The plane is faster door to door. Fastest train 4h04 (Amsterdam Centraal → London St Pancras International (via Rotterdam, Brussels, Lille)), ~4 direct trains/day. 4.46 g CO₂e per passenger-km by train vs 75.59 g by plane. Checked 2026-11-01.
The comparison
| Fastest train | 4h04Amsterdam Centraal → London St Pancras International (via Rotterdam, Brussels, Lille) |
|---|---|
| Trains | ~4 direct trains/day (pickthetrain open-data average 4.3/day)Eurostar |
| Flight | ~1h10 AMS-LHR/LCY (pickthetrain typical-for-distance; KLM, British Airways, easyJet fly nonstop to several London airports). Airports add travel, check-in and security time. |
| Door to door | The plane is faster door to door |
| CO₂ | 4.46 g CO₂e per passenger-km by train vs 75.59 g by planeUK Government (DESNZ/DEFRA) GHG conversion factors 2025: 'International rail' (passenger-km weighted average of Eurostar routes from London) vs 'Flights, short-haul to/from UK, average passenger' without / with radiative forcing (includes 8% distance uplift). Eurostar's own 2024 |
| Points | Club Eurostar: 1 point per EUR 1 (1.2 per GBP 1) spent; status bonus +25/50/75%. From 29 Oct 2026 London redemptions rose 10%: Eurostar Standard return 2,200 (Value) / 3,300 (Anytime) points, Eurostar Plus 4,400/5,500, Premier 6,600; one-way = half; no taxes/fees on reward tickets. UK Amex Membership Rewards convert 15:1. |
Honest verdict: roughly a draw, plane slightly faster. pickthetrain.com door-to-door model (its own assumptions: 1h30 airport check-in/security, 20 min to exit, typical-for-distance flight time, public-transport access estimates): plane faster by 38 min (5h18 vs 4h40). Trainline lists London→Amsterdam fastest 4h04; current Amsterdam→London open data shows 4h17. Strong CO2 case, weak time case.
Questions
Is the train faster than flying from Amsterdam to London?
The plane is faster door to door. The fastest train takes 4h04 city centre to city centre; the flight is ~1h10 AMS-LHR/LCY (pickthetrain typical-for-distance; KLM, British Airways, easyJet fly nonstop to several London airports). Airports add travel, check-in and security time..
How often do trains run from Amsterdam to London?
~4 direct trains/day (pickthetrain open-data average 4.3/day)
Can I earn or use points on this train?
Club Eurostar: 1 point per EUR 1 (1.2 per GBP 1) spent; status bonus +25/50/75%. From 29 Oct 2026 London redemptions rose 10%: Eurostar Standard return 2,200 (Value) / 3,300 (Anytime) points, Eurostar Plus 4,400/5,500, Premier 6,600; one-way = half; no taxes/fees on reward tickets. UK Amex Membership Rewards convert 15:1.
Which emits less, train or plane?
4.46 g CO₂e per passenger-km by train vs 75.59 g by plane.
Sources: thetrainline.com, pickthetrain.com, gov.uk, eurostarforagents.com, headforpoints.com
Points or cash, or the train?
Tell Points or Cash where you are going. On short European trips it checks whether the train beats the flight before you spend a point.
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