Eurostar, known for its Channel Tunnel trains, is finally making good on its long-promised, often-postponed direct service to link London to Amsterdam, starting April 4th, with two daily trains to Amsterdam.
But it’s not quite direct in the other direction: Because Britain and the Netherlands have not yet reached an agreement on letting Eurostar check Britain-bound passengers’ passports in Amsterdam, westbound passengers will need to make a stop in Brussels, where passport check is already in place.
With two eastbound trains (8:31 am and 5:30 pm), Eurostar obviously can’t compete on flexibility with the 70 or so direct flights available, but when you add in getting-to and getting-through and getting-from for airports, the 4.5 hour trip may work out better for many, and it comes with free WiFi, bigger seats, more foot room, etc. Initially, prices will be as low as about £35.
