Amsterdam to London by Eurostar train (Complete Guide)

The Eurostar train is an excellent way to travel between Amsterdam and London.

The trip takes just over 4 hours and brings you from the centre of Amsterdam right into the heart of London. It can be easily booked at the Trainline site here (multi-currencies) or the NS International site (euros) with prices starting at only £51/€58 one-way or £78/€88 return.

Eurostar runs a 5x daily direct train between Amsterdam and London –  this high speed rail service runs via the channel tunnel.

We’ve made this trip over 100 times and so here is our detailed guide to Amsterdam-London by Eurostar. The info here is applicable if travelling in either direction – Amsterdam to London or London to Amsterdam.

London-Amsterdam Eurostar timetable (2026)

This is the current Eurostar timetable for direct trains between London and Amsterdam / Rotterdam:

London to Amsterdam

Amsterdam to London

• Europe is 1 hour ahead of London time
• reduced timetable at weekends
• timetable subject to change during disruptions

Amsterdam-London Rail Maps & Route

The Eurostar train runs between London St Pancras International and Amsterdam Centraal.

This is a rail route map for the Amsterdam-London trip on Eurostar:

The London-Amsterdam service makes a limited number of stops – at Lille Europe, Brussels Zuid/Midi and Rotterdam Centraal.

Amsterdam-London Eurostar: Journey Time & Distance

Total journey time: 4 hours 4 mins – 4 hours 16 mins (London-Amsterdam) and 4 hours 17 mins (Amsterdam-London). Passing through the channel tunnel takes about 20 mins.

Total distance: 582km (362 miles) – this is the track distance from the actual rail route which we worked out using Google Maps:

This includes the 37.9km underwater channel tunnel which has a total tunnel length of 50.4km.

Maximum speed: 300km/h can be reached on the high speed tracks in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and UK. Note there is a speed limit of 160km/h in the channel tunnel and between Antwerp and Brussels.

Eurostar operates other cross-channel services (blue trains) from London to both Paris and Brussels.

Eurostar also has continental rail services (red trains) from Paris to both Amsterdam and Cologne – these were formerly the Thalys. (In late 2023, Thalys was rebranded as Eurostar following the merger of Eurostar and Thalys).

Amsterdam-London Eurostar fares

Tickets for Amsterdam-London are generally open for booking 6-8 months before travel.

Like airfares, Eurostar ticket prices tend to rise the closer to the departure date – so it’s best to book well in advance if possible.

Eurostar has a 3 class service: Eurostar Standard, Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier.

Eurostar Standard

• Standard is 2nd class seating (2-2 configuration)
• Food/drink can be purchased at the Eurostar Café carriage
• Standard fares start at £51/€58 one-way or £78/€88 return for Amsterdam-London
• Exchangeable up to 1 hour before departure (just pay the fare difference)
• Refundable up to 7 days before departure for €25/£25/$40

Eurostar Plus

• Plus has 1st class seating (2-1 configuration)
• Light meal and drinks served at your seat
• Plus fares start from £98/€112 one-way or £140/€160 return for Amsterdam-London
  
• Exchangeable up to 1 hour before departure (just pay the fare difference)
• Refundable up to 7 days before departure for €25/£25/$40
• Lounge access available at Amsterdam Centraal (NS International lounge)

Eurostar Premier

• Premier is 1st class seating (2-1 configuration)
• Gourmet meal and drinks (including champagne) served at your seat
• Premier fares cost £315/€362 one-way or £458/€526 return for Amsterdam-London
  
• Exchangeable/refundable up to 48 hours after departure (no fee, just pay the fare difference)
• Fast-track check-in at dedicated Premier lane
• Lounge access at Amsterdam Centraal (NS International lounge) and London St Pancras (Eurostar Premier lounge)

As a guideline, let’s look at Amsterdam to London one-way fares (checked Jan 2026 for the afternoon departure) when booking at various periods before travel:

Note that return tickets are always cheaper each way than booking stand-alone singles! For example, Plus fares start at €112 one-way but can be had from just €80 each way as part of a return.

Children’s tickets on Eurostar

Small children aged 0-3 can travel for free but must sit on an adult’s lap throughout the journey. Baby changing facilities are available on board.

