I appreciate the lack of narration. Sometimes you just want to watch someone travelling without hearing them yammer on about "what we're going to be doing today, my friends..."
Took this following your recommendations 15 years ago! Was very convenient and cost made sense since I saved on a hotel night. Didn't get the nice views then since it was the dead of winter and dark the whole time.
I'm a regular user as head office is in Belgium and I live in Suffolk. Honest review - I don't like that they took out the a la carte restaurant and on day trips I think the ticket system will struggle (so did the staff) removing the cinema also creates instant bored kids on the day crossing! That said it's still my favourite way to get to the continent. You can get the posh Captains Suite cabins pretty cheap on the day crossing too - they're quite special and well worth the investment. The free mini bar doesn't hurt either.
Thanks for posting this…brings back memories of doing the same trip when l lived in London back in the mid 1970s…it was cheaper than flying back then!…long weekends(Bank Holidays) in Amsterdam were a treat!
I used to make this journey weekly in the 80s when the service was operated by Sealink. The ship arrived at the Hook at 6.30 am, you would walk across to the international train station and catch a train which got you to Amsterdam by 9.00am.
I loved the old Koningen Beatrix. And the St Nicholas. But the 05:30 arrival in NL (body clock time) not so much! Now you can have breakfast and walk off at 07:00 body clock time.
@@seat61 In my time Sealink were using the St George and the St Edmund. The latter was requisitioned by the Government and sent off to the Falklands War.
Aah, the 80's. Out of the old customs hall straight onto the platform, the waiting Rhein Express (D414?) to Basle. Full length slide-down windows. Toilets that emptied onto the tracks. Great days!.
I'll be using this method to travel to Amsterdam next month. The last time I did the Dutch Flyer Rail and Sail to Holland was way back in 2010. The prices have certainly risen a fair bit since then! As a comparison, the price now is £71.70 from any Greater Anglia station to Hook van Holland only, and the cheapest single cabin(for overnight travel) is £50. Back in 2010 the price was £35 from London Liverpool Street to any Dutch station, and just £24 for the cheapest single cabin(for overnight travel). Total cost just £59 to get from London to Amsterdam including overnight cabin. Much better value back then! Though don't get me wrong, it's still an excellent way to travel to or from the Netherlands. But the much higher price now means I'll only travel via this method occasionally rather than frequently.
Just crossed yesterday after a cycle tour so can't comment on the train parts.. Really good cabins for a family of four and the showers are really decent which makes a difference.
I've done a few crossings here, usually with a bicycle and over night, and the last time with the Stena Plus lounge upgrade, which was well worth it for me just for the marginally quieter space to decompress before turning in for the night. It's not entirely obvious how to get to the vehicle entrance at Harwich if you're brinigng a bike on the train. I believe you can take a bike on RET outside rush hour (after 9am, and not during 16-18:30pm), though I haven't tried this myself.
Stena is much nicer than Silja Symphony ship I sailed from Helsinki to Stockholm in 2012. There was not quiet lounge to sit back and relax and conversate with other passengers.
The previous version showed the old train London-Harwich not the new air-con Aventra, the Stena Line ships have had a makeover with new Stena Plus lounge (the Metropolitan restaurant has gone) and the permanent metro station at Hoek van Holland has now opened, the old video showed a temporary platform.
If you do that do not bother with the mediocre Stena breakfast but get the first train from Harwich dock, usually the shuttle to Manningtree but if London bound get off in Manningtree anyway. Why? Because Manningtree station buffet does a far superior breakfast at lower cost. Then get the next train to London. (I usually wait for the stopping service as it is far less crowded than the express from Norwich and takes only a few minutes longer!)
