How do you get from Rotterdam to The Hague by train, from the cruise port or Rotterdam Centraal?

From Rotterdam Centraal, the direct NS Intercity reaches Den Haag Centraal in 22 minutes and costs €6.40 second class with a contactless card. From the cruise terminal on the Wilhelmina Pier, the simplest route is different: walk 3 to 5 minutes to Wilhelminaplein metro station and take RET metro line E, which runs every 10 minutes straight through to Den Haag Centraal in 39 minutes, no change, €6.18. Either way you step out of the station about 10 minutes on foot from the Binnenhof and the Mauritshuis.

Our guides meet guests at this terminal exit every week, and the first independent passengers are usually out of the hall 15 to 20 minutes after the gangway opens. What slows people down is not the transport but the choice between metro and train, and between the two Hague stations. This post settles both.

What is the fastest way from Rotterdam cruise port to The Hague?

Metro line E, direct from Wilhelminaplein to Den Haag Centraal: 39 minutes on the metro, about 45 minutes door to door. The train is faster on the rails but not door to door, because you first ride the metro to Rotterdam Centraal, find the platform and wait for the next Intercity.

The figures, from the NS travel planner on ns.nl, read on 17 October 2026 for a normal weekday:

• Metro E, Wilhelminaplein to Den Haag Centraal: 39 minutes, every 10 minutes, no change. Terminal to metro entrance about 500 metres; the planner allows 7 minutes, our guides do it in 3 to 5.
• Metro D or E, Wilhelminaplein to Rotterdam Centraal: 7 minutes, three stops in between; take whichever comes first.
• Intercity, Rotterdam Centraal to Den Haag Centraal: 22 minutes direct, twice an hour (at 19 and 49 minutes past the hour in the pattern we saw). Sprinter 28 to 30 minutes, also direct.
• Intercity, Rotterdam Centraal to Den Haag HS: 18 to 19 minutes, several an hour.
• Metro plus Intercity, terminal to Den Haag Centraal: 42 minutes door to door when the connection works.

The train saves 3 minutes on paper and costs you a change of station. On a cruise day we send guests to metro E, unless they are already at Rotterdam Centraal or want to stop in Delft on the way, which the metro cannot do. From Rotterdam Centraal, take the Intercity and check the next departure, because the direct one to Den Haag Centraal runs only twice an hour. Sources: NS travel planner, RET metro E timetable.

Den Haag Centraal or Den Haag HS: which station should you choose?

Den Haag Centraal. The Binnenhof, the Mauritshuis, the Lange Voorhout and Noordeinde Palace are all about 10 minutes on foot from it, and metro E ends there.

Den Haag HS (Hollands Spoor) is the older station on the Rotterdam side of the city, further from the sights: 15 to 20 minutes on foot to the Binnenhof, or HTM tram 1, 9 or 15 from the stop in front of the station to the Centrum stop, about 5 minutes. Tram 9 continues to Den Haag Centraal and on to Scheveningen.

From the cruise terminal, metro E takes the decision away: it only goes to Den Haag Centraal. From Rotterdam Centraal, the direct Intercity calls at Delft and Den Haag HS before Den Haag Centraal. If your Intercity runs on towards Leiden or Schiphol instead, get off at Den Haag HS and take the tram. Sources: NS travel planner, HTM.

How long does it take door to door, from the gangway to the Mauritshuis?

About 75 minutes from the gangway opening to the museum door, which means you arrive before the Mauritshuis opens. An example from an 08:00 disembarkation on a weekday, using the departure pattern we read on ns.nl:

• 08:00 the gangway opens. Ships dock alongside here, no tendering, and the covered gangway brings you straight into the terminal hall.
• 08:20 you are outside. Turn away from the river, walk past the De Rotterdam building to Wilhelminaplein metro station.
• 08:31 metro E leaves for Den Haag Centraal. Tap your bank card at the gate and board any train showing Den Haag Centraal.
• 09:10 arrival at Den Haag Centraal. Tap out.
• 09:20 you are at the Binnenhof, looking at the Mauritshuis across the Hofvijver.
• 10:00 the Mauritshuis opens (Tuesday to Sunday; Monday 13:00). Book a timed ticket beforehand.

The train version from the same start: metro at 08:28 to Rotterdam Centraal, Intercity at 08:49, Den Haag Centraal at 09:11. One minute later, one change more. Check the day’s times on ns.nl the evening before; on 17 October 2026, for instance, maintenance work changed the timetable and the planner said so at the top of the results.

How do you pay for the metro and the train?

Tap a contactless bank card or your phone on the reader at the gate, and tap the same card out at the other end. The system is called OVpay and it works on RET metro gates, NS train gates and HTM trams alike. One card per person, second class, full fare; the day’s trips are charged in one amount the next day under a reference starting with NLOV. Foreign Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and V PAY cards are accepted, also through Apple Pay and Google Wallet.