Children aged 4-11 get a discounted fares on Standard and Plus tickets. The reduction is 30% on peak period tickets and 30-50% during off-peak periods.

Children’s meals in Plus and Premier class can be pre-ordered through your booking up to 24 hours before travel.

Book your Amsterdam-London Eurostar tickets

Amsterdam-London Eurostar train tickets can easily be booked at the Trainline site (UK based) which offers payment in multiple currencies. Check trains here:

Or book at the NS International site – this is the official Dutch Railways international arm which offers payment in euros only.

London-Amsterdam Eurostar train

Eurostar operates its modern E320 trains on the London-Amsterdam route. These trains are also known as British Rail Class 374 and are a variant of the Siemens Velaro. These were first introduced on the Eurostar network in 2015.

The E320 trains are 390m long and have 16 carriages with a total capacity of 892 seats plus 4 wheelchair spaces.

Standard carriages have 76 seats whilst Plus/Premier carriages have 32, 36 or 40 seats.

The Plus/Premier carriages are the first and last 3 of the train (coach 1-3 and 14-16). Standard class is found in coaches 4-13 with the Eurostar Café taking up half each of coaches 8 and 9.

The coach numbers are marked on a display near the external doors. Seat numbers in each carriage are also clearly marked above the window.

Seats on the Eurostar

Let’s look at the seating in the 3 classes on Eurostar.

Eurostar Standard – This is effectively 2nd class with the normal 2-2 configuration seating, seat pitch of approximately 32.5″ (82.5cm) and food/drink available for purchase at the Eurostar Café.

There is a mix of airline-style directional seat pairs and tables with 4 seats facing each other. This is the seat plan for a Standard carriage on the Eurostar:

Eurostar Plus – A first class “lite” product using dedicated carriages with 1-2 configuration and seat pitch of approximately 37″ (94.5cm). A complimentary light meal and drinks are served at your seat and a selection of magazines is available.

Eurostar Premier – A flexible fare business product using dedicated carriages with similar 1-2 configuration and seat pitch as Eurostar Plus.

This is the seat plan for a Plus/Premier coach 2 on the Eurostar E320:

Premier passengers get a full 3 course meal with drinks including champagne and selected fine wines served at their seat.

Facilities on board the Eurostar

• The windows on the Eurostar trains are medium size though there is quite a blank wall space between each window.

• Free WiFi is available at to all passengers.
• UK and European power outlets are available at the seats.

• Toilet facilities are available at the ends of each carriage.
• The Eurostar Café in carriage 8/9 offers a range of drinks and snacks for sale.

• For those with accessibility needs please contact Eurostar in advance. Assistance can be arranged at both ends of your journey.

Luggage on Eurostar

Unlike flying there are no extra charges for bringing luggage with you on your Eurostar journey. The train has overhead luggage racks above the seats and also some extra racks at the end of the carriages.

Standard and Plus passengers can bring 2 pieces of regular luggage up to 85cm long and 1 small item of hand luggage. Children are allowed 1 piece of luggage and 1 hand luggage.

Premier passengers can bring 3 pieces of luggage and 1 item of hand luggage.

There are no weight limits but you must be able to carry these on board yourself and they must be able to fit into the luggage racks. You cannot leave your luggage in the aisles.

If you require extra luggage this can be purchased as an extra.

There are no restrictions on liquids apart from the customs limits for alcohol.

Bicycles on the London-Amsterdam Eurostar

It is possible to bring a disassembled bike onboard the Eurostar train. This must be handed in at the luggage area and can be collected on the platform when you arrive. This is charged from €45.

Folding bikes can be brought on board as long as they are completely covered and are within the 85cm luggage limit.

Note, fully assembled bikes can only be taken on the Eurostar between London and Brussels.

Amsterdam-London train trip scenery

The rail journey between Amsterdam and London is not particularly renowned for its scenery though there are a few points of interest!

• Views of Rotterdam’s modern skyline.

• Crossing the Hollandsch Diep by bridge.

• Coming into Antwerp, crossing the Albertkanaal railway bridge with distant views of the spectacular Port Authority Building designed by architect Zaha Hadid.
• Passing through Mechelen with fleeting views of the St Rumbold’s Tower on the Grote Markt.
• Sweeping views of Brussels.
• Rolling plains of northern France.
• Crossing the viaduct over the river Medway near Rochester.

