Eurostar to launch direct service from London to Amsterdam

Always fancied checking out the museums, canals and cafés of Amsterdam but didn't fancy the flight? Well, Eurostar has just announced a new direct service to the city - launching in 2016.

Eurostar has signed an agreement with the Dutch railways to launch the direct services between London and Amsterdam from December 2016.

The announcement was made on Monday by the Secretary of State for infrastructure and the environment as part of a package of measures to enhance the services on the Dutch high speed line and will be ratified by the Dutch Parliament over the coming months.

Eurostar has ambitions to encourage passengers to choose high speed rail over plane for short haul European travel. In the last year, it has introduced new services to the Swiss Alps and Provence in the South of France.

There will be two services a day between London and Amsterdam with journey times of around four hours. These services will run via Brussels to Amsterdam stopping at Antwerp, Rotterdam, Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam Central.

The high-speed link between the UK and the Netherlands will also give passengers possibilities to connect to a range of destinations in mainland Europe.

Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive of Eurostar, told Aol Travel: "With over three million passengers travelling by air between London and Amsterdam, this is one of Europe's most popular routes. Our fast, comfortable, point-to-point service will greatly enhance the links between the UK and the near continent, revolutionising travel between these important financial and tourist hubs."

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