Eurostar

ONE train station that sees over 167,000 passengers each day will completely close next week.

Due to essential works, no trains will run to or from Amsterdam Centraal on October 3 – this includes Eurostar services to and from St Pancras.

The train station that serves the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands is about to undergo ‘vital’ rail works.

As a result it will be closed for one full day on October 3 with schedules significantly reduced on the two following days between October 4-5.

The upgrades include connecting new tracks around Amsterdam Centraal to the rail network.

ProRail’s construction manager Wai Ko explained: “We are adapting the station step by step so that there will be more space for passengers and trains in the future.

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“Over the weekend of October 3, together with contractor Dura Vermeer, we will connect track 11a to the rail network. We will also disconnect track 14a.

“That involves a great deal of visible work, such as physically joining the tracks, as well as a great deal of work that passengers never see.”

Other works taking place will be ‘invisible’, held within the signalling systems in technical rooms and at the traffic-control center.

It’s likely to cause major disruption over the weekend considering that Amsterdam Centraal is the second-busiest railway station in the Netherlands and one of the busiest in Europe.

As a result of the engineering works, Eurostar has said that there will be no trains between St Pancras and Amsterdam between October 3-5.

On its website, Eurostar apologised for the disruption.

On Saturdays there are typically three direct Eurostar routes to Amsterdam Centraal and 15 indirect routes from London St Pancras.

There are also the same number of services between Amsterdam and London.

On Sundays there are usually four direct routes and nine indirect journeys with the same from Amsterdam to London.

Eurostar usually has five direct Amsterdam services on Monday and nine indirect services – on the return are typically five direct trains and six indirect.

Eurostar’s services to Rotterdam will remain unaffected.

If you were due to travel to Amsterdam on these dates – these are the options provided by Eurostar…

Eurostar has provided the following options for those affected by Amsterdam Centraal’s closure between October 3-5…

• Use your ticket to get on or off your train at the station before or after your cancelled stop if your planned journey is only partially disrupted.

• Exchange your booking for free to travel in the same travel class at a different time or date. It only takes a minute to rearrange your trip.

• Cancel your booking and claim an e-voucher. You will have 12 months from the date of your disrupted journey to redeem it on eurostar.com.

• Cancel your booking and get a refund. You’ll receive a refund for the value of your ticket but not for any booking or exchange fees. We’ll process your request within 28 days.

You have three months from the date you were due to travel to claim your preferred option.

The announcement late last year that the iconic train company would start running double-decker trains across its network from 2031 was big news for those of us who love the towering carriages found in Italy, France and Spain

Eurostar’s new-look trains will feature two-storey bars, maximizing passenger capacity and Continental drinking opportunities.

The announcement late last year that the iconic train company would start running double-decker trains across its network from 2031 was big news for those of us who love the towering carriages found in Italy, France and Spain, but never in the UK. The height of UK tunnels means we’re stuck trundling around on lower-capacity, single-storey trains.

Except that is on the high-speed line from London to mainland Europe, which is perfectly capable of taking taller trains, a la France’s TGV Duplex, Switzerland’s SBB IR Dosto and Germany’s DB IC2.

Eurostar’s double-decker announcement last year was exciting enough, but now the Belgium-headquartered firm has announced that its new Celestia trains will feature two-storey bars as its “star attraction”. A Eurostar spokesperson told Euronews Travel: “The name Celestia means ‘heavenly’, reflecting the idea behind the double-decker bar: to create a travel experience beyond the ordinary.”

Eurostar has ordered 30 Celestia trains, with the first scheduled to begin service in May 2031. As well as sporting the bar, the classic blue, grey, and yellow livery that high-speed train fans have become used to seeing whizzing through the countryside will be replaced by a new, more understated grey and green. Their capacity will also be increased.

A Eurostar spokesperson explained: “Eurostar Celestia will have a bespoke design to capture the unique, premium experience Eurostar passengers expect. It is expected that each 200-metre set will have around 540 seats. If running in 400m formation (as through the channel tunnel today), there would be around 1,080 seats per service, a 20% increase from today.

