5 Ways How To Get From London To Amsterdam

Are you looking for ways how to get from London to Amsterdam in the Netherlands? I have been to Amsterdam a number of times to visit my best friends and for a leisurely trip around Holland.

Amsterdam, the “Venice of the North,” is a vibrant travel destination that’s truly worth visiting. Don’t let its distance from London stop you from exploring this part of the Netherlands!

You can reach Amsterdam from London by train, coach, bus, flight, and ferry. The road distance between London and Amsterdam is 546.5 kilometres or 339.6 miles while the direct distance is 357 kilometres or 222 miles. It takes about 6 hours and 25 minutes to travel this distance by car. 

Wishing you can get to Amsterdam sooner. Let’s start by looking at all the available transport options that will take you there from London.

How to get from London to Amsterdam

OPTION 1: How to get from London to Amsterdam by Train

• Travel Duration: about 4 hours and  40 minutes
• Travel Fare: from £150

Riding a train from London to Amsterdam is a very convenient way to travel. The route is serviced by Eurostar which is a high-speed train operator that connects major cities in Europe. Their trains reach speeds of up to 186 mph or 300 km/h.

Eurostar will take you from London to Amsterdam, departing from London St Pancras International and arriving at Amsterdam Centraal. The train travel will not be direct; you will have to transfer once you reach Brussels-Midi in Belgium. From here, you can take a high-speed Thalys or Intercity train going to Amsterdam Central Station.

Here is a snapshot of train schedules for the London to Amsterdam route:

Train from London to Amsterdam

	DEPARTURE	ARRIVAL	DURATION	FARE
Earliest trip	9:01 am	3:14 pm	5 hours 13 minutes	£245
Fastest trip	3:04 pm	8:44 pm	4 hours 40 minutes	£219
Latest and cheapest trip	7:04 pm	8:35 am	12 hours 31 minutes	£150

You can easily book train tickets for your London to Amsterdam trip online via Omio. Be sure to book in advance so you can choose the best schedule that fits your personal itinerary.

The trains that you will be riding are equipped with amenities which include comfortable seating, charging outlets for your devices, Wi-Fi access, and food and drink services.

As this trip entails border crossing, make sure to be ready with your documents both in Brussels and in Amsterdam. There will be immigration and customs procedures that you need to fulfill in order to pass through by train.

OPTION 2: How to get from London to Amsterdam by Coach

• Travel Duration: about 10 hours and 40 minutes
• Travel Fare: from £45.14

If the train ride is too expensive for you and you would like to travel from Rome to Amsterdam economically, you can choose to ride a coach instead. This option is easily bookable online through Trainline. Just check out this sample timetable to give you a better understanding of the coach trip from London to Amsterdam:

Coach  from London to Amsterdam

	DEPARTURE	ARRIVAL	DURATION	FARE
Earliest and cheapest trip	12:20 am	12:00 pm	10 hours 40 minutes	£45.14
Latest trip	10:00 pm	11:50 am	12 hours 31 minutes	£66.80

Most bus trips are direct, with just a few requiring you to stop and transfer once you reach 

Den Haag Centraal. Flixbus services the London to Amsterdam route, leaving from London Victoria Coach Station and then arriving at Amsterdam Sloterdijk. 

If you manage to check the coach fares in advance, it is possible to get the fastest coach ride at its cheapest as well. It is also somehow more efficient to leave London during midnight and arrive in Amsterdam at lunchtime so that most of your time in the coach is spent resting as you normally would during that time.

Good thing the coaches of Flixbus are modern and comfortable – you are sure to have a pleasant journey from London to Amsterdam!

OPTION 3: How to get from London to Amsterdam by Bus

• Travel Duration: about 11 hours 
• Travel Fare: from £50

There are quite a lot of buses that go to Amsterdam from London under the brand Bla Bla Car, so there is a good possibility that this option can be your better bet. This not only saves you a lot of money but it also allows you to travel comfortably for a fraction of the usual price of a train ride.

Here are sample bookings that are posted both in Bla Bla Car and in Omio:

Bus from London to Amsterdam

	DEPARTURE	ARRIVAL	DURATION	FARE
Earliest trip	10:30 am	11:25 pm	11 hours 55 minutes	£60
Cheapest and fastest trip	7:30 pm	7:30 am	11 hours	£50
Latest trip	10:00 pm	2:05 pm	14 hours 5 minutes	£65

The Bla Bla Car Bus departs from London, Victoria Coach Station and arrives at Amsterdam, Piarcoplein Station. Some trips are direct while others require you to transfer once you reach Lille, Boulevard de Turin.

