Coming soon: Direct Eurostar service from Amsterdam to London
On Tuesday, Eurostar launched its first-ever direct rail service from the Netherlands to the U.K. on its route from Amsterdam to London. Tuesday's first journey was just a test run but is scheduled to launch for paying passengers on April 30.
Since 2018, Eurostar has operated in the opposite direction from London to Amsterdam. But, due to regulations and border restrictions, passengers taking the return route from Amsterdam to London had to disembark a Thalys-operated train in Brussels, clear customs and then get on to a Eurostar train to complete the journey to the U.K.
Related reading: Second cities: The best destinations to visit from Amsterdam
Once the route officially launches with passenger service in April, travelers can expect to complete the entire journey on a Eurostar train. Instead of a transfer, customs will be cleared at the train's first stop in Rotterdam before continuing the journey to London via Brussels.
The direct train means slashed journey times, too, taking around four hours and nine minutes at its quickest. Currently, it can take up to six and a half hours.
The independent reports that the schedule for the twice-daily trains will be as follows:
- Amsterdam Centraal 7:48 a.m. Departure ⇒ London St. Pancras 10:57 a.m. Arrival
- Amsterdam Centraal 6:48 p.m. Departure ⇒ London St. Pancras 9:57 p.m. Arrival
Both services will run daily Monday to Friday, with Saturdays seeing only the morning service and Sundays only the evening. Eurostar plans to eventually increase the service to three daily and eventually four daily.
Once tickets for the route go on sale on Feb. 11, tickets will start at £35 (about $45) each way.
Eurostar hopes that the introduction of this direct route back to the U.K. will create an environmentally friendly alternative, rather than passengers taking a flight between the two cities.
The news comes after an announcement in late 2019 that the train company is planning on connecting the U.K. with more direct links to European destinations like Germany.
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month