@@timdiggle5090Yes! I did this a month ago and the Manningtree buffet was great and very reasonably priced. The only problem with this trip coming back to the UK is bring woken up by the ferry PA at 05.30 and kicked off the ship at 06.30😝. Much better to get breakfast once I’m awake rather than onboard🤣
A very lite product compared to my interail days when Hoek was a major departure point by express trains to exotic destinations. Shame the Dutch have pulled out of the rail and sail tickets.. good vlog thanks for posting
Know why I took the overnight ferry? To do what I planned to do - ride the ICE3neo Amsterdam-Cologne-Brussels back home in the evening, I’d have needed the 07:04 Eurostar, meaning a 4:30am wakeup and drive to Tring for a 05:30 train. This way I got more sleep and a more relaxed journey. It’s such a good alternative to Eurostar, often cheaper.
@@seat61 I looked at departures for today (11 August) and they had space available for solo travelers or two people. Still way less expensive than Eurostar and a hotel, or even just the Eurostar on the day.
This ferry is such a civilised way to travel. But the early arrival just killed me. Had to get up at 5.30AM my body clock time just to make breakfast and be in my car at the designated time. Will do the daytime sailing next time.
Eastbound it arrives 08:00 Dutch time so no worries. Westbound it arrives 06:30 UK time, but simple solution is to stick to Dutch time, then it arrives 07:30. You later gain an hour somewhere in your day! 😅
@@seat61 Sorry - not a morning person! 0800=0700 UK - 1 hour at least, or more if you don't want to miss breakfast= 0600! Why can't it arrive at a more civilised 10 or 11? But looked like the lorry drivers liked having an early start.
I use this a couple of times a year every year and the new upgrade is a downgrade in terms of breakfast in the tase restaurant. No longer self service continental breakfast. Prior to the upgrade you could help yourself to cereal, toast, cold meats / cheese and cooked breakfast. Now you just get to choose one plate of a cooked breakfast which is handed to you and that is it. Just one drink, coffee or juice / water. A huge downgrade on what was available before.
It's a shame that on the train there was no man or woman in Seats 1 through to 60.... unless you deliberately filmed an empty carriage. The failure of train companies to simply fill seats by applying variable pricing is a big disappointment.
@@peterdowden7694 I always film empty seats, I try not to invade people’s privacy. But this was a 10 car commuter train well after the height of the peak, in the quietest month, August.
Interesting concept that as " an older person" you seem to be restricted to a "maximum" number of changes. My parents seem to be doing just fine still, but I will send them the memo 😂
Plenty of assistance at Hoek if you need it, contact Stena I have seen them use a buggy to take passengers off the ferry footway down the ramp and assisted to the Metro.
I am an older person (68) and I use this route regularly - though I admit that the long grey slope up the gangway from terminal to boat seems to be getting longer with every passing year ...
For cost, schedule & tickets see www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/london-to-amsterdam-by-ferry.htm
I appreciate the lack of narration. Sometimes you just want to watch someone travelling without hearing them yammer on about "what we're going to be doing today, my friends..."
Love the look of this journey and will always try to travel by train and ferries when travelling. So much more enjoyable and more comfortable 😂
Took this following your recommendations 15 years ago! Was very convenient and cost made sense since I saved on a hotel night. Didn't get the nice views then since it was the dead of winter and dark the whole time.
I'm a regular user as head office is in Belgium and I live in Suffolk. Honest review - I don't like that they took out the a la carte restaurant and on day trips I think the ticket system will struggle (so did the staff) removing the cinema also creates instant bored kids on the day crossing! That said it's still my favourite way to get to the continent. You can get the posh Captains Suite cabins pretty cheap on the day crossing too - they're quite special and well worth the investment. The free mini bar doesn't hurt either.
The OG of travel! Looks like they've done away with the casino and a la carte restaurant in favour of the Stena Lounge. A wise decision in my opinion.
Such an easy journey without the hassle of airports
Lovely! Hope to do this someday! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for posting this…brings back memories of doing the same trip when l lived in London back in the mid 1970s…it was cheaper than flying back then!…long weekends(Bank Holidays) in Amsterdam were a treat!
I used to make this journey weekly in the 80s when the service was operated by Sealink. The ship arrived at the Hook at 6.30 am, you would walk across to the international train station and catch a train which got you to Amsterdam by 9.00am.
