Amsterdam Eurostar

[AlexNL]

In Brussels the enforced transfer times make sense, as the Eurostar terminal is separate from the rest of the station and it can be quite a long walk from the rearmost coach to the exit (at the front of the train).

In Rotterdam and Amsterdam there are multiple exit points on the platform and it should be possible to reach any connection in 5 minutes.

 

[FQTV]

My tickets to Amsterdam on the direct service also, oddly, show an arrival time of 13:32 and one connection.

The ‘connection’ is 13:12 to 13:32 : walk : Amsterdam Eurostar > Amsterdam Centraal.

 

[MarcVD]

There is a second exit more or less half-train in Brussels too. Was closed during the security crisis but back open now.

 

[StephenHunter]

There is a second exit more or less half-train in Brussels too. Was closed during the security crisis but back open now.

That's correct. You can change trains in a couple of minutes if you're fast enough.

 

[TheSeeker]

The story about changing at Brussels for the return leg reminds me of flying Brussels -> London City -> Isle of Man. I seem to remember that London City doesn't support transfers so everyone goes back outside and then back in again through customs and security check. Once another passenger and I had landed late from the Isle of Man and we were escorted across the tarmac directly to the plane leaving for Brussels.

 

[leshuttle]

Deutsche Bahn Journey planner incorrectly indicating direct option for the return journeys from Amsterdam/Rotterdam-London it seems at the moment.

 

[bunnahabhain]

Eurostar now selling tickets for alighting in Brussels from London on the Amsterdam services, as they should have been in the first place!

 

[AlexNL]

My assumption is that they withheld those tickets for a bit so that people wanting to be on the first services to Amsterdam had a fair chance of actually buying tickets for those trains.

 

[bunnahabhain]

Even though Brussels to Amsterdam tickets were also on sale? No I think it was overlooked judging by the multiple responses that contradicted themselves I received.

 

[AlexNL]

But London to Brussels is an established market, so it's likely that regulars book tickets like they do so often. You can only sell a seat once, it wouldn't surprise me if Eurostar preferred to give newcomers a chance at snapping up cheap Amsterdam tickets before the seats sell out.

 

[bunnahabhain]

In their own press releases, advertising and timetable it was advertised as speeding up the Brussels journey time on selected services. It always seemed to me to be the plan to offer it, it just didn't seem to be implemented until it was pointed out to them.

I queried it, and was told I couldn't book it because its a direct Amsterdam service.
I showed them their own timetable and press releases and was told they were sorry for any confusion caused.
I told them NS International and DB had the tickets for those services available, and was told they'd get back to me.
When they did get back I was told the tickets would be available closer to the departure date for all Amsterdam services. They've now appeared for the first 5 days of the service and I presume that's because they're reselling seats sold from Brussels onwards. Yet again we have a headline journey time that is almost unbookable for the majority of passengers.

 

[williamn]

Trying to travel Rotterdam to London on Sat 19 May and its crazy expensive - £125 one way! Anyone know why? Also, why is the 10.56 Brussels to London train that is shown as part of a Rotterdam to London through trip not showing as bookable from Brussels only? (Was trying to work out if split tickets would be cheaper).

It seems crazy to pay that much when its only £35 on the way out! Even as a train nut £125 is enough to make me start looking at flying.

 

[paolo]

I noticed this when I was booking back on the 22nd.

All the returns on the ‘official’ Eurostar route were hugely expensive, vs the outbound London>Amsterdam which were all at £35.

(I ended up choosing the super slow option (not even Thalys). I’ll stop en route for a few hours and explore, make a day of it)

 

[williamn]

Hmm, I can't help but think that this might be how they make it work economically! As I understand the charges imposed by Eurotunnel are around the 35 pound mark, so they can't be making ANY money off those fares.

 

[DavidGrain]

Someone has mentioned that Any Netherlands station does not seem to be available if trying to book on the Amsterdam Eurostar. This reminded me that the only time I have booked one of these tickets was when I went to Maastricht, I was issued a ticket to Amsterdam Centraal. The comment I got from the guard on the Brussels Maastrciht train was that I was obviously taking the long way round. I had no comment about it on the return journey.

