Rotterdam

Climate
Rotterdam’s climate is typical for Dutch climate, its cold in winter with a temperature average of 4°C and cool in summer with an average temperature of 18°C. All throughout the year rain is common and the amount of rain is consistent over the year. In 11 months the average rainfall is above 60mm, only in April there is a little less rain with an average of 45mm. Taking a raincoat with you is definitely worth the trouble.

Currency
Euro

Language
In Rotterdam as in every other Dutch city, English is well understood by the general population. They may also speak German or sometimes even a little French. Getting around in Rotterdam is therefore no problem, and if you happen to get lost, asking for directions shouldn’t be a problem.

Telephone Reception
Reception is very good in Rotterdam. Also the greater Rotterdam area and the Randstad have good reception, but once you go into the region there maybe a weaker signal.

Culture
In 2001 Rotterdam was the European city of Culture together with Porto and in 2007 it was the city of architecture during the 3rd Architecture Biennale. These events have definitely improved Rotterdam’s image. Apart from these great events that boosted Rotterdam’s cultural output there are many things that define Rotterdam as a cultural city. The Hip-Hop scene was really rich in the 1980s. However, this Hip-Hop scene was partially replaced by the Gabba scene that was created in Rotterdam in the mid-90s. Gabba is a kind of hardcore electronic music, mostly just called Hardstyle or Jumpstyle.

Rotterdam does not only have a rich musical culture, but also for world renowned festivals like the Summer Carnival or the International Film Festival. Rotterdam also has many museums the most well-known are the Boijmans-van Beuningen Museum, the NAI (Netherlands Architecture Institute), the Volkenkundig Museum and the Kunsthal.

Rotterdam is also known for its ethnic make-up. Nearly half of the population in Rotterdam is of foreign origin. Muslims comprise close to 25% of Rotterdam’s population.

Rotterdam's cultural institutions have close ties with Amsterdam's cultural institutions. They work together to increase the international position of Dutch culture and art.

Ethnicity & Religion
As mentioned before, Rotterdam has a large amount of foreign inhabitants. Over 50% is still Dutch, then there are the Surinamese, Turks and Moroccan represented with each over 6%, Antilleans and Arubans 3%, EU countries 5% and others 12%. The Turkish and the Moroccan foreign groups represent most of the Muslim population.

Airports / Car rental
Airport
With its 1.1 million passengers per year, Rotterdam The Hague Airport is the 3rd largest Dutch Airport. However, the largest airport Schiphol transports about 50 times as many passengers per year. It is approx. 6km north of Rotterdam.
Getting to and from the is easily done by either bus or the metro. Taking the metro is a new option as of 12th Dec. 2010, then the new Airport Shuttle to Meijersplein metro station will start it’s service. With the Airport shuttle you have the possibility to get to Rotterdam every 15 or 30 minutes depending on the metro times and flight schedule. The bus operates the lines 33 and 41, and at night or in the morning line 12, which bring you to Rotterdam.

Public transport
As the port of Rotterdam is the largest port in all of Europe, Rotterdam Centraal is an important intersection for international cargo transport. Rotterdam is therefore well connected not only to the international railway system but also the national and regional. Rotterdam Centraal is currently being renovated and extended with a new building.
In Rotterdam you can get around the city by means of the bus, RandstadRail, train, tram and metro. All of these methods are part of an extensive network (centralized at Rotterdam Centraal), making it possible to get anywhere within the city, in the region or even other cities.

Taxis / Infrastructure
Taxi
The taxi rank is directly at the exit of the airport building. For all taxi services to and from Rotterdam Airport you can contact the Rotterdam Airport Taxi +31102620406 or visit www.rotterdam-airport-taxi.nl
Bicycle
The city of Rotterdam is best experienced on a bike. When traveling on a bike, you have a much higher radius of action and experience the city more directly than by bus. The city offers regular cycling tours.

Events
Rotterdam is the 2nd largest city in the Netherlands. It therefore is attractive for international events. But not only do these international events stir up Rotterdam during the year, but also the smaller events in Rotterdam attract people from around the Netherlands. Below, a list of some popular events:

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• International Film Festival: A famous film festival in the beginning of the year attracting many celebrities.
  
• Fortis Marathon: A large marathon taking place during April. Around 20’000 people run in this marathon
  
• Dunya festival: A Festival celebrating poetry and art from around the globe.
  
• North Sea Jazz Festival: A very large festival in the name of Jazz. It is one of the largest Jazz festivals in the world with hundreds of thousands of visitors.
  
• Summer Carnival: A street party in Caribbean style. Millions of people visit this promising event every year.
  
• FFWD Heineken Dance Parade: A street parade of international size. World renowned DJ’s mix techno music on top of party vehicles. On an international scale, it is only second to the Berlin Love Parade.
  

Culinary Specialties
Rotterdam has typical Dutch food on many of the various stands. From Patate to Pannekoeke. You are sure to find Dutch fast foods here and if you go into a supermarket you are sure to find Dutchman's favorite sweet in masses – Licorice, from sweet to salty.

As Rotterdam is really close to the city the Gouda cheese comes from, you are sure to find a good slice of cheese in Rotterdam.

The butter of this region is also considered very special as is has a larger amount of milk-fat than most other European butters. The Buttermilk made from the by-product is said to be typical for the region.

Lifestyle
The Dutch lifestyle of the bike is largely advertised by the many bike tours available in Rotterdam. Also riding the bike for short distances is largely encouraged, because the ground is really flat and not difficult for bike riding.

Very typical for Rotterdam's lifestyle is the Trance/Hardstyle/Jumpstyle scene. It is very big in Rotterdam and has become very popular around the Netherlands. Of course music similar to it like Electro or House is also very popular around the younger population.

Sights 
Rotterdam is probably the largest port in the whole world. But the port is not the only thing to see in Rotterdam; for example when you go up the Euromast you have an excellent view of the city 185m up in the air, you can also overlook the port from here. There are still very interesting things in Rotterdam, even though they stand in the shadow of the port. Other sights are: the Maritiem Museum, a sailing tour through the port, the Museum Boijmaans Van Beuningen, the Kunsthaland the Rotterdamse Schouwburg