Fares with contactless, one way per adult, as the NS planner showed them on 17 October 2026: metro E from Wilhelminaplein to Den Haag Centraal €6.18; metro to Rotterdam Centraal plus Intercity to Den Haag Centraal €8.06 in total, of which the train is €6.40; the same to Den Haag HS €7.86, of which the train is €6.20.

Two things to get right. When you change from metro to train at Rotterdam Centraal, tap out of the RET gates and in again at the NS gates; they are two companies. And never tap two people in with one card; the second person is not checked in. If you prefer paper, the machines at Wilhelminaplein sell RET tickets and those at Rotterdam Centraal sell NS tickets, both by card. Sources: NS on paying with a debit or credit card, RET on OVpay, HTM on OVpay. Our guide to Dutch trains, trams and buses has the full set of rules.

Is a taxi from the cruise terminal to The Hague worth it?

Only if public transport is out of the question. Taxis wait outside the terminal. The Hague is a motorway run, longer than the 20 to 25 minutes to Delft, and the A13 at morning rush hour can add a lot. Insist on the meter and refuse any fixed price offered at the kerb; we do not quote a fare because it depends on traffic and the company.

For a family or a group who want a door to door day without gates and platforms, the Private & Custom shore excursion is the better version of the same idea: a guide and a minibus for your group only, from the terminal exit, with The Hague as one of the places it can go, and the guide watches the clock.

Why do the bus, the water taxi and the WaterShuttle not help?

None of them goes to The Hague. The Watertaxi Rotterdam stops at Hotel New York next to the terminal and crosses to the city side, not to a station. The Kinderdijk WaterShuttle leaves from Willemskade across the river, Friday to Sunday only, about 30 minutes each way to the windmills; for that day read Kinderdijk from Rotterdam cruise port. City buses from the pier are slower than the metro to Rotterdam Centraal.

What can you do in The Hague with 4, 6 or 8 hours?

Count the hours between leaving the terminal and all-aboard, take off about 2 hours for the two journeys and the return margin below, and what is left is your city time.

• 4 hours in port, about 2 in the city: Den Haag Centraal to the Binnenhof and the Hofvijver, along the Lange Voorhout to Noordeinde Palace, back through De Passage. All within 10 minutes of each other; skip the museums.
• 6 hours in port, about 4 in the city: the walk above plus the Mauritshuis, where 90 minutes is enough for most visitors. Adults €21, under 19 free, Monday 13:00 to 18:00, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing. Girl with a Pearl Earring is back on display; View of Delft is on loan to Madrid from 9 October 2026 to 10 January 2027. Our Mauritshuis visitor guide covers the time slot. If you would rather have the rooms explained, the Mauritshuis private tour starts in the centre and fits straight after the metro ride.
• 8 hours in port, about 6 in the city: add one of Escher in Het Paleis on the Lange Voorhout (Tuesday to Sunday 11:00 to 17:00, €14.50), the Peace Palace visitor centre (free, Tuesday to Sunday, see our Peace Palace post), or an hour at the sea: HTM tram 9 runs from the low-level tram stop at Den Haag Centraal to the Kurhaus in Scheveningen in 14 minutes, every 10 minutes. Not all three.

For a fuller plan see The Hague in one day, for a wet day what to do in The Hague when it rains, and for families is Madurodam worth it. The Hague private walking tour starts in the centre and can be timed to your metro arrival. Sources: Mauritshuis visit page, NS travel planner for the tram times, HTM on trams to Scheveningen.

Can you combine The Hague with Delft on the same day?

Yes. Delft is one stop before Den Haag HS on the same line out of Rotterdam. Rotterdam Centraal to Delft takes 12 to 15 minutes; Delft to Den Haag Centraal takes 11 minutes by Intercity, 14 by Sprinter. Delft station to the Markt is 10 minutes on foot, flat and signposted.

Do Delft first, The Hague second, metro E back from Den Haag Centraal. The metro does not stop in Delft, so this plan means metro D or E to Rotterdam Centraal and the train from there. Delft’s churches open at 10:00 from February to October and most shops there open at 12:00 on Sunday and Monday, so the morning is for the squares, the canals and the Nieuwe Kerk, and the museums of The Hague fill the afternoon. Our sister site has the Delft half in Delft in one day; for Delft without transfers, Holland City Tours runs the Small Group Delft & Royal Delft shore excursion from the terminal, about 6 hours, €200 per adult.

How do you get back to the ship on time?

Treat the last train you are willing to take out of The Hague as the one leaving about 100 minutes before all-aboard. That is the rule of thumb we give our own guests. It covers a missed connection, a delayed train, the 7 minute metro ride from Rotterdam Centraal, the walk from Wilhelminaplein and a queue at the gangway. From Delft our rule is 90 minutes, from Rotterdam Centraal 60.

