We would like to go to Holland and Belgium this summer. We're considering flying into London for a few days, then traveling to Amsterdam. I'm sure that if I was British, I'd know the "best" way to get from London to Amsterdam...plane on a low cost airline? Channel tunnel, then train?

Although I'd like help with this particular issue, I'd also like to know if there is a web site or other resource (other than you terrific people) that helps one figure out the most effecient way to travel from one European destination to another.

London to Amsterdam then the channel tunnel is not the best option (too far south to be convenient. If you are going to Belgium then OK. Eurostar will take you by train through the xhannel tunnel to Belgium.

Low cost airlines to Amsterdam are a good bet, try routes from London Stansted or London City airport.

There is an overnight "boat train" service which leaves London Liverpool Street train station, takes you to Harwich for a ferry crossing to the Hook of Holland and connecting train to Amsterdam.

Since you said you are looking for the most efficient way and you are going to Belgium and Holland -

Fly into London
Eurostar to Brussels and connect to wherever you are going in Belgium (Eurostar is quicker and easier than flying if you count check in, cutsoms, etc., plus a ticket to Brussels on Eurostar is good for any Belgium destination at no additional cost)
After staying in Belgium train to Amsterdam.

If you strictly want to get from London to Amsterdam directly, flying is your best option. BA has lots of choices from Heathrow or Gatwick. Easy Jet from Gatwick, Stansted, or Luton. You can book now to get the cheap seats - possibly cheaper than Eurostar. Heathrow is the easiest airport to get to but the flights are more expensive.

I don't know of an efficient travel website - I just check BA, easyjet, and eurostar websites directly to see cost and times. Check http://bahn.hafas.de/bin/query.exe/en
for your rail times.

In my opinion the plane is the best option - it's only a short hop and the fares are cheap.

Your other options are the eurostar - which is quick to brussells but after that becomes a slow trek on the slow local train that stops EVERYWHERE to Hamsterjam. You can upgrade to a fast train (the "Thalys" service) but i don't know how easy that is from London.

The cheapest option is the coach but you haven't got time for that.

driving also takes time as you have to go on a ferry.

Flying is cheaper and faster. I'd definitely try to fly out of London City. It is right IN London and you wouldn't have to schlepp out to Stansted, Luton or Heathrow.

If "efficient" means low cost in your lexicon, then http://www.dutchflyer.co.uk is your best choice.

Eurostar trains go from London to Brussels, taking about 2 hours 20 minutes. From there to Amsterdam, Thalys trains take 2 hrs 41 mins, or the cheaper, more frequent Intercity trains take 2 hrs 58 mins, so there is very little difference on this route between Thalys and ordinary trains.

A 2 hour 20 minute train to Brussels (then doing the Belgium part first) seems quicker than arriving at Gatwick three hours before the flight to check luggage, go through security, etc, board the plane, then claim luggage, go through customs, etc. in Holland. However, I've never taken a train from one country to another. At what point does one go through passport control (and I assume, customs for non-EU residents)? What kind of long lines might I expect when going the Eurostar route?

>However, I've never taken a train from one country to another. At what point does one go through passport control (and I assume, customs for non-EU residents)?

There are no "customs" at all. You are leaving on EU country for another.
At Eurostar the passport control is on the entrance to the platform.

>What kind of long lines might I expect when going the Eurostar route?

You are supposed to arrive 1/2 to 3/4 hour before departure.
But in this case Eurostar is an exception. There is no requirement to be there in advance of the departure on any other train route in Europe.

So assuming there is not a long line at passport control, boarding the Eurostar would be a lot (!) quicker than boarding a plane?

Ayep. We've done it practically without stopping ten minutes before departure. Nobody in front of us, and minimal bureaucratic delay. The 2nd class line moved only a little slower.

The advice now is to allow 30 minutes for check-in, etc., for Eurostar. As far as I recall, French passport officers check at Waterloo - I don't recall for sure, but I suspect the passport check for Belgium might happen on the train or at Brussels (since there is no other stop in Belgium).

I would always have flown, especially now I live so close to London City airport, but the train option via Brussels seems to me to take only a couple of hours longer than flying, door to door, and I might investigate that for my next trip to Amsterdam.

Patrick:

Are you having a senior moment? You go through Schengen passports at Waterloo, and that's it.

Belgians might, if there's some complication, impose some other check. But the whole point of that silly Schengen thing all those continentals are messing about with is that, once a non-European goes through their common external border, they don't see another passport control person for the whole of the four and a half milliseconds that bunch of xenophobes allow non-Europeans to stay on their territory without a visa.

Unless, of course, the Frogs are having one of their hissy fits. Or the Krauts want to check passengers from Amsterdam. Or whatever.

But straightforward London-Brussels trains: no controls after Waterloo. And that's Waterloo, Greater London.

Also note your bags will have to go through x-ray. Plus the Eurostar train is long. I would give yourself 30 minutes to go through x-ray, have passport stamped, and walk to your train car, which sometimes is a long walk. I have made it in 10 minutes but had to run. All in all it is much less time than checking in for a flight.

On the Thalys you just show up and get on like any other train. No need to arrive early and check in. But I think you may need a seat reservation. . . you may want to check that out.

missypie
One more thing - the earlier you buy your Eurostar ticket, the cheaper it will be. I believe they go on sale 90 days in advance.