Response to travelling wave vibration of thin rotating cylindrical shells with various boundary conditions is investigated. Based on Sanders’ shell theory, the governing equations of motion of the thin rotating cylindrical shells which taken into account the effects of centrifugal and Coriolis forces as well as the initial hoop tension due to rotating are established using Hamilton’s principle. Beam modal function satisfying the required end-conditions at both ends has been used to express the axial modal function of the thin cylindrical shell with similar boundary conditions approximately. Then, through the process of formula derivation, the general solution of the displacement response which is caused by travelling wave vibration is derived. Finally, the general solution obtained is applied to investigate the vibration characteristics of a clamped-clamped thin rotating cylindrical shell subjected to a harmonic point load and a constant point load in the transverse direction, and the results and discussions are presented.