Amsterdam is one of the most popular European city destinations, offering many sights to see and things to do. One can visit for the high density of museums, its canals or even its legal red light district and coffeeshops. Whatever you are looking for, tolerant Amsterdam has it. The visitor from the United Kingdom has many options when trying to get to Amsterdam. By far the most popular since the emergence of budget airlines is via plane. But a cheap flight to Amsterdam is not the only option as many still take the ferry to Amsterdam or even drive through neighboring countries. A flight to Amsterdam is the most popular option for travellers from the UK. Out of all the airlines, Easyjet is the biggest carrier. Londoners are spoilt for choice and can opt to take an Easyjet flight from either Gatwick, Standsted or Luton. After Easyjet, KLM (the Dutch national air carrier) is the next biggest carrier and operates flights from both Heathrow and City Airport. The latter though, is usually an expensive option and only used by business travellers. Further afield in the UK, Easyjet operates from regional hubs but there are also even smaller airlines such as Jet2 that flies from Newcastle, Manchester and Leeds Bradford airports. Expect to pay between 15 to 100 depending on how early you book. Remember though, that the budget airlines do not include seat reservations or meals in the price, nor the flight attendant service that you may be used to! A ferry to Amsterdam, although less popular than a flight, is still a viable commercial operation for the operators concerned. These are popular with those wanting to take a car to the Netherlands and those with a fear of flying. They also offer a fairly relaxed journey for those who prefer it. There are two main services from the United Kingdom to The Netherlands and Amsterdam. The most popular is the Dutch Flyer (formerly known as the Amsterdam Express) service. Using an all-inclusive ticket, travellers can depart via train from London Liverpool Street station to Harwich on the east coast of England. From there they can take a ferry to Hook in Holland -- Amsterdam Central Station is only a short train ride away from here. Whilst taking a ferry to Amsterdam takes considerably longer than flying, it is much cheaper and there are less stringent time requirements for check-in. Added to this, the ferry is more of an "experience", boasting two cinemas, restaurants, bars and gaming. There are also other ferry services servicing the north of the United Kingdom, namely from Hull to Rotterdam and from Newcastle to Amsterdam. Others, although relatively few, prefer to drive to Amsterdam. This journey will take the driver through neighboring countries France and then Belgium. This is the least preferred method of getting from the UK to Amsterdam. |
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