A few days ago I was traveling from Amsterdam to London – with a train!
Eurotunnel, considered one of the seven wonders of modern World, was on my ‘Traveling wish list’ for a long time.
From Amsterdam to Brussels I was traveling with regular NS International train. This part of the journey took around 2,5 hours. On its way train is passing through Den Haag, Rotterdam and Antwerp.
At Brussels Midi station you should transfer to Eurostar train. Board control is similar to one at airport, so be sure that you have your passport with you (not only ID, since UK is not part of a Schengen area).
When you finally get on board to Eurostar train a great part of journey is starting! The section from Brussels to London takes around two hours (don’t get confused with departing time on your train ticket – it shows the time at the location, which is one hour before in case of London). This is only possible with highly speed train which runs on some parts more than 300 km per hour.
The most exciting part of the journey definitely is Eurotunnel, a 50 km long tunnel digged under the sea which connects France and UK. Ride through it lasts for half an hour. Eurotunnel is one of the biggest engineering projects ever undertaken in the UK. The construction began in 1988 and it lasted for five years. It has average depth of 50 m, but on its lowest point it is 75 m below sea level.
The idea of digging up the tunnel under La Manche is actually very old. Back in 1802, French engineer Albert Mathieu get an idea of making a tunnel that would connect France and UK, with horse-drawn coaches and illumination from oil lamps. He even planned the station for changing the horses in the middle of it, on artificial island.
Although it took little bit more than traveling with a plane (from Amsterdam), it is very pleasant and exciting journey. Advantage of traveling with the train is also in a fact that you will arrive at St. Pancras railway station in London. Which means – no need for long ride to and from one of London’s airports. There is no need for luggage wating, because you have it all the time next to you. And finally – it’s relatively cheap – if you are going to buy tickets more then two months in advance, one way ticket will cost you 59 EUR.
It is definitely the best deal for traveling between UK and France, and even if you will come from more distanced Amsterdam, like me, it is still a good choice. I would definitely recommend it!
For more info about Eurostar train take a look on their website.
For buying a ticket from Amsterdam you can take a look at nsinternational.nl.