Rotterdam Travel Forum

I'd like to find out how far is Novotel Rotterdam Brainpark Hotel from the Ahoy center and how to get there. thanx

HI there. That's mostly by metro and a little bus or walk.

General access information to Ahoy is at:
http://www.ahoy.nl/UK-ahoy.cfm?C_ID=111&site_id=5&main_id=111

First of all, for all your public transportation queries, including schedules, use www.9292ov.nl.
For a helpful translation, you also need: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tp/1aa687/

And you need the address to both:
Novotel Rotterdam Brainpark
K.P. van der Mandelelaan 150
3062 MB ROTTERDAM

Ahoy Rotterdam
Ahoyweg 10
3084 BA ROTTERDAM

Now for your specific question:
take a bus from HES Rotterdam (School of Economics, right opposite your hotel) and go to Kralingse Zoom metro station. The busride takes only 3 minutes.
You can also walk to Kralingse Zoom metro station. When you leave the hotel, keep walking straight ahead for about 10 minutes, until you arrive there. The signs will be obvious, on your righthand side you'll see a big parking lot. Cross that towards the metro.

Take the Caland metro line, direction Schiedam Centrum and get off at stop Beurs.
Change there to the Erasmus metro line and get off at stop Zuidplein. Walk 9 minutes to Ahoy.
Note: there are only two metro lines (Caland and Erasmus) so that should be easy.

The whole trip takes about 40 minutes from door to door.

For public transportation you need to buy a so-called 'strippenkaart'. You can undoubtedly get one at the hotel reception. You need to stamp off 4 strips at the beginning of your journey (whether you start on the bus or at the metro). The cost of your trip is 1,84 euro (one-way). Do the same when you go back, on entering metro Zuidplein.

Note: at metro stop Beurs you are actually in the center of Rotterdam. For shops and restaurants. Hotel Brainpark is situated opposite the HES and Erasmus University on the very edge of Rotterdam (east). If you cross the university grounds and walk straight on, you'll find yourself in an old part of Rotterdam. The poshest neighbourhood of old. Take a little stroll around Vijverlaan with the beautiful pond. I often take visitors there.

Have fun at Ahoy. You're obviously going to some big event :-)

Addition!
Where I said 'You can also walk to Kralingse Zoom metro station. When you leave the hotel, keep walking straight ahead for about 10 minutes, until you arrive there.' I meant to say: walk along Kralingse Zoom (that's also the main road)for about 10 minutes.

For a map, use www.viamichelin.com.
If you do, you'll also see what I mean with exploring Kralingen a little by crossing university grounds to Burg. Oudlaan, along Groene Wetering towards the aformentioned Slotlaan/Vijverweg.
A little further is Lusthofstraat, a little shopping street for everything you might need.
I know the area well, I come here on a weekly basis.