Amsterdam Central Station

The magnificent Amsterdam Centraal station was completed in 1889. It was designed by Pierre Cuypers who was the noted architect of the city’s Rijksmuseum.

The modernised section of the station at the IJ waterfront side features shops, restaurants and some great views.

A new Eurostar terminal was opened at Amsterdam Central in early 2025 which sits under the platforms and is accessed from the city side. After security and immigration there is a compact waiting area for passengers with a STACH cafe outlet.

1st class passengers (Plus and Premier) can theoretically get access to the basic NS International/Regus lounge at Amsterdam Centraal. You can only get a hot drink or soft drink and no food is served.

Note however, this is located on platform 1 at Amsterdam Central (passengers only, you need to scan your ticket through the gate barriers). It is a bit of a walk from the Eurostar terminal which is entered from the public area.

Rotterdam Central Station

The strikingly modern Rotterdam Centraal station was reopened in its current form in 2014.

For some London passengers it is more convenient to travel to/from Rotterdam by Eurostar. The Rotterdam-London journey time is around 45 minutes shorter than Amsterdam-London.

There is a small Eurostar terminal at platform 2 of Rotterdam Centraal where you undergo security and immigration. There is a small waiting area upstairs.

To access the terminal you need to pass through the NS gate barriers with your ticket barcode.

There is a small NS International/Regus lounge for 1st class passengers found nearby on platform 2. Only good for a hot drink or soft drink, no food is served.

London St Pancras station

The Eurostar to Amsterdam departs from its dedicated terminal at the beautiful London St Pancras International station. This is located in the north of London next to Kings Cross station and a short walk from Euston station.

The station dates from 1868 and has been handling Eurostar services since 2007. Eurostar previously operated at London Waterloo between 1994-2007.

You can arrive by tube via any of the Northern, Victoria, Piccadilly, Circle, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan lines.

The public area inside the station contains quite a decent range of shops, cafés and restaurants.

Upstairs you will find a champagne bar, the John Betjeman Statue, the famous Dent clock and Paul Day’s 9m tall statue of an embracing couple known as “The Meeting Place”.

At the Eurostar departures check-in hall at London St Pancras there are ticket machines if you need to pick-up, purchase or change tickets at the station.

At London St Pancras you need queue to go through a check-in gate (where you simply scan or insert your ticket) and then there is an immediate security check of your luggage. This is followed by a UK exit check and then French border control.

You are then in the main departures lounge area which is used by all Eurostar passengers going to Amsterdam, Paris and Brussels. This area has a newsagent, a bar and café. Free WiFi is available here as well as on board the trains.

Boarding is called about 20 minutes before departure and you go up the escalators to the platform. Check your boarding pass for the coach number as there are different escalators for coaches 1-5 and 6-18.

The Eurostar Premier lounge in London St Pancras is open to Premier passengers but not Plus passengers.

Access is also granted to Carte Blanche and Étoile members of the Club Eurostar program and American Express Platinum cardholders (UK, Belgium and France-issued cards but unfortunately not Netherlands-issued cards).

It is split over 2 levels – it has some basic snacks, a wide selection of drinks (including cocktail bar) and a range of complimentary magazines.

What are the other options for Amsterdam-London travel?

You can find out more on our Amsterdam-London travel page which overviews all trains, flights, ferries and buses between the cities.

Amsterdam to London Eurostar: Summary

The Eurostar service is a fast and comfortable way to travel between Amsterdam and London. If you wish to avoid the hassle of flying or sitting on a bus for 12 hours then the Eurostar is an excellent choice.

With its roomy seats and light meal/drinks we highly recommend booking a Plus ticket. It’s a civilised way to travel in a quiet cabin and will make a good start/end to your trip.

You can check timetables, prices and make bookings for Eurostar and other international train services at the Trainline site or at the NS International site

Sources: our own trips provided the main context in addition to info from Eurostar

This article was originally published in 2025 and replaced a Eurostar trip report which was published 2011-2025. Last checked and updated 26 January 2026.

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