There are many ways to travel overland from the UK to The Netherlands without flying; by taking the ferry (either in a car or as a foot passenger), by coach or by Eurostar, or, by car through the Eurotunnel. One of the most popular routes is the shortest ferry journey, which goes from Harwich (on the east coast of England) to the Hook of Holland (on the west coast of The Netherlands) from where there is a seamless connection with rail services to Rotterdam, Amsterdam and the rest of the country. There are also longer ferry services across the North Sea from Newcastle and Hull, or if you want to go by train, the Eurostar has a direct service from London St Pancras station to Amsterdam in under 4 hours.
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Foot passengers: For detailed information to how to take public transport to ferry ports, see our Guide to travelling as a foot passenger from the UK to Europe.
Images: Stenaline Peter Mild, DFDS room and restaurant, ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam, Flixbus coach service, Eurostar to Amsterdam
By ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland, The Netherlands
The shortest ferry route across the North Sea from the UK is from Harwich in Essex with Stena Line to The Hook of Holland (known as ‘Hoek van Holland’). From Scotland it takes from at least 6.5 hours to reach Harwich by train via London, or 14 hours by bus, the cheapest option. You can then choose to go across the North Sea either during the day or overnight.
Journey time: it is a 7-8 hour crossing (day time or overnight)
Here are approximate journey times not including an overnight stay for the morning ferry:
Timings: departs Harwich at 9am, arrives Hook of Holland at 17.15; overnight service departs Harwich at 23:00, arrives Hook of Holland at 08:00.
Facilities: restaurants and bars, a cinema and shops
Sleeper Cabins: on the overnight ferry you can choose from a range of cabins, from a single inside cabin with television and ensuite bathroom to cabins for two, three, four of five people, including the Comfort Class cabins with sea view and complimentary minibar.
Luggage: There’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers with bicycles pay an extra fee of £5 for adults and £2.50 for children and it costs £20 to bring your dog, which must travel in a kennel.
Ferry sailing times and journey times can change so check the website for the latest times.
From Newcastle to Amsterdam by Ferry
DFDS runs an overnight service for foot passengers from Newcastle to Amsterdam, departing at 17.00
Journey time: 15.5 hours (overnight)
Timings: Departs Newcastle 17:00, arrives Amsterdam 9.45am. If you're travelling by train, there's a transfer bus from Newcastle railway station to the International Ferry Terminal. These DFDS buses operate from Berwick Street opposite Newcastle Central Station to the ferry terminal at times to coincide with its sailings. Bus tickets must be bought in advance online or over the phone.
Facilities on board the ferry: bars, restaurants, casino, cinema and kids club
Sleeper Cabins: take from 2-5 people, and, unlike most ferry operators that insist dogs are kept in cars or kennels, there are cabins suitable for up to two dogs to travel alongside their owners.
Luggage: There’s no limit on luggage. Foot passengers can travel with a bicycle for a charge of £5 each way, and those without wheels can hop onto a coach on arrival at the port of Ijmuiden to travel the 25 miles into central Amsterdam. Cruise: DFDS offers a ‘mini cruise’ option, which includes breaks in Amsterdam from five hours to two nights and include coach transfers at either end. From Amsterdam it’s easy to connect by rail to cities and regions across the Netherlands, as well as onto France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and beyond.
By ferry from Hull to Rotterdam
South of Newcastle, P&O Ferries runs an overnight ferry between Hull and Rotterdam. Journey time: 12 hours (overnight), plus the minimum 90-minute check-in for the ferry. On arrival at Hull station by train, there’s a bus that goes to the port from the adjoining interchange station. Number 70 operates from Paragon Interchange to the ferry terminal at 5pm and takes 15 minutes, but for more flexibility, a taxi is a good bet. Timings: Hull to Rotterdam departs 20:30 and arrives Rotterdam at 8:15 (9:00 at weekends) Facilities: Restaurants, bars, cinemas, a casino and kids play area. Sleeper Cabins: options range from a standard cabin, with a toilet and shower room, to a sea view cabin or a club cabin with extra space and a television - sleeping between two and five people per cabin. Luggage: There’s no limit on luggage, and you can travel with a pet and a bicycle. Pets are charged at £22 each way and must travel in a kennel. Bicycles are carried free of charge but only one is allowed per foot passenger booking, so a group travelling with multiple bikes need to make a separate booking per bike.
