Trains to Amsterdam - a long wait in Brussels?

Savvy_Sue

JGB1955 said:

I think you need to allow 45 to 60 minutes before departure at Brussels Midi to go through passport control (on the London-bound part of your journey).

And I guess I need to check what the outbound checks are too. Ah Brexit, the gift that keeps on giving...

Grumpy_chap

Savvy_Sue said:

a couple of hours wait in Brussels - has anyone done this, and would we be able to leave our luggage anywhere and do a whistle stop explore? 

For a couple of hours wait (in Brussels or anywhere) I would probably find it all too much hassle to try to "explore" and would probably find everything just nicer and more relaxing by taking it more slowly.
No need to rush as first off the train platform.
No stress if there is any delay, either train delay, or queues to disembark / security / customs / passport
Of the two hours, how much earlier than the departure to Amsterdam do you need to be checking in again for the second train?
I think I'd really just say that there's a couple of hours, I can take my time and relax, not be stressed about finding my way around a locality I'm unfamiliar with and, if there is time to spare, take in a relaxing cuppa in a local cafe (inside or outside the station depending on time).  It is one of those things, the couple of hours will reduce to one hour anyhow once considering the exit time from first train and being ready for the second train - trying to find something "nice" to do in that hour could well end up rather more stressful than its worth.

Does the train ticket permit you to exit the rail system at Brussels or is it a through ticket that restricts you to staying "track-side"?

Alan_Bowen

Through trains to Amsterdam have never stopped running, 3 or 4 a day as usual. The problem has been the return journey as due to work on the platforms at Amsterdam Centraal Station, no check in has been available. Trains will begin operating through to London from February 2025 so no need to go anywhere in Brussels after that date, and frankly the area around Brussels Midi is not somewhere I would necessarily want to wander around

Savvy_Sue

lr1277 said:

I don't know if this gives you a viable alternative, but if you are not aware, Greater Anglia offer a Rail and Sail service to Amsterdam. Have never taken it, but I presume you would have to 'start' at a Greater Anglia station. Then you would get the train to the ferry and then the ferry to Amsterdam.

eDicky said:

lr1277 said:

I don't know if this gives you a viable alternative, but if you are not aware, Greater Anglia offer a Rail and Sail service to Amsterdam. Have never taken it, but I presume you would have to 'start' at a Greater Anglia station. Then you would get the train to the ferry and then the ferry to Amsterdam.

The Stena Line ferry arrives at Hoek van Holland, near Rotterdam, not to Amsterdam. 

Although it used to be possible to book a through ticket from London to Amsterdam (or other Dutch cities) with passage on the Harwich to Hook of Holland ferry, it seems to be no longer the case. Onward rail travel from the Dutch port can be separately arranged.

https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/tickets-fares/discounts/rail-and-sail-holland

I'm perhaps missing something but I don't seem to be able to include a rail journey on this side of the sea either. However, I feel the time involved on the ferry is going to rule this out, especially as I am an 'uncertain' sailor - paralysed by nausea on the Sharpness Canal, although I have since then survived a rough crossing to the Isle of Man and back.

The big issue looks like it's either getting to Harwich rather earlier than I'd like on the way over and later than I'd like on the way back, or night crossings, or a hotel. 

But thanks for the info! When I plan an all around Europe trip I'll bear this in mind!

Savvy_Sue

Alan_Bowen said:

Through trains to Amsterdam have never stopped running, 3 or 4 a day as usual. The problem has been the return journey as due to work on the platforms at Amsterdam Centraal Station, no check in has been available. Trains will begin operating through to London from February 2025 so no need to go anywhere in Brussels after that date, and frankly the area around Brussels Midi is not somewhere I would necessarily want to wander around

It's very odd, because the Eurostar site says that there are no direct trains from Amsterdam to London until next year (which I knew about), but it is not offering me any direct trains from London to Amsterdam, all have a change at Brussels, of varying lengths. Having squinted further at my screen, looks like the change (from some direct to all indirect) happens in March. What a shame we're not going until April ... 

And I can't see any direct returns in April either. So possibly doomed to make the change. 

BTW, I have looked at flights and might revert to those, trying to balance the stress of flying against the stress of changing trains mid-journey. And I am also aware of the FlixBus coach service, for which I read a review soon after it started, and thought "Nope, no way, no how ..."

Savvy_Sue

Thank you all, it's helped me think about the issues. Further discussion needed with DH ...

Emmia

Savvy_Sue said:

Alan_Bowen said:

Through trains to Amsterdam have never stopped running, 3 or 4 a day as usual. The problem has been the return journey as due to work on the platforms at Amsterdam Centraal Station, no check in has been available. Trains will begin operating through to London from February 2025 so no need to go anywhere in Brussels after that date, and frankly the area around Brussels Midi is not somewhere I would necessarily want to wander around

It's very odd, because the Eurostar site says that there are no direct trains from Amsterdam to London until next year (which I knew about), but it is not offering me any direct trains from London to Amsterdam, all have a change at Brussels, of varying lengths. Having squinted further at my screen, looks like the change (from some direct to all indirect) happens in March. What a shame we're not going until April ... 

And I can't see any direct returns in April either. So possibly doomed to make the change. 

BTW, I have looked at flights and might revert to those, trying to balance the stress of flying against the stress of changing trains mid-journey. And I am also aware of the FlixBus coach service, for which I read a review soon after it started, and thought "Nope, no way, no how ..."

I did a Flixbus last year from Rotterdam to Brussels due to rail engineering work, and it was fine... I'm not sure I'd do the service from London Victoria to Amsterdam though, too long on the coach.

Not sure where you'd fly from, but I'd recommend London City as substantially less stressful than Heathrow or Gatwick.

Savvy_Sue

Emmia said:

I did a Flixbus last year from Rotterdam to Brussels due to rail engineering work, and it was fine... I'm not sure I'd do the service from London Victoria to Amsterdam though, too long on the coach.

Not sure where you'd fly from, but I'd recommend London City as substantially less stressful than Heathrow or Gatwick.

IIRC, the Flixbus review was from Cambridge, and took 25 hours. Not even in my youth ... 

And I agree, London City would be our London airport of choice - to be fair it's a very long time since we've flown from Gatwick, don't think I've ever flown from Heathrow but they're just too big. I have said 'never again' to Stanstead but by train, from where we'd be in London, it's straightforward.

We flew somewhere else from Birmingham at silly o'clock in September, and that's close to a 'never again' because of the difficulty we had coming back! That was a compromise for meeting up with our holiday companion, who lives oop north.

So many decisions ... 

lr1277

I know your thread title says Trains but could you fly to Amsterdam?

According to the comments in this thread on Head for Points, KLM flies from between 15 and 17 regional UK airports to Amsterdam. There might be an airport closer to you than London City?

https://www.headforpoints.com/2024/11/25/vietnam-airlines-skyteam-status-match/comment-page-1/#comments

Ahh I have just read your last post stating you are starting from London. And you have already discussed flying in that post.

RAS

lr1277 said:

I don't know if this gives you a viable alternative, but if you are not aware, Greater Anglia offer a Rail and Sail service to Amsterdam. Have never taken it, but I presume you would have to 'start' at a Greater Anglia station. Then you would get the train to the ferry and then the ferry to Amsterdam.

The Harwich to Hook of Holland Stena ferry sometimes has a rail option that include all rail travel within the Netherlands on the day of arrival, and departure if wanted. I was coming from further afield, and went straight through to Maastricht, then wended my way back.