Eurostar vs Plane: KLM competes against a high-speed train in a race from London to Amsterdam

Eurostar has announced a fourth direct train service from London St. Pancras to Amsterdam, which means more people can reach the Dutch Capital convenient and convenient.

It is also a more environmentally friendly way to travel compared to flying. A Eurostar journey emits up to 93 percent less CO2 than air travel, with the carbon footprint of one flight being the equivalent of up to 13 Eurostar journeys. But is it faster? This is the key question for many travelers.

Two travel experts from The Points Guy UK (TPG) filmed an intriguing race between said Eurostar and a KLM flight from London City Airport to the famous canal-crossed Citadel to find out, with the plane overtaking the train to the ‘finish line’ – Dam Square – in just 15 minutes.

The Points Guy UK’s Nicky Kelvin and Liam Spencer filmed a fascinating race between a Eurostar and a KLM flight from London City Airport to Amsterdam. Nicky and Liam are pictured at the top of London Bridge, the starting line

THE PLANE

The Hopper flight option was put to the test by Liam Spencer, who charged £270 for his trip to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol plus £3.60 for a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) journey to London City Airport and £4.87 for a Train from Schiphol to London paid central Amsterdam.

That starting point of the race was London Bridge and Liam went to the bank from there to get DLR.

He described getting to City Airport as “super easy” and explained that it is “by far the most convenient airport to fly into when you’re close to central London”.

The Hopper Flight option was tested by Liam Spencer, who paid £270 for his trip to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. His plane is pictured above at London City Airport

Liam described the flight as “extremely quick and comfortable”.

He said the flight itself was “extremely quick and comfortable” and that although the crew was only in the air for 45 minutes, “the crew still finds time to bring each passenger a drink and a snack.”

After landing, the last leg of his journey was supported by Schiphol Airport, which led directly to Schiphol train station.

From there he took a Sprinter train to Amsterdam Centraal, five to ten minutes from Dam Square.

Any cons of the trip?

Liam described £270 as “quite expensive for such a short one-way flight” – and revealed the flight took off around 15 minutes after the scheduled departure time. “I was lucky that I didn’t lose the race as a result,” he said.

EUROSTAR

Nicky paid £299 for a first class Business Premier ticket on a Eurostar (above) from London St Pancras

Nicky (above) described the Eurostar’s food and drink offering as “solid”.

Nicky Kelvin, Head of The Points Guy UK piloted the aircraft to Amsterdam Centraal on a high speed Eurostar service.

He paid £299 for a first-class Business Premier ticket and £2.50 for a tube journey to King’s Cross St Pancras.

He appreciated being able to relax in the lounge in the Eurostar terminal, describing the train as “incredibly comfortable”, adding that it was “spacious and the food and drink offerings are solid”.

Another benefit was arriving “in the middle of Amsterdam, having already passed through customs and immigration in London”. It’s “wonderfully efficient and practical,” he added.

Any cons?

Nicky said: “The train to Amsterdam goes via Brussels and is quite long at three hours 55 minutes, especially when compared to flight times that are well under an hour.

“And there are limited direct train services between London and Amsterdam.”

From September, however, with the additional train, the Eurostar will have capacity to carry up to 3,600 people per day between London and the Netherlands, the equivalent of 18 air journeys.

The competition for companies like KLM is getting hotter.

Click here to view the full video from TPG UK here. Sign up for more travel tips and tricks The Points Guy UK.

Liam and Nicky at Amsterdam’s Dam Square – the ‘finish line’. Nicky (Zug) lost the race by just 15 minutes