I loved the old Koningen Beatrix. And the St Nicholas. But the 05:30 arrival in NL (body clock time) not so much! Now you can have breakfast and walk off at 07:00 body clock time.
@@seat61 In my time Sealink were using the St George and the St Edmund. The latter was requisitioned by the Government and sent off to the Falklands War.
@@John-qq8he I remember the St Edmund and Prinses Beatrix, vaguely!
Aah, the 80's. Out of the old customs hall straight onto the platform, the waiting Rhein Express (D414?) to Basle. Full length slide-down windows. Toilets that emptied onto the tracks. Great days!.
Looks easy enough and comfortable.
Thanks 😉
Thank you for this. I used your website a lot some years ago on my journey from Gibraltar to Singapore.
Everything you post makes me want to go buy it now! So far only the Night Riviera from Penzance to Paddington, which was fabulous.
I'll be using this method to travel to Amsterdam next month. The last time I did the Dutch Flyer Rail and Sail to Holland was way back in 2010. The prices have certainly risen a fair bit since then! As a comparison, the price now is £71.70 from any Greater Anglia station to Hook van Holland only, and the cheapest single cabin(for overnight travel) is £50. Back in 2010 the price was £35 from London Liverpool Street to any Dutch station, and just £24 for the cheapest single cabin(for overnight travel). Total cost just £59 to get from London to Amsterdam including overnight cabin. Much better value back then! Though don't get me wrong, it's still an excellent way to travel to or from the Netherlands. But the much higher price now means I'll only travel via this method occasionally rather than frequently.
Just crossed yesterday after a cycle tour so can't comment on the train parts.. Really good cabins for a family of four and the showers are really decent which makes a difference.
I think we might have chatted with you in the passport queue!
We have used the crossing about eight times - usually for bike tours, combined with train links, and always really enjoy it
@@mikeleake9488 ah yes
hey MAN! Great vlog as usual! I was hoping to see you in another journey from London to Amsterdam using the ferry and you did it! well done!
A visit to the beach and the Atlantic war museum in Hoek is worth it before a trip home. The metro is easy and reasonably quick.
Good idea, I must do that some time - what with the number of times I've been through Hoek in the last 20 years to and from the in-laws!
Excellent. Thinking of doing this later in the year for some Christmas shopping. thanks
I've done a few crossings here, usually with a bicycle and over night, and the last time with the Stena Plus lounge upgrade, which was well worth it for me just for the marginally quieter space to decompress before turning in for the night. It's not entirely obvious how to get to the vehicle entrance at Harwich if you're brinigng a bike on the train. I believe you can take a bike on RET outside rush hour (after 9am, and not during 16-18:30pm), though I haven't tried this myself.
Much improved since my last crossing in the 1980s.
Stena is much nicer than Silja Symphony ship I sailed from Helsinki to Stockholm in 2012. There was not quiet lounge to sit back and relax and conversate with other passengers.
Great trip. I think i've seen this video with similar thumbnail in this channel months ago, looks like the new one is updated version.
The previous version showed the old train London-Harwich not the new air-con Aventra, the Stena Line ships have had a makeover with new Stena Plus lounge (the Metropolitan restaurant has gone) and the permanent metro station at Hoek van Holland has now opened, the old video showed a temporary platform.
@@seat61 Ahh i see
I’m looking forward to doing this next year but in the other direction. The overnight sailing will suit perfectly!
If you do that do not bother with the mediocre Stena breakfast but get the first train from Harwich dock, usually the shuttle to Manningtree but if London bound get off in Manningtree anyway. Why? Because Manningtree station buffet does a far superior breakfast at lower cost. Then get the next train to London. (I usually wait for the stopping service as it is far less crowded than the express from Norwich and takes only a few minutes longer!)
Thanks! 🙂
@@timdiggle5090Yes! I did this a month ago and the Manningtree buffet was great and very reasonably priced. The only problem with this trip coming back to the UK is bring woken up by the ferry PA at 05.30 and kicked off the ship at 06.30😝. Much better to get breakfast once I’m awake rather than onboard🤣
I have done Eurostar from Amsterdan to London this June.
