Amsterdam to London post cruise, Eurostar won’t be running!

[Globaliser]

22 minutes ago, onyx007 said:

And that you have direct trains from Amsterdam to London has started just recently when Eurostar bought Talys, before that you always had to change...

 

Which is why so few people travelled by train from Amsterdam to London before there were direct trains (which I think were being introduced independently of the Eurostar/Thalys merger, which happened to have been announced at about the same time).

 

Obviously, if you choose not to fly then you'll have to take other transport even if takes longer and is more inconvenient.

[CruiseSter1ing]

On 2/12/2024 at 9:02 AM, onyx007 said:

Many people don't like to fly for different reasons...And that you have direct trains from Amsterdam to London has started just recently when Eurostar bought Talys, before that you always had to change...

We definitely concur with @onyx007 .  When I consider the process of getting to the airport early, then security, then the risk of not getting our carryon bag on the plane because of space or size, the plane is just more stress.  Then there's the risk of it not leaving on time.  I don't want to fly on the small KLM City aircraft.  From the port to the train station via the Tram is only 15-20 minutes.  And then we're on, shortly after.  I feel more relaxed on the train.  Yes, we have to go through immigration off platform, and then connect to next train.  But that's not that bad.  We have musical tickets for two shows in London.  But neither is on the day our train arrives.

Edited February 13 by CruiseSter1ing

[Cotswold Eagle]

On 2/12/2024 at 5:24 PM, Globaliser said:

direct trains (which I think were being introduced independently of the Eurostar/Thalys merger,

Yes, I’m sure this is correct - the critical path was the opening of the (small) Eurostar terminal at Amsterdam, which is what is being replaced later in the year.  

[Cotswold Eagle]

3 hours ago, CruiseSter1ing said:

Yes, we have to go through immigration off platform, and then connect to next train.  But that's not that bad.

Have you done this connection before? As I said upthread, it can be a scramble and once when I did it a lot of people were getting very anxious and stressed on a delayed arrival from the Netherlands.
 
You have to check-in, which nominally has to be done at least 30 minutes before departure, clear two passport controls (Schengen outbound, UK inbound) and a luggage scan security check. It’s fine, and probably hundreds of people do it every day, but it’s sometimes not quite as straightforward as you made it sound 😀

[Globaliser]

14 hours ago, CruiseSter1ing said:

Then there's the risk of it not leaving on time.

 

Ah, that never happens on trains. And there's no possibility of a misconnection. How silly of me to have forgotten all that.

 

10 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

... but it’s sometimes not quite as straightforward as you made it sound 😀

 

Especially if the Eurostar website seems not to allow you to book a through journey with anything other than the shortest (and riskiest) possible connection at Brussels. For examples, see earlier in this thread.

[CruiseSter1ing]

On 2/14/2024 at 2:29 AM, Globaliser said:

 

Ah, that never happens on trains. And there's no possibility of a misconnection. How silly of me to have forgotten all that.

 

 

Especially if the Eurostar website seems not to allow you to book a through journey with anything other than the shortest (and riskiest) possible connection at Brussels. For examples, see earlier in this thread.

The Eurostar site allows a through ticket now.  But it did not until after we had already booked.  The Through ticket was also cheaper.  Oh well, so much for advance planning.  I contacted them about rebooking, but we bought the non-refundable tickets to save money.

[bookbabe]

Been reading the various threads on this topic, and just got curious because I hadn’t seen it mentioned.  Why aren’t the London to Amsterdam trains also cancelled during the station remodel project?  Or are they, and I’ve just misread the info?

 

[Globaliser]

11 minutes ago, bookbabe said:

Why aren’t the London to Amsterdam trains also cancelled during the station remodel project?  Or are they, and I’ve just misread the info?

 

The most relevant work at Amsterdam Centraal is on the terminal that houses immigration, customs and security clearance for Amsterdam to London traffic. Without those facilities there, there can't be any direct Amsterdam to London traffic.

 

In the other direction, those steps are done in London before boarding, so at Amsterdam passengers simply alight from the train and exit the station. This is why direct services can still operate in that direction, although there will be fewer than normal during the planned 6-month period.

 

Of course, the trains themselves still have to go back to London. So in the Amsterdam to London direction, the trains will operate conventionally to Brussels. Then they become cross-border services from Brussels to London, carrying passengers who have cleared immigration, customs and security at Brussels.