Cruise: You can book the ferry solely as transport, but for some, it’s the holiday in itself - a mini cruise out of Hull with P&O offers two nights on a ferry to and from Rotterdam with a day trip (which can be extended to an extra night) to explore the city between sailings. Themed mini breaks take this up a notch with entertainment such as live music or darts competitions onboard. Many passengers use Rotterdam as a gateway to Brussels, Antwerp or Paris but from either point, it is straight-forward to connect by rail to other destinations in the Netherlands and Belgium as well as Germany, Luxembourg and France.
Train from the UK to The Netherlands
Eurostar runs a direct services from London St Pancras to Rotterdam (3 hours 13 mins) and Amsterdam (3 hours 52 mins). Do check your ticket to find out the latest recommended time to arrive before your train departs - it can vary quite a lot, from 45 minutes (for Eurostar Premier) to up to 90 mins (for Eurostar Standard).
On board Eurostar, there’s a bar-buffet carriage that sells a range of hot and cold, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, including champagne, as well as snacks and wholesome, hearty dishes. For those with standard premier tickets, light refreshments are served at your table, including a fresh, light, healthy meal, tea, coffee and soft drinks, and a glass of wine or beer. It’s about 30 mins from London to the Channel Tunnel, then, after about 20 minutes in the tunnel, you emerge for the quick onward journey through the beautiful countryside of northern France and Belgium, on to Rotterdam and then Amsterdam.
There are a myriad reasons to visit Amsterdam: this compact capital packs a big punch when it comes to history, art, architecture, and contemporary chic. A relaxed, liberal vibe pervades and there is no shortage of cosy cafés, stylish boutiques, and appetising restaurants in which to enjoy all the city has to offer. Whether you’ve come to discover the latest in design, to visit some of the world’s great art collections, to indulge in some of the city’s less salubrious pleasures, or just to stroll and admire the traditional houses reflected in Amsterdam’s many canals – there’s something for just about everyone at any budget. For more information on Amsterdam, including hotels, restaurants and markets selling fresh local produce, museums and other attractions, see our
Coach from the UK to The Netherlands
Travelling by coach can be the cheapest way to travel across to The Netherlands. Flixbus, which now incorporates the Eurolines and Isilines bus companies, runs services across the UK to London Victoria from where you can join its international coach service for several cities in The Netherlands, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht. The coaches have free wifi, charging sockets, toilets, and on some journeys food and drink is sold onboard in addition to the refreshment stops. The cost varies depending on the route, time of year and so on, so check the coach operator’s website for fares. Flixbus also had a trip tracker so you can see where your coach is on its journey.
Luggage: You can take a hand luggage bag and medium-sized bag for the hold weighing no more than 20kg. Only folding bicycles are accepted.
Facilities: Coaches are air conditioned and have wi-fi and USB charging points as well as toilets and while no refreshments are sold onboard, you can pack your own food and drink for the journey and stops are made at service stations to stock up on supplies.
Bikes: Bikes can be taken on the bike rack from €9 per journey.
National Express, which runs lots of intercity coach services throughout the UK, has teamed up with BlaBlaCar to run intercity coach services (go to the National Express international website), including to cities within The Netherlands. The same luggage restrictions apply with one piece of hand luggage and one hold luggage up to 20kg.
Car from the UK via LeShuttle to The Netherlands
The quickest way to cross the channel in a car is via LeShuttle (formerly known as Eurotunnel Le Shuttle) through the Channel Tunnel (it takes just 35 minutes), from where you can then drive over to the Netherlands via northern France and Belgium. Departures leave from Folkestone and arrive in to Calais in France. There are up to four departures an hour so typically you don't have long to wait before you board the shuttle. At the terminal in Folkestone, there are food outlets and duty free shopping, and even pet exercise areas.
Electric car charging for LeShuttle: The terminals at LeShuttle do have charging facilities for electric cars. At Folkestone there are four 210 kw EV Box Modular Engie Ultra Rapid chargers, while at the Calais terminal there eight 210 kW ultra rapid chargers. There are also Tesla Superchargers at the terminal buildings on both sides of the Channel. NB. all electric car chargers are at the main terminal building in Folkestone, not at the Folkestone Flexiplus lounge car park.
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Please note: The information on this page aims to give you a reasonable idea of ferry, train, coach and car routes, times and tickets, in order that hopefully there’s enough detail to know what's available, how to plan an overland journey and where to book tickets. The information was up to date at time of publication, but services do change from time to time and we cannot take responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies we provide. Always confirm details when you book with the relevant travel operator. If you are aware of any inaccuracies, we'd really appreciate being informed via our contact page so we can make the relevant changes to the information provided for the benefit of other travellers.
Bon Voyage!
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