OPTION 4: How to get from London to Amsterdam by Flight

• Travel Duration: about 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Travel Fare: from £45

If you prefer flying, you can catch a flight from London when going to Amsterdam. EasyJet, KLM, and British Airways have daily flights which you can check out in Skyscanner. To have a better idea of their timings, here is a sample schedule of flights:

Flight from London to Amsterdam

	DEPARTURE	ARRIVAL	DURATION	FARE
Earliest trip	6:00 am	8:25 am	1 hour 25 minutes	£51
Fastest trip	11:45 am	1:50 pm	1 hour 5 minutes	£74
Cheapest trip	8:10 pm	10:20 pm	1 hour 10 minutes	£45
Latest trip	8:55 pm	11:05 pm	1 hour 10 minutes	£83

As you can see, it is way faster to get from London to Amsterdam by flying. It is also an economical way to do so, as long as you book your flight tickets in advance in order to score the most cost-efficient trips.

The flights from London depart from the following airports:

• London Gatwick Airport (LGW)
• London Luton Airport (LTN)
• London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
• London City Airport (LCY)
• London Stansted Airport (STN)
• London Southend Airport (SEN)

All flights arrive at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS.) The travel time takes less than one hour and 30 minutes to complete, but of course factor in the time you will consume for airport protocols when planning your itinerary. With that considered, flying is still the fastest way to get from London to Amsterdam.

OPTION 5: How to get from London to Amsterdam by Ferry

• Travel Duration: about 12 hours
• Travel Fare: from £116

If you wish to travel by sea, it is actually possible to take a ferry on your way to Amsterdam from London, but it will be a train and ferry ride combination. There are no direct ferries that will take you from London to Amsterdam.

To reach Amsterdam this way, first, you have to get to Harwich in Essex, England. This is where a ferry departs for the Hook of Holland. You can ride a train that departs from London Liverpool Street and arrives at Harwich International or Doverport. These train stations are the nearest to where you can catch the ferry service of the Stena Line. This trip is not direct; you will have to transfer once you reach Manningtree.

Here is how this leg looks like:

Train from London to Harwich

	DEPARTURE	ARRIVAL	DURATION	FARE
Earliest trip	6:00 am	7:18 am	1 hour 18 minutes	£10
Fastest trip	9:00 am	10:16 pm	1 hour 16 minutes	£10
Latest trip	10:30 pm	11:57 pm	1 hour 27 minutes	£10

From Harwich International Port, you will ride a ferry that will take you to the Hook of Holland. This journey takes around 8 hours to complete and costs £82. Because the trip is quite long, make sure to guarantee yourself a cabin or comfortable seat.

From Hook of Holland, there is a regional train that goes to Rotterdam Centraal Station. The cost for a one-way ticket is about £7, with the journey lasting for about 2 hours. 

Rotterdam Centraal is where you will catch a direct train to Amsterdam Centraal. Below is a sample timetable of trips for this leg:

Train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam

	DEPARTURE	ARRIVAL	DURATION	FARE
Earliest trip	12:12 am	1:25 am	1 hour 13 minutes	£17
Fastest trip	8:05 am	8:44 am	39 minutes	£22
Latest trip	11:42 pm	12:55 am	1 hour 13 minutes	£17

After completing this train ride, you finally arrive in Amsterdam!

More About Amsterdam, Netherlands

• Want to know more about Amsterdam’s location? I wrote an article for that, along with some fun facts that make this city even more interesting than it already is. Fun fact: did you know that Amsterdam is home to many world-renowned museums?
• I listed down all the best things to do in Amsterdam, including going on an Amsterdam canal cruise, visiting various Dutch museums in Museumplein, and embarking on a satisfying Dutch food trip.
• Amsterdam has many interesting neighborhoods. One of them is De Pijp which is a true food lover’s paradise. I wrote a simple guide about each neighborhood that you can use on your visit there. 
• Wondering if you should get the IAmsterdam card for your travel there? I think it is totally worth it! Here is my honest review of IAmsterdam.
• Get Your Guide has all the best tour packages for Amsterdam. Whether it is a classic boat cruise or a Van Gogh Museum tour, you are sure to find the activities that suit your preference.

FAQs on How to Get from London to Amsterdam