Eurostar launches London to Amsterdam route today – The Sun joined the very first trip

THE first ever direct Eurostar service from London to Amsterdam arrived in the Dutch capital today as tickets for the new route went on sale.

Departing St Pancras International at 8:30am, the historic inaugural train smashed a speed record for the journey to Brussels – 1hr 46mins – before continuing on to Amsterdam via Rotterdam.

The journey took just 3hours 41minutes with the Eurostar travelling at speeds of up to 300kph to the heart of the Netherlands.

The route starts running on April 4 with tickets from £35 each way .

Two trains will depart the UK at 8:31am and 5:31pm.

However it’s not all plain training.

Bureaucratic wrangling between UK and Dutch governments mean for now, passengers returning to the UK will have to change trains and go through passport control in Brussels, adding an hour to the return journey.

It is hoped proper customs facilities will be in place at Amsterdam and Rotterdam by the end of 2019.

Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive, Eurostar, said: “Today’s inaugural service heralds an exciting new chapter in the expansion of high speed rail, strengthening the trading and tourism links between the UK and mainland Europe.

“With just six weeks to go until the start of service we are looking forward to providing customers with a fast, comfortable connection from London to Amsterdam and transforming travel between these important capital cities.”

Onboard, passengers in standard class will be able to buy Dutch treats including Stroopwaffle biscuits, beer and gin from the buffet car.

Those treating themselves to Standard or Business Premiere tickets will get complimentary Dutch tapas snacks and gin and tonic as well as a cooked breakfast or evening meal.

With fast WiFi, passengers will also be able to access special onboard entertainment including 300hours of Amazon Prime TV shows and movies in English, French and Dutch.