Metro E back from Den Haag Centraal runs every 10 minutes and takes the same 39 minutes; by train, the direct Intercity leaves twice an hour and the Sprinter fills the gaps. Board the one that keeps the margin, not the one that leaves last. Enter your ship’s all-aboard time in the back-to-the-ship calculator and it gives the latest departures from The Hague, Delft and Rotterdam Centraal for that day. Use all-aboard as your anchor, not the sailing time; the ship’s real times are on the Rotterdam cruise schedule. Weighing this against the ship’s own excursion? Ship excursion or independent sets it out.

Is the route step-free?

Yes, if you plan it as one. Metro E is the easier option for wheelchairs and for anyone avoiding stairs: one vehicle from Wilhelminaplein to Den Haag Centraal, no station change. The NS travel planner has an accessible-journey option under Travel options that takes lift availability on the day into account; use it rather than assuming every lift works. On HTM, most trams and renovated stops are accessible, the blue button by the door tells the driver you need more time, and all buses have a wheelchair space. At the Mauritshuis, electric wheelchairs wider than 78 cm or longer than 150 cm do not fit the lift in the historical building, so reserve a museum wheelchair by phone in advance. Sources: NS travel planner, HTM accessibility, Mauritshuis accessibility.

Which option should you take? A comparison

Option	Door to door from the terminal	Cost per adult, one way	How to pay	Best for
Metro E direct to Den Haag Centraal	About 45 minutes, every 10 minutes	€6.18	Tap a contactless card at the gate	Most cruise passengers; anyone who wants no changes
Metro to Rotterdam Centraal, then Intercity	About 42 minutes when the connection works	€8.06 to Den Haag Centraal, €7.86 to Den Haag HS	Tap out of RET, tap in at NS	Travellers already at Centraal; a stop in Delft on the way
Taxi from the terminal	Longer than the 20 to 25 minutes to Delft, traffic dependent	Metered, no fixed price	Card or cash to the driver	Only when public transport is out of the question
Private & Custom shore excursion	Minibus from the terminal exit, up to 8 hours	€1,950 per group	Online, free cancellation up to 24 hours before	Groups, families, mobility needs, anyone who wants a guide
Water taxi, WaterShuttle, bus	Do not reach The Hague			Other plans in Rotterdam or Kinderdijk

For the terminal itself read the Rotterdam cruise port guide, and if you decide to stay close, what to do in Rotterdam from the cruise ship.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a direct metro from the cruise port to The Hague?

Yes. RET metro line E runs from Wilhelminaplein, about 500 metres from the terminal, to Den Haag Centraal without a change: 39 minutes, every 10 minutes. Line D leaves from the same platform but ends at Rotterdam Centraal, so check the destination on the front of the train.

How do-able is it to visit the Mauritshuis on my own from the ship?

Very. Metro E to Den Haag Centraal, a 10 minute walk to Plein 29, about 90 minutes inside. Book a timed ticket on mauritshuis.nl beforehand and remember the Monday opening at 13:00.

Which station in The Hague should I use, Centraal or Hollands Spoor?

Den Haag Centraal: 10 minutes on foot from the Binnenhof and the Mauritshuis, and the end of metro E. Den Haag HS is 15 to 20 minutes on foot or 5 minutes on tram 1, 9 or 15. Trains from Rotterdam call at both.

Do we need to buy a ticket, or can we just tap a credit card?

Tap a contactless credit or debit card, or your phone, at the gate going in and again coming out, one card per person. When you change from metro to train at Rotterdam Centraal, tap out at the RET gate and in at the NS gate. Paper tickets from the machines also work.

Is there a day pass that covers both cities?

No single pass covers the RET metro, the NS train and the HTM tram together. For two or three rides, tapping a card on each leg is simplest and you pay only for what you ride. A bank card always charges the full adult fare; child discounts do not apply to it.

How long do I need to get back and forth, and how much time is left?

About 45 minutes each way from the terminal, plus the 100 minute margin before all-aboard on the way back. In an 8 hour port call that leaves roughly 5 hours in The Hague; in a 6 hour call, about 3.

Can we do Delft and The Hague in one day from the ship?

Yes. Metro to Rotterdam Centraal, train to Delft, morning on the Markt, train to Den Haag Centraal, afternoon at the Binnenhof and the Mauritshuis, metro E back. Keep the 100 minute rule and leave Scheveningen for another visit.

If you would rather not plan the day yourself

The Hague private walking tour and the Mauritshuis private tour start in the centre of The Hague, timed to your arrival by metro or train; see all private tours in The Hague. For a group collected at the terminal exit, the Holland City Tours Private & Custom shore excursion is a guide and minibus for your party only, up to 8 hours, €1,950, free cancellation up to 24 hours before, with a written back-to-the-ship guarantee.