Green Traveller's Guide to taking the train from London St Pancras International Railway Station to Utrecht in The Netherlands.
It is possible to travel by train from London to Utrecht in less than four hours by taking the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Rotterdam where you change trains for Utrecht.
Home to the Netherlands' top university, Utrecht is primarily a student city, oozing with youthful energy and enthusiasm. It's the perfect destination for a city break, with some great places to eat and drink. Drift past street performers and canalside cafes by canoe, explore the city on an illuminated night walk or pedal your way to the tranquil botanical gardens... think of it like a mini Amsterdam but without the crowds.
Train routes from London
Flight-free travel from London to Utrecht:
Journey Time: from 3 hours 56 mins
Sample timetable: Depart London 11.04pm, arrive Utrecht 4.28pm
Changes: 1
Transfer: Quick same-station change of platform within Rotterdam station
Frequency of Departures: 12/day
Carbon emissions: 12.0kg (flight would be 114.9kg)*
Car hire at Utrecht Centraal Railway Station: Yes
Tickets provided by Trainline, which allows you to buy tickets for multiple train operators in multiple European countries. It does charge a small booking fee, but offers several useful facilities, such as a free email alert service to let you know as soon as bookings open for your chosen route so you can snap up the cheapest tickets when they become available.
How to book train tickets as part of a package with accommodation
If you want someone to book the whole journey for you or combine it with staying in hotels en route, get in touch with the travel agent Byway through its page for booking enquiries.
What's the journey like?
Take the Eurostar to Rotterdam station where there's an easy same-station platform change to board the local intercity train to Utrecht Centraal.
Stopover hotels to break the journey in Rotterdam
If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Rotterdam while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay near Rotterdam Centraal. Here are some examples of hotels that are conveniently nearby: Hotels near Rotterdam Centraal.
For more rail journeys from the UK to Europe, see our Flight-Free Journey Planner
On arrival
Welkom in Utrecht! You can explore the city's unique canals by boat – Utrecht’s Oudegracht is a curved canal that runs through the city. Utrecht is the national headquarters of Netherlands Railways, and therefore home to the Dutch Railway Museum. For more information on where to stay and eat, and things to do, see our Green Traveller's Guide to Utrecht
There are plenty of hotels close to Utrecht Central Station:
Hotels near to Utrecht Central Station:
(booking via booking.com)
Goede Reis!
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