Europe 2024

[Jdsk]

"Eurostar services from Amsterdam to London to be suspended for six months":
https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... biztoc.com

That's the direct service. From June 2024.

Jonathan

[mjr]

"Eurostar services from Amsterdam to London to be suspended for six months":
https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... biztoc.com

That's the direct service. From June 2024.

Jonathan

https://www.seat61.com/news.htm currently clarifies that they will still run London to Amsterdam as now. They'll even run Amsterdam to London, but empty and passengers from the Netherlands will need to check in in Brussels like in the early months of the service.

[pal]

Ah: very good to see this thread appear. Time to start dreaming of next summer!

On the topic of getting to or from Amsterdam: DFDS is again offering a 20% early booking discount on its Newcastle-IJmuiden route -- book by 29th Feb, travel any time in 2024: https://www.dfds.com/en-gb/passenger-fe ... -amsterdam

[Will]

https://www.seat61.com/news.htm currently clarifies that they will still run London to Amsterdam as now. They'll even run Amsterdam to London, but empty and passengers from the Netherlands will need to check in in Brussels like in the early months of the service.

The idea that the Eurostar trains will run empty from Amsterdam to Brussels seems to have been a misinterpretation by the Independent newspaper of the announced changes. Other UK media outlets have just repeated what the Independent said. The Man in Seat 61 makes no mention of the trains running empty, nor does any of the reports in dutch newspapers. It looks like they are simply going back to how it worked before the customs and immigration facilities were installed in Amsterdam.

I think it unlikely that they will include bike transportation between Amsterdam and Brussels, since it complicates the transfer to the customs/immigration check-in at Brussels. There is a Intercity service between Amsterdam and Brussels that takes bikes, so the only way I can see this working is to use that service and then check-in to the Eurostar at Brussels. There will also still be a Thalys (Eurostar) service between Amsterdam and Brussels, but they do not take bikes, so that is not an option.

It remains to be seen if Eurostar will permit bikes on the London to Amsterdam direct service that is not impacted by this change.

Will

[mjr]

The idea that the Eurostar trains will run empty from Amsterdam to Brussels seems to have been a misinterpretation by the Independent newspaper of the announced changes. Other UK media outlets have just repeated what the Independent said. The Man in Seat 61 makes no mention of the trains running empty, nor does any of the reports in dutch newspapers. It looks like they are simply going back to how it worked before the customs and immigration facilities were installed in Amsterdam.

Well, if the trains are still running northbound to Amsterdam, but they can't carry passengers southbound Amsterdam to Brussels, then logically they must run empty there? It's also likely that the Independent's Simon Calder would have asked before publishing, if he was involved in the reporting. https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/ne ... 53708.html

It's less certain that they'll run in their usual timeslot and route, paying the higher high-speed line access charges and risking delays into Brussels, but maybe it's not worth renegotiating for the sake of six months.

I think it unlikely that they will include bike transportation between Amsterdam and Brussels, since it complicates the transfer to the customs/immigration check-in at Brussels. [...]

Agreed about this, and the rest.

[Will]

Well, if the trains are still running northbound to Amsterdam, but they can't carry passengers southbound Amsterdam to Brussels, then logically they must run empty there? It's also likely that the Independent's Simon Calder would have asked before publishing, if he was involved in the reporting. https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/ne ... 53708.html

That isn't what the dutch media have reported.

Example: https://www-rtlnieuws-nl.translate.goog ... _tr_pto=sc

Quote from that news site:

"Initially it seemed that the problem might last a year or longer, but all parties involved have now jointly found a somewhat faster solution, State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen of Infrastructure and Water Management wrote to the House of Representatives.

That does not mean that you cannot board the Eurostar in Amsterdam, Heijnen emphasizes. But getting to London will require a transfer in Brussels. There is room for a customs office there. Travelers from Amsterdam who want to go to London will have to go through that."

Will

[simonhill]

Is it worth renaming this thread (something like) Eurostar 2024. There will be plenty of updates just about the HS train services, tunnel, etc.

From past experience, a Europe 2024 will probably be more eclectic with everything from phones to ETIAS.

[mjr]

I'm betting that you'll have to board a red Eurostar in Amsterdam, not the same train. We'll see.

[bohrsatom]

Is this thread only about trains, or Europe in general? I forget what was covered in the Europe '23 thread....

If train related: Appears to be no further news about the SNCF €49 ticket that was mentioned back in September

[singingsprocket]

While cycling in France this year I met several Dutch cyclists who told me about a coach company that carries bikes on routes across Europe. However I've not found it by searching online and wondered if anyone here knew of it. One fella said it was called cycle tours but that hasn't helped me find it!

[Jdsk]

While cycling in France this year I met several Dutch cyclists who told me about a coach company that carries bikes on routes across Europe. However I've not found it by searching online and wondered if anyone here knew of it. One fella said it was called cycle tours but that hasn't helped me find it!

Flixbus:
https://www.flixbus.co.uk
viewtopic.php?t=156311

Jonathan

[mjr]

No, there is a Dutch company too which I'm sure has been discussed on here in the past. I suppose it might be useful to people near the ports with ferries to the Netherlands, what with the limited Bike Bus Express service.

[scragend]

No, there is a Dutch company too which I'm sure has been discussed on here in the past. I suppose it might be useful to people near the ports with ferries to the Netherlands, what with the limited Bike Bus Express service.

This one?

https://cycletours.nl/fietsbussen/

[mjr]

No, there is a Dutch company too which I'm sure has been discussed on here in the past. I suppose it might be useful to people near the ports with ferries to the Netherlands, what with the limited Bike Bus Express service.

This one?

https://cycletours.nl/fietsbussen/

That's the one! Thanks.

[Jdsk]

EU Entry and Exit System: dates, fingerprints and dire prognostications:
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/ne ... 65746.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/ne ... 66353.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... cial-scans

6 October 2024 everywhere.

Jonathan