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Bon Journal

How to get from Utrecht to London and vice versa
(part one)

a comparison of travel options according to time, money, and hassle

When I was a time-challenged jet-setter, I never hesitated to travel by plane out of Heathrow Airport to Amsterdam on any number of airlines that gave me airmiles. British Midlands (BMI) was by far the cheapest compared to BA and KLM, out of Heathrow which was a mere 20 minute tube ride from Boston Manor station, which was a mere 10 minute walk from my London home.

As I grew more cost-conscious and money-challenged, I began considering other options. While Ryan Air offered unbeatable fares (some as low as 0.00 plus tax), it was a hassle taking the train to Eindhoven, getting the bus to the airport, and getting in the long queues at passport control. Once landed, it was expensive to get the Stansted Express (unless you're a student) and time-consuming to journey to the other end of London. Easyjet was cheap as long as you booked well in advance. Neither offered airmile collection or any incentive other than screaming babies and their guilt-ridden parents.

The concept of "slow travel" for the environmentally conscious came to vogue in recent years alongside increasing fuel costs. One website Seat61 compares and advises different ways to travel in Europe and abroad. I too started weighing the benefits of over-land transportation on cut-throat fares. According to Seat61 the slowest and cheapest method to get from London to the Netherlands is by train, ferry, and train. Next is by train through the tunnel.

At time of writing, the new "hi-speed" online booking (a joint venture of various national train lines and Eurostar) in the Netherlands was offering euro 99 return fares for a 6 hour (one way) journey from any station in the country to London. It sounded too good to be true. After many hours trying to book such a ticket -- and always getting stuck on an error page -- I ended up having to queue at the ticket desk and pay an extra 3 euro booking fee for it. That said, the journey itself was a refreshing change from the usual airport-to-airport travel. If you don't mind changing platforms, you will welcome the flexibility of catching any train to Brussels and the freedom of keeping your water bottle and your shoes intact at the Brussels/UK border control. Once upon a time, air passengers also had those civil liberties!

As long as you have a good book, a big mp3 collection, or anything else that can keep you entertained, "slow travel" is tolerable. I had the bonus of sitting in a cabin with two African familes, each with five kids who couldn't sit still. My 20-year old Sony radio walkman and a good novel saved me. Once at London St Pancras, the glittering new international train station, I quickly slid across the polished floors to the London Underground where I caught the Piccadilly Line straight to Northfields tube station.

Uncertainty and indecision caused me to wait until the very last minute to book my return ticket to Utrecht. By then, Ryan Air was as expensive as Easyjet, BMI, BA, KLM, and Eurostar. The convergence to an unaffordable fare was not a coincidence. The early bird catches the worm. Book early to avoid sky-high fares.

Luckily Eurolines, the continental coach service, was still offering "fun fares" at 17 pounds a shot. After waiting impatiently for someone to respond to my "RIDE WANTED" online ad on gumtree and another on ride4cents, I panicked and bought a single fun fare from Eurolines at 22 pounds including booking fee. I chose the one going through the channel tunnel (to avoid getting seasick) and going through Utrecht.

I'm sure if I had posted a ravishing photo of myself and offered free accommodation or other irresistible exchanges, I might have gotten a lift for free. Even without it, one frequent traveller between Amsterdam and London on ride4cents offered the trip for 15 pounds and a cup of coffee. I would definitely need to try the "share a ride" next time ---- not least to complete this survey!

SINGLE JOURNEY
Change anything but bold-faced figures  Euro/STG  1.25 Real cost
 STG Fare  Euro Fare Hours EUR/HR
Ryan Air Cheapest Single        
Utrecht
Eindhoven
 
 10.00
1
 
Eindhoven
Airport
 
 2.50
0.25
 
Flight: EIN
Stansted
 
 15.00
1
 
London Stansted
Liverpool street
 12.50
 15.63
0.75
 
Liverpool street
Northfields
 3.00
 3.75
1
 
TOTAL
 
 
 46.88
4
11.72
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hi-Speed Train based on Return ticket
 STG Fare  Euro Fare Hours EUR/HR
Utrecht Centraal
Rotterdam Centraal
 49.50
6
 
Rotterdam Centraal
Brussels Midi
 
 
 
 
Brussels Midi eurostar
London St Pancras
 
 
 
London St Pancras
Northfields
 3.00
 3.75
1
 
TOTAL
 
 
 53.25
7
7.61
 
 
 
 
 
 
Easyjet Cheapest Single
 STG Fare  Euro Fare Hours EUR/HR
Utrecht
Schiphol
 
 7.00
0.5
 
Schiphol
London Gatwick
 
 55.00
1
 
London Gatwick
Victoria
 9.50
 11.88
0.5
 
Victoria
Northfields
 3.00
 3.75
0.5
 
TOTAL
 
 
 77.63
2.5
31.05
 
 
 
 
 
 
BMI Cheapest Single
 
 STG Fare  Euro Fare Hours EUR/HR
Utrecht
Schiphol
 
 7.00
0.5
 
Flight: AMS
LHR
 
 66.00
1
 
London Heathrow
Boston Manor
 1.00
 1.25
0.5
 
TOTAL
 
 
 74.25
2
37.13
 
 
 
 
 
 
Eurolines - cheapest from UK
 STG Fare  Euro Fare Hours EUR/HR
Northfields
Victoria
 3.00
 3.75
1
 
Victoria
Utrecht
 22.00
 27.50
11
 
TOTAL
 
 
 31.25
12
2.60
 
 
 
 
 
 
Eurolines - normal fare from Holland
 STG Fare  Euro Fare Hours EUR/HR
Utrecht
Victoria
 
 49.00
1
 
Victoria
Northfields
 3.00
 3.75
11
 
TOTAL
 
 
 52.75
12
4.40
 
 
 
 
 
 
Longest journey
Eurolines coach
 
 31.25
12
 
Most hassles (changes)
Ryan Air
 
 46.88
4
 
Most expensive
Easyjet, or scheduled airlines
 77.63
2.5
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shortest journey
BMI
 
 74.25
2
 
Least hassles
Eurolines
 
 31.25
12
 
Cheapest
Eurolines (Lon-Utrecht)
 31.25
12
 

Forthcoming: part two - other considerations, baggage allowance, risks, delays, etc ---
how about just London - Amsterdam?

21 August 2008

Related links:
Where to stay in London:
Victorian cottage near Piccadilly Line
Where to stay in Utrecht:
Monument House of classical musicians

 

Airlines:
British Midlands: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) to London Heathrow (LHR)
British Airways: AMS to LHR or LGW (London Gatwick)
KLM: AMS to LHR or LGW
Easyjet: AMS to LHR, LGW, London Luton (LTN), or London Stansted (STN)
Ryan Air: Eindhoven (EIN) to STN

 

By train:
Eurostar: London St Pancras

 

By coach:
Eurolines: London Victoria

 

Sensitivity analysis:
Utrecht to London spreadsheet (Excel)
WARNING: Due to spam, this may not necessarily reach the editor
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Anne Ku at Ilp in May 2001
Anne Ku

writes about her travels, conversations, thoughts, events, music, and anything else that is interesting enough to fill a web page. She has written and produced two chamber operas, premiered in Utrecht, Netherlands. See her publication list for more.
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