Not many people know you can tip up the 'high' bed if you don't need it. Makes the room a little less claustrophobic.
A very lite product compared to my interail days when Hoek was a major departure point by express trains to exotic destinations. Shame the Dutch have pulled out of the rail and sail tickets.. good vlog thanks for posting
I wonder how frequently they change the code on the lounge door :thinking:
I've had a different code every crossing
MEANWHILE in a Parallel Universe where the Channel Tunnel was never built...
Know why I took the overnight ferry? To do what I planned to do - ride the ICE3neo Amsterdam-Cologne-Brussels back home in the evening, I’d have needed the 07:04 Eurostar, meaning a 4:30am wakeup and drive to Tring for a 05:30 train. This way I got more sleep and a more relaxed journey. It’s such a good alternative to Eurostar, often cheaper.
How easy is it to book on really short notice for the overnight trip? Let's say one or two days prior to departure, or even day of departure.
Try it and see. I booked the week before.
@@seat61 I looked at departures for today (11 August) and they had space available for solo travelers or two people. Still way less expensive than Eurostar and a hotel, or even just the Eurostar on the day.
6:10 That’s the Nederlandse Spoorwegen lady!
Very informative but I feel video would be better with a commentary as it progresses. It’s a bit dry but good to see it in its modern form
This ferry is such a civilised way to travel. But the early arrival just killed me. Had to get up at 5.30AM my body clock time just to make breakfast and be in my car at the designated time. Will do the daytime sailing next time.
Eastbound it arrives 08:00 Dutch time so no worries. Westbound it arrives 06:30 UK time, but simple solution is to stick to Dutch time, then it arrives 07:30. You later gain an hour somewhere in your day! 😅
@@seat61 Sorry - not a morning person! 0800=0700 UK - 1 hour at least, or more if you don't want to miss breakfast= 0600! Why can't it arrive at a more civilised 10 or 11? But looked like the lorry drivers liked having an early start.
I use this a couple of times a year every year and the new upgrade is a downgrade in terms of breakfast in the tase restaurant. No longer self service continental breakfast. Prior to the upgrade you could help yourself to cereal, toast, cold meats / cheese and cooked breakfast. Now you just get to choose one plate of a cooked breakfast which is handed to you and that is it. Just one drink, coffee or juice / water. A huge downgrade on what was available before.
It would be quicker to take the Eurostar drom London St Pancrass. Most peope would only take the ferry if they come from the North.
It's a shame that on the train there was no man or woman in Seats 1 through to 60.... unless you deliberately filmed an empty carriage. The failure of train companies to simply fill seats by applying variable pricing is a big disappointment.
@@peterdowden7694 I always film empty seats, I try not to invade people’s privacy. But this was a 10 car commuter train well after the height of the peak, in the quietest month, August.
You didn’t really show any of the benefits of being in the lounge ! Good job u don’t work for Stena Line lol 😢😊
Apart from the quiet seating, wine, coffee, snacks, ability to order meals, complimentary breakfast.
Too much fooling around at the Hoek. They should put a bus on to Den Haag and Amsterdam with an inclusive ticket.
Bus? Ugh, no thank you! The metro is great, and the NS connections will get you to anywhere in NL.
@@seat61The barriers to get onto the metro aren’t much good if you’re rushing to get a connection at the Hoek.
@@hs0008 Absolutely no rushing involved. I didn't even need to buy a metro ticket, I just waved my iPhone at the contactless reader on the gates
Too many changes if you are an older person!
Exactly the same number of changes as flying from London to Amsterdam with easyJet if you think about it!
@@seat61 And probably LESS walking on the boat!
Interesting concept that as " an older person" you seem to be restricted to a "maximum" number of changes. My parents seem to be doing just fine still, but I will send them the memo 😂
Plenty of assistance at Hoek if you need it, contact Stena I have seen them use a buggy to take passengers off the ferry footway down the ramp and assisted to the Metro.
I am an older person (68) and I use this route regularly - though I admit that the long grey slope up the gangway from terminal to boat seems to be getting longer with every passing year ...