From Amsterdam to London in no time!

As announced by NS and Eurostar last month, you will soon be able to get a train from Amsterdam directly to London. From Amsterdam, it will only take four hours to get to London, and from Rotterdam it takes only three and a half. The direct train from London to the Netherlands has been operating since 2018, but the other way around required taking the Thalys train, up until now. 

The existing route between the Netherlands and London involved a passport check in Brussels. The new direct route will instead have the control in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, and forego the stop in between. The route goes directly from either Amsterdam or Rotterdam, to the historical London St Pancras International station in central London. And with six metro lines available at the station, you can easily travel throughout the city right after arrival.

The direct train will officially start operating starting October 26th, with tickets already on sale via the Eurostar website. Initially, the route was supposed to launch in April. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, this had to be delayed. With the Dutch government signing a treaty allowing for a simplification of passport control measures, the last stages can be finalized and the direct train is able to start operating sooner than anticipated!

The new route will offer a sustainable alternative to flying as well, with the direct train being able to offer about double the number of seats than a plane can (on average), with its CO2 emissions per passenger also being considerably lower.

The train will initially run only on weekdays, with weekends expectedly starting up in the latter half of December. Of course, the usual measures such as wearing a mask will apply. Eurostar has announced that for now, due to the coronavirus, tickets can be changed free of charge, for up to 14 days prior to the trip.

Prices for a one-way ticket start at €46. More information is available on the Eurostar website at: https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en

If you are planning a trip to London, do keep in mind that travel restrictions are changing regularly. For any questions regarding the restrictions and travel advice, you can contact EMG at: info@expatmanagementgroup.com. In case you’d like to utilize the ease of the direct train the other way around, to orient for a move to the Netherlands, you can always contact EMG’s Relocation department for assistance in a pre-move orientation, and to become informed and familiar with the different cities the Netherlands has to offer. You can contact them at: relo@expatmanagementgroup.com

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