologna
Airline: Transavia, Ryanair (partial transfer)
Flight time: about 1 hour and 50 minutes
Flight features: dual destinations for shopping and food
Fare reference: about 60-130 euros one way
Recommended booking platforms: Omio, Skyscanner
Milan is often chosen as a hub city for connecting northern Italy. Although Bergamo Airport is not as well-known as MXP, it is more suitable for budget travelers.
7. Croatia and the Balkans (summer operation)
Cities: Split, Dubrovnik
Airline: Transavia, TUI Fly (seasonal)
Flight time: about 2 hours and 20 minutes
Fare reference: about 110-170 euros one way
Recommended booking platforms: TUI, Skyscanner, Google Flights
Flights are frequent in summer, and it is one of the important departure ports from Rotterdam to the Mediterranean coastal countries.
Ⅲ. Analysis of major airlines
1. Transavia: Rotterdam Airport’s main airline
A Dutch low-cost airline, a sub-brand of KLM, with routes throughout southern Europe and some central European cities. Features include high cost-effectiveness, frequent flights, and simple website operation.
Advantages:
Optional extra baggage, seats, and priority boarding
Rotterdam base has abundant routes
Website and App interface is friendly, suitable for English/Dutch-speaking passengers
Disadvantages:
Few free services, extra fees for meals
Significant price increases on popular routes in summer
Recommended platform: Tiqets (package travel tickets)
2. British Airways: Business preferred airline
Mainly flies to London, with stable service and flight time suitable for one-day business travel.
Advantages:
Provides business class and free checked baggage
Shares points with OneWorld Alliance
Recommended platform: Skyscanner, Google Flights
3. TUI Fly Netherlands: Holiday route expert
Mainly serves coastal cities in southern Europe and North Africa, suitable for package travel and family travel
Features:
Travel package products (including hotel + flight)
Website can choose Chinese/English pages
Recommended platform: Lastminute.com
IV. How to choose a booking platform?
1. Omio: Suitable for European multi-city travelers
Omio is a comprehensive transportation search platform designed for the European market. It not only supports flight inquiries, but also allows price comparisons of trains and long-distance buses. It is particularly suitable for backpackers and deep travelers who travel in multiple cities in Europe. The platform supports multi-language interfaces, including Chinese, English, German, French, etc., and is easy to operate. Users can view all travel modes from Rotterdam to other cities at one time, greatly improving the efficiency of route planning. Omio’s App is particularly suitable for real-time query of rebooking and train schedule dynamics, and is a good helper for inter-city hopping travel.
2. Skyscanner: The classic platform with the most comprehensive price comparison function
Skyscanner has long been the preferred tool for travelers to find economical flights with its wide coverage of airlines and convenient price comparison algorithms. The platform supports finding the lowest fare date through the calendar, and can also flexibly set the destination to “anywhere” to explore the most cost-effective travel plan. Skyscanner itself does not sell tickets, but guides users to the official website of the airline or cooperative agents, which is suitable for budget-sensitive travelers.
3. Google Flights: Suitable for price trend and flexible destination query
Google Flights emphasizes intuitive user experience and clear fare trend analysis function. Users can view price fluctuations in the next few weeks in the chart and easily select the most cost-effective departure time. It also supports the combination of multi-city segments, which is very suitable for flexible independent travelers. Since it is directly linked to the official website of the airline, the after-sales guarantee is relatively guaranteed.
4. Kiwi.com: Flexible splicing but pay attention to the risk of transfer
The biggest feature of Kiwi.com is that it can splice flights of different airlines, even if there is no cooperation agreement between them. For travelers who want to save as much budget as possible, this is a tool to open up new ideas for cheap flights. However, since splicing itineraries may involve non-linked transfers, self-service baggage transfers and the risk of missing flights must be borne by oneself, so it is recommended to use its additional “transfer protection service” to increase the security of the itinerary.
Ⅴ. Booking suggestions and flight tips
Book 4-6 weeks in advance, especially for summer routes, to get the best price
If you choose a low-cost airline such as Transavia, it is recommended to bring your own water and light meals to save money
Baggage purchases must be done simultaneously, and the price will be higher later
Rotterdam Airport is not large, and you can easily complete security checks by arriving 90 minutes in advance
Although Rotterdam is not a traditional international hub, it has become the first choice for many passengers with its convenient city distance, dense European medium and short-haul route network, and airline layout that focuses on cost-effectiveness and flexibility. Choosing to fly directly from here to major European cities not only saves time and transfer costs, but also enjoys the high efficiency experience brought by small airports.
If you are preparing to embark on a European exploration trip, you might as well start from Rotterdam. This city has more connectivity and possibilities than you think.
