Train wins by 2h37 door to door. Fastest train 1h57 (Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid → London St Pancras International), ~10 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 | 1h57Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid → London St Pancras International |
|---|---|
| Trains | ~10 direct trains/day (pickthetrain open-data average 9.8/day, Oct-Nov 2026)Eurostar |
| Flight | ~1h10 BRU-LHR (pickthetrain typical-for-distance; British Airways and Brussels Airlines fly nonstop). Airports add travel, check-in and security time. |
| Door to door | Train wins by 2h37 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. |
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) (2h00 security assumed at BRU): train wins by 2h37 (2h13 vs 4h50). UK passport/security checks happen before boarding at Brussels; SNCB International says gates close up to 30 min before departure. Other published fastest times: 1h53 (SNCF Voyageurs), 2h01 (SNCB International).
Questions
Is the train faster than flying from Brussels to London?
Train wins by 2h37 door to door. The fastest train takes 1h57 city centre to city centre; the flight is ~1h10 BRU-LHR (pickthetrain typical-for-distance; British Airways and Brussels Airlines fly nonstop). Airports add travel, check-in and security time..
How often do trains run from Brussels to London?
~10 direct trains/day (pickthetrain open-data average 9.8/day, Oct-Nov 2026)
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: pickthetrain.com, sncf-voyageurs.com, travel.b-europe.com, gov.uk, eurostarforagents.com, help.eurostar.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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