“The first trains are due to join the fleet in January 2031, with commercial services launching in May 2031. Six new trains will be operational at that time, marking the beginning of a new era for travel on board Eurostar Celestia. Once delivered, the new trains will operate alongside the current fleet of 17 e320s, bringing the total fleet to 67 trains – a 30% uplift overall versus today.”

The train company has pledged that the new trains will offer 20 to 50% energy savings compared to the current fleet.

Eurostar is upping its game ahead of the arrival of a potential competitor on the rails. In August, Virgin was granted track access by the Office of Rail and Road, having announced plans to run a rival rail service to Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel. The access will allow Virgin to run up to 20 daily return services between London and Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam, with the agreement running from 1 October 2030 to 31 December 2040.

Eurostar has held a monopoly on passenger services since the tunnel opened in 1994. Before Virgin can join it on the tracks, it needs to secure rolling stock for the services and get safety approval from UK and EU authorities. The ORR approval only covers the HS1 route from London St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel, and not on rail networks in mainland Europe.

Brussels is an ideal destination for a short city break, thanks to its impressive medieval architecture, relaxed atmosphere and more than 100 museums

A European city with a lot of history and beauty at odds with its negative reputation is quicker to get to from the UK via train than by plane.

New research from global travel booking site Omio has identified 25 European routes where travelling by train is actually faster than flying once airport transfers, security queues and boarding times are taken into account. While many holidaymakers automatically book flights for a weekend escape, the findings suggest they’re often overlooking rail journeys that are not only quicker, but also less stressful.

They’re also much less environmentally damaging, with the emissions per plane passenger typically several times higher than those of train passengers.

A trip from London to Brussels is one of the biggest examples of where rail beats air. The Eurostar takes just 125 minutes, making it 83 minutes faster than flying once airport transfers, security checks and boarding times are factored in. Tickets start from around £148, with passengers arriving directly in the heart of the Belgian capital.

Whether or not the city is worth a visit is a different matter. Brussels is, according to some people, a boring city.

“As much as I tried, I still could not shake the feeling that Brussels was undeniably boring,” one travel blogger recently wrote of Brussels following a trip there. Back in 2008, it was awarded the title of the world’s dullest city in a survey of international travelers, who judged it duller than Zurich and Warsaw.

Having made a short visit to the city in recent years, the criticism does seem a little just. Brussels does have a functional, workman-like feel to it, thanks to the huge number of governmental buildings. And yes, it does look like an AI picture generator’s attempt to ‘simulate a standard European capital’, as one online commenter complained.

However, there are plenty of redeemable qualities of Brussels. The atmosphere is pleasant enough, many of the buildings are beautiful, and it is home to two of the Continent’s great contributions to culinary culture – waffles and chips – even if there is a distinct Sunday afternoon feel to the place.

“Brussels is an ideal destination for a short city break, thanks to its impressive medieval architecture, relaxed atmosphere and more than 100 museums. Visitors can spend the day wandering the city’s historic streets before stopping for Belgian beer and world-famous chocolate. With average July temperatures of 23°C, it’s also an ideal city to explore on foot,” writes Omio.

Given Brussels’s closeness to the UK, a day trip is well on the cards. If you do go down that route, I suggest the following one-hour tour of the city:

Starting at the famed Manneken Pis statue depicting a urinating child (who had been dressed up in a miniature gown and hat to celebrate the city’s graduating students when I was there), dash to the Monument a Everard t’Serclaes, helping the reclining lady’s leg become even shinier with a quick, traditional good luck rub.

Pausing in the central Grand Place square for a moment, take in the opulent Baroque guildhalls and the neo-Gothic King’s House. Not wanting to waste any more time or spend six euros, read the first paragraph of the Grand City Museum’s Wikipedia entry while looking at its exterior.

