Last week Eurostar announced a new direct route from London to Amsterdam (can we get a “heck yeah”?). Previously, anyone travelling to and from Amsterdam could go directly to the Dam, but it was the return journey where passengers had to change in Brussels (loooooooong), this new direct route will cut the journey time down by an hour, meaning it will take you just over four hours to arrive in the city centre. You won’t have to wait long, departures will be starting as early as April 2020, so you best start planning a cheeky little trip to the land of stroopwafels ASAP.
If you’ve never taken the train to Europe before, here are just a few reasons why you should give it a go:
1. No more asking “How do I get from the airport to the city?”
Taking the train to and from the UK means that you’ll be travelling city centre to city centre, so no more frantically Googling ways to get from the airport to the city, ‘cause you’re already there! WIN!
2. It’s more environmentally friendly
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that taking a train is waaay better than hopping on a flight, especially for such a short distance. Did you know that the aviation industry contributes between 4 and 9% of the total climate change impact of humans? So by choosing to train it rather than plane it, you’re helping out the planet - well aren’t you nice?!
3. Say goodbye to airport security
Probably the most hated element of any trip overseas is airport security, from the long queues to the integrations to the trying to squeeze 100ml bottles of liquid into a clear plastic bag, are we right? Of course trains have security, duuuh, but it’s much more relaxed - a word never associated with a trip to the airport.
4. The food is on another level (it’s not hard though)
For anyone who loves food, plane food is an insult to the senses. Forget plastic cutlery, sweaty vegetables and absolutely no choice, travel on a train and you get to bring your own food and as many liquids as you can carry. The Eurostar even has a restaurant on board, so if you fancy a healthy smoothie, cheeky croissant or a plate of sumptuous smoked salmon, you go for it!
5. A window seat is on another level
On a plane you’re either an aisle seat person or a window seat person (if you’re a middle seat person, you’re just plain weird!). On a train, it’s all about that window seat! Taking the train from London to Amsterdam, you pass through France and Belgium so just think of all the beautiful scenes flying past your window.
6. You can buy all of the stroopwafels that your heart desires
You can’t go to the Dam and not try a stroopwafel, it literally translates as "syrup waffle" and yes they are as good as they sound. If you’re flying to Amsterdam for a city break, you’ve likely only got hand luggage with you and therefore no room for the 8 or 10 boxes of stroopwafels that you NEED to bring back with you. Travel to Amsterdam on the train and you can have a whole extra suitcase of sugary goodness if that’s how you want to roll 😋
If you do find yourself on your way to Amsterdam and you’ve no idea what to get up to once you’ve eaten too many stroopwafel, be sure to check out these amazing activities and experiences.
