Amsterdam by Eurostar: Is it cheaper, faster and easier than flying?

People often think flying is the fastest and cheapest way to do a city break in Europe. The Eurostar is seen as a bougie way to get to your destination, plus there’s the perception it takes longer anyway.  

But that’s not always true. When our head of social, Anne, took the Eurostar to Amsterdam for a long weekend, she found it was actually cheaper and easier than taking a budget flight.  

Here’s how the trip compared on cost, time and convenience; and how PlusSave can help you save even more. 

The price: Eurostar vs budget flights 

Anne spent £150 for a return Eurostar ticket from London to Amsterdam. This included a small suitcase and a personal bag. There were no liquid limits and no surprise fees, making it easier to pack. Plus, on the way back, it made it easier to bring home lots of souvenirs from her trip.  

We checked low-cost airfare flight prices for the same sort of trip. A return flight from Gatwick cost around £145, but that fare only included a very small cabin bag the size of a backpack. Adding a small suitcase cost about £30 each way, pushing the total over £200. 

This doesn’t include the cost of getting to Gatwick or the cost of travelling from Amsterdam Airport into the city centre. With flights, you may also pay extra if you want to check in luggage or choose your seat. 

Time: the flight looks faster, but is it really?  

A flight from London to Amsterdam takes about one and a half hours. The Eurostar takes about 4 hours. So, it certainly looks like flying would save you a chunk of time. But when you add up everything around the flight, the time difference gets much smaller. 

Before flying you often need: 

• 2–3 hours at the airport for security and boarding 

• Time to travel to the airport  

• Time to transfer from Amsterdam Airport to the city centre  

• Time waiting for luggage on the other side if you checked any in, plus passport control checks  

With Eurostar, you only need to arrive at London St Pancras about 1 hour and 15 minutes before departure. You leave from the city centre and arrive in the city centre too. When you reach Amsterdam, there’s no passport control queue; you just get off and go because you’ve already completed all the necessary checks in London.  

Convenience: less hassle from start to finish 

Eurostar removes several stress points that come with flying. You don’t need to deal with small-bag restrictions, rushing to gates or airport security queues. You can bring more with you and walk straight onto the train. Anne arrived at Amsterdam Centraal, right in the heart of the city, ready to start exploring.  

Comfort: a calmer way to travel

Eurostar seats are bigger and have more legroom than standard economy plane seats. You can get up and walk around whenever you like. There’s a bar carriage where you can buy food and drinks. You can stretch your legs, look out the window and relax. The four hours go by a lot quicker than when you’re wedged in a tiny economy seat in between two strangers and can barely stretch your legs.

Saving even more with PlusSave 

If you’re a thinkmoney SmartPlus customer, you can save 5% on your Eurostar ticket through PlusSave’s discounted gift cards. For Anne’s £150 ticket, that would bring the cost down to £142.50 - enough of a saving to buy yourself a croissant and coffee on the train.  

Key takeaways  

• Anne spent £150 on a return Eurostar trip to Amsterdam for a long weekend. 

• A similar flight cost £145 but only included a small backpack; adding a suitcase pushed it over £200. 

• Eurostar includes more luggage, no liquid limits and simpler check-in, plus the train's more comfortable.

• Travel time is similar once you add airport waits, security and passport control, as well as transfers. 

• You leave from central London and arrive in central Amsterdam; no airport transfers needed.

• With PlusSave, SmartPlus customers can save an extra 5% on Eurostar tickets.