Getting from Amsterdam to London: Plane, Train, Ferry, or Bus

Amsterdam and London get strung together on a lot of European trips, and you have four real ways to cover the gap. The big change since this page was first written: you no longer need to change trains in Brussels. Direct Eurostar trains now run from Amsterdam Centraal to London St Pancras, and for most people they're the best option. Everything below works in reverse for London to Amsterdam too.

Which option should you pick?

• Train if you want the easiest door-to-door trip: about four hours, center to center.
• Plane if you find a cheap fare and don't mind airport time: about an hour in the air, plus a lot more on either end.
• Ferry if you like the idea of sleeping your way across the North Sea.
• Bus if price matters more than time.

Train: direct Eurostar

Direct Eurostar trains leave Amsterdam Centraal several times a day, stop at Rotterdam, and pull into London St Pancras International a little over four hours later. Eurostar lists the direct trip at 4 hours 19 minutes (the clock only moves three hours and change, because the UK is an hour behind). You can also change in Brussels, which takes about the same time and is useful when the direct trains are full or expensive.

Fares work like airline fares. The cheapest one-way Standard seats start around £51 according to Seat61 (Eurostar advertises from $55, as of 2026), and they climb fast as the train fills. Bookings open months ahead, so book as soon as your dates are firm. Standard includes two bags and access to the café car. Plus and Premier add more space and a meal.

What to know before you go:

• You go through security and UK passport control in Amsterdam before boarding. Eurostar asks for at least 30 minutes, and Seat61 suggests 60 to 90 minutes when it's busy. The Amsterdam terminal was rebuilt and reopened in February 2025 with room for far more passengers.
• Most visitors to the UK, including Americans, Canadians, Australians and EU citizens, now need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before they travel. It costs £20 on the official site. Apply there, not through lookalike sites that charge extra.
• St Pancras is on six Underground lines, so you're in central London the moment you step off.

Plane: fast in the air, slow on the ground

Flights take about an hour and ten minutes, and there are lots of them. KLM and British Airways fly from Schiphol to Heathrow, KLM also serves London City, and easyJet is the only airline flying nonstop to Luton and to Gatwick. Prices swing wildly with the date and how early you book, and the cheapest airline isn't always the cheapest trip once you add bags.

The catch is everything around the flight. You need to get to Schiphol (the train from Centraal takes about 15 minutes), arrive early for security, then get from your London airport into town. Heathrow and London City are the easiest. Gatwick and Luton add a train or bus ride and cost. Hotel door to hotel door, flying often takes as long as the train. Every passenger departing a Dutch airport also pays the Dutch air passenger tax, €30.25 in 2026, built into the fare. Our Schiphol Airport guide covers the airport end.

Ferry and train: Stena Line via Hook of Holland

This option doesn't occur to many people, and it's a nice way to travel. Stena Line sails between Hoek van Holland and Harwich, and a train from Harwich runs into London Liverpool Street.

Getting to the port has changed. The old train line to the Hook became part of the Rotterdam metro in 2019, so you now take an Intercity from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiedam Centrum and switch to metro line B to Hoek van Holland Haven, next to the terminal. Stena's Rail & Sail ticket doesn't include this Dutch part, so pay for it separately by tapping in and out with a contactless card.

According to Seat61's timetable:

• Night sailing: leaves Hoek van Holland at 22:00 and reaches Harwich at 06:30, with a morning train into Liverpool Street before 9am. Everyone sleeps in a private cabin with its own shower and toilet, and the cabin is compulsory. Check-in closes at 21:15.
• Day sailing: leaves at 14:15 (13:45 on Sundays) and reaches Harwich at 19:45. Cabins are optional.

Stena's Dutchflyer Rail & Sail fare, which covers the ferry and the Greater Anglia train, starts at £75.30 one-way (as of 2026), plus the cabin on the night boat. It's not the cheapest option, but you save a night's hotel and wake up in England. Stena says every passenger needs a valid passport at check-in from 28 September 2026.

Bus: FlixBus

The Eurolines bus this page used to recommend is gone. FlixBus now dominates the route, with around nine departures a day and a trip time of about 8 hours 45 minutes. Buses leave from several Amsterdam stops, including Sloterdijk station and Bijlmer ArenA, and arrive at Victoria Coach Station and other London stops.

FlixBus advertises fares from about $46 (as of 2026), rising as seats sell. Overnight departures save a hotel night if you can sleep sitting up. The buses have Wi-Fi, power outlets and a toilet, and you get one carry-on and one checked bag. Expect a stop at the Channel crossing for passport checks, and leave slack in your plans for delays there.

If London and Amsterdam are part of a bigger trip

If you're flying in from outside Europe, you don't have to fly in and out of the same city. Fly into London, take the train to Amsterdam, and fly home from somewhere else. BootsnAll's sister company AirTreks has been building multi-stop and round-the-world tickets since 1987, and this sample route does exactly that:

Heading on from Amsterdam instead? We have guides for Amsterdam to Paris, Amsterdam to Brussels and Amsterdam to Berlin.

FAQ

Is the train or the plane faster from Amsterdam to London?

The flight is shorter, but once you add the trip to Schiphol, security and the ride in from a London airport, the direct Eurostar is usually as fast or faster from city center to city center.

Do I need a passport for the Eurostar?

Yes. The UK isn't in the Schengen area, so you clear passport control in Amsterdam before boarding, and most non-British and non-Irish travelers also need a UK ETA.

What's the cheapest way from Amsterdam to London?

Usually FlixBus, if you book ahead. An early-booked Eurostar or budget flight can come close, so compare all three for your dates.

Now that you know you're coming: look at flights to Amsterdam, Amsterdam hotels and hostels in Amsterdam.