Dreaming of visiting Amsterdam soon? The city of beautiful canals, architecture, art and culture is a popular tourist destination, but many visitors also go there for business.
Whether you’re in Amsterdam for work or play, you’ll need to know the best, fastest and cheapest way to get there.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about taking the Eurostar from London to Amsterdam. This includes the rail route, journey time, timetable, prices and how to get your tickets.
And if you’re looking for a convenient, money-saving solution for your holiday spending, check out the Wise debit card. This clever multi-currency card automatically converts GBP to EUR at the mid-market exchange rate whenever you spend on transport, food, drink, shopping or ATM withdrawals. This means your money goes further.
But for now, let’s focus on giving you the lowdown on the Eurostar from London to Amsterdam.
The Eurostar is a high-speed train travelling at a maximum speed of 186 miles per hour¹, so it’s pretty fast.
The fastest journey time from London to Amsterdam is just 3 hours and 52 minutes¹. However, it can occasionally take a little longer. You’ll see how long your particular train takes when you go to book your tickets on the Eurostar website. In some cases, journey times can extend up to 4 hours and 10 minutes² for a direct train into Amsterdam.
The rail route from London to Amsterdam starts at London St Pancras International. This is the main hub for Eurostar in the UK, and it has its own section of the station.
After leaving London, the Eurostar makes its way through the Channel Tunnel before arriving in France. The route travels through Northern France and Belgium and finally crosses into the Netherlands.
It then passes through Rotterdam before arriving at its final stop, Amsterdam Centraal station. This is Amsterdam’s main train station, in the heart of the city.
The Eurostar from London to Amsterdam is a direct train, so you won’t need to change or make any other connections.
However, there are a couple of stops along the way, which are factored into the total journey time. These are at Brussels Midi station and Rotterdam Centraal station³.
There are four direct Eurostar trains a day running from London to Amsterdam, from around 6am to 6pm.
Take a look below for the usual timetable, although you’ll need to double check for your chosen travel date as the schedule can change.
| Day of travel | Departure from London St Pancras | Arrival at Amsterdam Centraal |
|---|---|---|
| Mon-Fri | 06:16 08:16 11:04 18:04 | 11:14 13:14 16:12 23:14 |
| Sat | 08:16 11:04 | 13:23 16:23 |
| Sun | 08:16 11:04 | 13:44 16:44 |
Now, let’s take a look at how much it costs to take the Eurostar from London to Amsterdam:
| One way² | Return⁴ | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard fare | From £50 | From £78 |
| Standard Premier | From £103 | From £178 |
| Business Premier | From £299 | From £520 |
There’s no shortage of cheap flights to Amsterdam. For example, you can fly with Easyjet from London Luton Airport for just £25, or from London Stansted or Gatwick Airports for £33⁵. Both of these beat the one-way fare price for Eurostar.
However, you should also factor in the cost of adding luggage, getting to the airport and other associated costs. This could make a flight more expensive overall, compared to taking the train.
By far the easiest way to buy your Eurostar tickets is online, via eurostar.com. Simply enter your departure and arrival location, travel dates, and then choose a time that works for you.
You can also buy Eurostar tickets on other train ticket websites such as Trainline.com.
You’ll find that Eurostar tends to be cheaper the further in advance you book. If you’re planning ahead, you can book your tickets around 6 months in advance⁶ and should be able to get a low price.
It also works out cheaper if you book a return trip, rather than two one-way tickets.
If you can be flexible about when you travel, we have one final tip for saving money on Eurostar tickets. They tend to be cheaper for journeys taken between midday on Monday and midnight Thursday⁶. Prices shoot up at the weekend, as Eurostar uses dynamic pricing that fluctuates based on demand. Check this detailed guide on how to get cheap Eurostar tickets.
There’s a tool for finding the lowest Eurostar fares here.
Once you’ve got your Eurostar tickets booked, it’s time to start planning the rest of your trip to Amsterdam. One key thing to think about is how you’ll get your hands on some euros to cover your holiday spending.
Open a Wise multi-currency account and you can swerve the queues at the Bureau de Change - and get a fair exchange rate. This powerful online account not only lets you hold 50+ currencies at once (including GBP and EUR) but there’s also the option of an international debit card.
This contactless card automatically converts currency in 175 countries using the mid-market exchange rate. This is a fair exchange rate, and it usually beats those on offer at foreign currency exchange outlets. Plus, it means you don’t need to carry any cash around with you.
Your Wise debit card is an effortless and money-saving way to spend in Amsterdam. It works pretty much everywhere, from restaurants and bars to shops and transport hubs.
You can even use it to withdraw up to £200 a month for free, with just a small transparent fee for the currency conversion. If you already have EUR in your Wise account, there’s nothing at all to pay. Wise will not charge you for these withdrawals, but some additional charges may occur from independent ATM networks.
| Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information. |
|---|
After reading this guide, you should have all the info you need to plan your Amsterdam adventure via Eurostar. We’ve covered all the essentials, including journey times, prices and how to buy tickets. Have a great trip!
Sources used:
Sources last checked on date: 12-Oct-2022
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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