Culturally enriched, next up was a portion of mayonnaise-covered frites eaten while looking at a René Magritte painting on the side of a house, before a crispy waffle powers you up the hill towards the Royal Palace. Glance back at the impressive view of the city’s rooftops as you barrel onto a coach and out of there, catching a glimpse of one of Auguste Rodin’s Thinkers through the window before quickly stopping to stand in front of ‘Belgium’s Eiffel Tower’, the futuristic Atomium statue.

TRAVELLERS will soon be able to have a freshly made cocktail on Eurostar trains in a two-floor bar.

Eurostar boss Gwendoline Cazenave has revealed that the new Eurostar Celestia will have a double-decker bar on board.

Speaking to The Times, she revealed that the cocktail bar in Eurostar’s Premier lounge at St Pancras, London, will be “the design of the bar on the new Eurostar Celestia”.

Celestia is the fleet of 50 double-decker trains ordered last year for €2 billion (£1.7 billion).

Inside the lounge, mixologists make more than 300 cocktails a day and visitors can expect to find a variety of seating options from large tables to cosy chairs as well as a large selection of complimentary magazines.

Eurostar Premier travellers, Carte Blanche and Étoile members can access the lounge up to two hours before their train’s departure.

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Deliveries of Celestia will begin in 2031 and each train will be able to carry 20 per cent more passengers.

As a result, for the first time there will be more than 1,000 passengers onboard.

The trains will transport passengers from London to Frankfurt, Germany, four times a day and Geneva, Switzerland, three times a day.

Cazenave said: “Because it’s going to be a double-decker, it’s going to be a double-decker bar.

“It’s going to be as exciting as a speakeasy bar. That’s what we’re building, and I hope it’s going to be as nice as this place.”

Eurostar is also launching services to Antwerp from London four times a day from December 14.

The announcement comes as Virgin Trains prepares to launch services from London to Europe by 2030.

Italian firm Trenitalia has also promised high-speed cross-channel services by 2029.

EUROSTAR is set to slash the price of tickets to as low as £35 – with five destinations included in the epic sale.

The iconic train service connects London directly to countries such as France, Belgium and The Netherlands and travellers will soon be able to secure bargain trips.

Providing an easier alternative to flying, the railway to Europe can whisk Brits to Paris in just over two hours and to Amsterdam in under four.

And as part of a major flash sale, passengers will be able to snag Eurostar tickets for as little as £35 to the two popular destinations – along with Lille, Rotterdam and Brussels.

The discounts, which went live on the Eurostar website on September 9, will be bookable until September 14 at 10:59pm.

The one way standard class tickets can be snapped up for rides on specific travel dates between September 23 and December 18.

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The eligible travel timeframe means the discounts are perfect for planning a bargain trip over this year’s October half term break or a Christmas treat.

The autumn school holiday is set to begin around the second to last weekend of October, running through to the first weekend of November, providing the perfect slot for those with kids to book a discounted Euro getaway.

However, some dates within this window are subject to a “blackout”, during which discounted tickets aren’t up for grabs.

There are also some dates that travellers are unable to book, as Eurostar services are set to be halted for engineering works.

Unavailable dates include September 25, October 2, October 9 and November 1 for trains from St Pancras to Paris.

Meanwhile blackout dates for trains from Paris to London include September 27, October 5, October 25 and November 1.

Sharing news of the £35 sale online, Eurostar confirmed that a discount code isn’t needed to benefit from the price reductions.

The low prices are already live on eligible journeys and dates – so all you have to do is add the tickets to your basket.

“Down in the dumps at your desk? Grab a second helping of holiday with adult tickets for just £35 one way. Travel for less in Eurostar Standard to Paris, Lille, Brussels, Amsterdam direct, or Rotterdam direct,” the Eurostar website says.

“You don’t need a Eurostar promo code. Simply book to travel in Eurostar Standard from London between 23 September and 16 December 2026. But you’ll have to be quick – our sale ends on 14 September at 22:59.”

While Eurostar run similar flash sales throughout the year, the company has confirmed that a Black Friday sale won’t take place.

So now is the time to strike if you’re after cheap tickets for a December city break.