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Living in the shadow of Amsterdam is not easy, but Rotterdam remains a worthwhile destination on its own, particularly if you are interested in seeing more of the local life instead of armies of tourists clogging up every sidewalk. Hotel prices are relatively high in this port city, but there are a few hostels in Rotterdam that make the city affordable for anyone.

This city used to boast the largest port in the world before Shanghai took its crown recently, but the main part of the harbor itself is quite industrial and not much to see for visitors anyway. The area around the part of the harbor that reaches into the city is very scenic with plenty of interesting ships to see and to tour, and several of the best museums in the Netherlands are bunched together in the city center as well.

The central business district was heavily bombed during World War II so nearly every building standing there today is fairly new. The architecture is still authentically Dutch with a mix of modern and traditional. The center of the city is compact and fortunately all the Rotterdam hostels are within an easy walk of nearly everything of interest to visitors.

Amsterdam is great but the entire central part of the city is overrun with tourists and businesses aimed at tourists. Rotterdam doesn’t get the masses or tourists, but that means the city instead is a stylish new city where tourists blend in and it’s possible to absorb the real modern culture instead of just the wooden shoe and windmill kind. There are quite a few of the infamous coffee shops in Rotterdam as well, and again, you’ll be able to hang out with locals if you visit them instead of people from your hometown.

The harbor area is particularly nice, and sitting in a canal just off the main waterway is one of Europe’s most unique hostels. Hostel Boat The Clipper is literally an old clipper ship that has been turned into a small hostel. As you’d guess, the rooms are not cavernous, but the prices are still quite reasonable. You can get a bed in a 4-bunk room for around €18 per night or a private double room for about €25 per night per person. They have free wifi throughout and breakfast is included for all. This is a popular place so particularly during summer it’s a good idea to book well ahead. The common areas are quite small, but where else can you spend the night on a real clipper ship for the price of about 4 or 5 beers?

Hostel Room Rotterdam is in a 1920s art deco building and is the largest hostel in town with larger dorm rooms. Bunks in their 10-bed room start around €15 with beds in their 4-bunk rooms only about €5 more. Breakfast is included and they also have a guest kitchen, a café, and a bar.

Stayokay Rotterdam is in the city center close to the main train station and right next to the museum district. The have bunks in their 8-bed rooms for around €20 per night, which also includes breakfast.

Hostels in Netherlands (Rotterdam)