So when do the fast trains to Amsterdam finally start?

[T & P]

Which site did you use? Best I can get on the Eurostar site is £156.

Sadly it was just for the Brussels-Amsterdam leg of the journey. A link to the Thalys website announcing the start of the full high speed service from Dec. 13th was given on post #80, so I went in and had a snoop around.

I wonder if it's ever cheaper to book the two legs of the journey separately... worth a try.

 

[kyser_soze]

Spymaster - phone Eurostar's call centre.

 

[fredfelt]

I've not tried this route myself yet even tthough I'm always suggesting it to people who want to get to the continent cheaply. I've done similar from Hull or Newcastle when I lived in Scotland though.

Do you get your own cabin, then, or do you share with a snoring stranger?

You have a choice of 2 or 4 person cabin - which is extra. Not sure if you are given the option not to book a cabin if you go overnight.

If you do take your bike the ride to Amsterdam from the Hoek van Holland is super fab (if the wind is not in your face). You go up along the coast, through the sand dunes, through Haarlem then arrive in Amsterdam in time for lunch.

I'll be going next week - might try the train all the way this time depending on how easy it is to take my bike.

 

[paolo]

That's why I put the original winky smiley.
Logic has nothing to do with the UK not joining Schengen, but Middle England's fear and horror of Johnny Foreigner.

And the bag scanning has nothing to do with not being in schengen.

It's not run by border control. They have some very expensive kit for detecting explosives. And it's not there for show either. My 'kit' gets swabbed and analysed every time. Potential weapons and incendiaries get confiscated.

You don't see this at Ferry ports, and they are just as much not part of schengen as the train.

 

[Isambard]

Course the bag scanning is nothing to do with Schengen, that's just extra security that you "need" for the Channel Tunnel but not for the Severn Tunel apparently.

 

[teuchter]

Course the bag scanning is nothing to do with Schengen, that's just extra security that you "need" for the Channel Tunnel but not for the Severn Tunel apparently.

Do you reckon it's actually to do with border controls then, rather than reducing subjective perceptions of risk?

The reason the Severn Tunnel isn't covered by the same precautions, I assume, is that most people don't think of it as a potential bomb target and are therefore happy to travel through it without bag checks. On the other hand, I imagine a lot of people would be nervous about using the Channel Tunnel if there weren't any bag checks (doesn't really matter about the actual risk; it's more to do with people's perceptions). I'm sure a lot of people would also rather that bags taken onto the tube could be similarly checked but they realise that's totally impractical so just decide to live with the risk.

Same applies to airlines really.

If it was about border controls, you'd be subject to the same checks at ferry ports wouldn't you?

 

[hash tag]

For us, using St Pancreas to catch Eurostar is a pain in the arse; Waterloo was sooo much easier.
The fast direct train to Amsterdam was a piece of cake. Check in, customs, border control, simples. Get to Amsterdam and just walk out, no problem.
The only issue was the train was not as comfortable as it cold have been and was cold.
For the return we had to change at Brussels, it was a nightmare. Amsterdam to Brussels was about 10 minutes late (warm, comfy train). The down escalator at Brussels was not working, we had to walk
down it. Caused many people lots of problems; elderly with luggage, people with big heavy bags. The route from one platfor to the next was not well signposted. The security staff, customs, border
officials were very officious to say the least. Person in front of me went through security (her bags and loose stuff had already gone through the scanners) and got sent right to the back of the queue
again, because she was wearing a watch After we had gone through security, there were last call announcements for the London train. I suspect some people were still trying to find where to go at the point
and with the queues long and slow at every point of the transaction, I guess many people missed the train. There were more than a few empty seats on the last leg.
Fancy a nibble or drink on arriving at Amsterdam; this was good Home
direct access to platforms, one of the best station caffs in Europe.

 

[Winot]

For us, using St Pancreas to catch Eurostar is a pain in the arse; Waterloo was sooo much easier.
The fast direct train to Amsterdam was a piece of cake. Check in, customs, border control, simples. Get to Amsterdam and just walk out, no problem.
The only issue was the train was not as comfortable as it cold have been and was cold.
For the return we had to change at Brussels, it was a nightmare. Amsterdam to Brussels was about 10 minutes late (warm, comfy train). The down escalator at Brussels was not working, we had to walk
down it. Caused many people lots of problems; elderly with luggage, people with big heavy bags. The route from one platfor to the next was not well signposted. The security staff, customs, border
officials were very officious to say the least. Person in front of me went through security (her bags and loose stuff had already gone through the scanners) and got sent right to the back of the queue
again, because she was wearing a watch After we had gone through security, there were last call announcements for the London train. I suspect some people were still trying to find where to go at the point
and with the queues long and slow at every point of the transaction, I guess many people missed the train. There were more than a few empty seats on the last leg.
Fancy a nibble or drink on arriving at Amsterdam; this was good Home
direct access to platforms, one of the best station caffs in Europe.

I've gone to Amsterdam a couple of times for work since the trains started and would rather go by Eurostar than fly but there aren't enough trains yet to make it work for a quick trip. Even train out and plane back.

 

[teuchter]

It seems the service is quite successful - they are adding another daily one this summer, and they are due to start running the return journeys direct by the end of this year at which point it should go up to 5 return trips per day - should start taking a big chunk out of the airlines then, I reckon.

 

[T & P]

I suspect the Customs check/ train change at Brussels on the return leg will put some people off. Hopefully they'll sort that out asap. Though as it is linked to Brexit, it'll probably still be in place 10 years from now...

 

[teuchter]

I suspect the Customs check/ train change at Brussels on the return leg will put some people off. Hopefully they'll sort that out asap. Though as it is linked to Brexit, it'll probably still be in place 10 years from now...

That's what will disappear by the end of this year when they start the direct return services. The customs check will be done when you board in Amsterdam.

 

[Dogsauce]

That's what will disappear by the end of this year when they start the direct return services. The customs check will be done when you board in Amsterdam.

What about intermediate stops like Rotterdam? We have friends there and would have been nice to do it on the train.

 

[teuchter]

What about intermediate stops like Rotterdam? We have friends there and would have been nice to do it on the train.

I think they are putting a customs check facility there as well.

 

[T & P]

What about intermediate stops like Rotterdam? We have friends there and would have been nice to do it on the train.

I thought there’d still be there? The big difference in this direct service is not needing to change trains at all between St Pancras and Amsterdam Centraal, as I understand it anyway.