 

[alex397]

I have my £35 ticket booked from St. Pancras to Amsterdam in the summer! Really looking forward to it. I do hope it will stop at Ashford in the future, as I live in Canterbury, so I travel past Ashford to get to St. Pancras! I haven't travelled from St. Pancras on the Eurostar before though, so don't mind this time.

But, i'll be flying back to LCY from Amsterdam though - I wasn't keen on that long return journey!

 

[williamn]

Excited to have booked my £35 ticket to Rotterdam. Unfortunately flying back as I wasn't going to pay £135 single on the train!

 

[Groningen]

What has gone unnoticed here is that Prorail or what ever organization is planning to bring back the traintracks at Amsterdam Centraal from 15 to 9 tracks (some have no platform; freighttracks) to widen the platforms. They are talking to move all international travel to Amsterdam Zuid. I am not sure if you have ever been there but is like Canary Wharf. In the middle of nowhere between the A10 highway. Tracks at Zuid should go from 4 to 6. But an Eurostar train is quite a long one. Must be a very long platform than.

 

[DavidGrain]

What has gone unnoticed here is that Prorail or what ever organization is planning to bring back the traintracks at Amsterdam Centraal from 15 to 9 tracks (some have no platform; freighttracks) to widen the platforms. They are talking to move all international travel to Amsterdam Zuid. I am not sure if you have ever been there but is like Canary Wharf. In the middle of nowhere between the A10 highway. Tracks at Zuid should go from 4 to 6. But an Eurostar train is quite a long one. Must be a very long platform than.

I was on a train through Amsterdam Zuid a few months ago which did not give me time to look at the layout there but I was aware that tram line 5 and metro line 51 share tracks from Zuid to Amstelveen. I know that there are plans to make significant changes in this area to cater for much increased passenger numbers over the next few years. The works will include the rebuiling of the A10 ring road. Stopping the Eurostars there must be in the future planning but hopefully not the same fate as befell Stratford International with no International trains.

 

[Groningen]

Metro line 51 will even be extended to Uithoorn (south of Amstelveen), but that is something outside this topic.

 

[Birkonian]

I've been waiting for September tickets to be released but the latest date has been stuck on 31/08 for some time now. The pessimist in me wonders if the £35 fare will disappear when further dates are released.
BTW the Eurostar website is now advertising Rotterdam as a destination.

 

[k-c-p]

Eurostar has suspended sales of Amsterdam tickets for some dates as the timetable are not fixed yet due to track work in the Netherlands (https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en/travel-info/service-information/eurostar-travel-updates)

For instance in September:

Over the next few months, some services will be altered on our new route to and from Amsterdam:
...
Saturday 1 September to Sunday 2 September

We’re not selling any tickets between Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam until the timetable for this weekend has been confirmed.

 

[leshuttle]

The indirect Eurostar connections on the return leg between Amsterdam and Rotterdam don't yet appear to be presented as an option unless you book the journey leg separately on Eurostar.com. Instead it's default booking on Thalys which although shorter overall time makes for a just sufficient but tighter connection time in Brussels.

 

[StephenHunter]

What's the Dutch equivalent of champagne? Because I'm wondering what they'll do for the official launch this coming week.

 

[MisterT]

I don't want to spoiler it, but it is not champagne.
Well, there might champagne of course, but that is not the welcome gift.
When you really want to know, you'll have to find the export product in which the Netherlands is the world leader
And maybe not surpisingly, that product will be in the NS colours

 

[DavidGrain]

What's the Dutch equivalent of champagne? Because I'm wondering what they'll do for the official launch this coming week.

I think it should be Jenever, That is Gin in Dutch

 

[stut]

When you really want to know, you'll have to find the export product in which the Netherlands is the world leader
And maybe not surpisingly, that product will be in the NS colours

Yellow and blue? Please tell me they're not serving advocaat and blue bols.

 

[johnnychips]

Yellow and blue? Please tell me they're not serving advocaat and blue bols.

Yellow and blue? Gouda cheese that’s gone off a bit.

 

[eastwestdivide]

When it's spring again /
I'll bring again /
xxx from Amsterdam.

Surely they come in blue and yellow?

 

[fowler9]

I'm going to guess at Delft pottery. I know KLM give it as a gift in First Class. Plus I think it is normally blue.

Or flowers as has already been said.