Travellers heading from London to Antwerp will soon be able to avoid changing trains in Brussels after Eurostar announced its first direct service to the Belgian city.
The new route will begin on December 14, with four scheduled services operating each day from London St Pancras to Antwerp.
Eurostar currently connects London with Belgium through Brussels. Passengers travelling onwards to Antwerp must leave the train at Brussels-Midi/Zuid and transfer to an SNCB service to Antwerpen-Centraal.
The journey currently takes around three hours and 15 minutes. The new direct service will reduce the travel time to approximately two hours and 41 minutes.
However, passengers will not be able to take the same direct route back to London. Eurostar said there were currently no plans for direct return services because Antwerpen-Centraal does not have dedicated UK border control and customs facilities.
Travellers returning to Britain will therefore still need to travel through Brussels or use another route with the required border and customs arrangements.
The new service is expected to make Antwerp more accessible to British visitors. The city is often overshadowed by Brussels and Bruges but has become known internationally for its fashion industry, diamond trade, food and historic architecture.
Antwerp’s fashion reputation is closely associated with the Antwerp Six, a group of designers who gained international attention during the 1980s and 1990s. Visitors can learn about the city’s fashion history at ModeMuseum Antwerpen or explore independent designers and shops around Nationalestraat and Kammenstraat.
The city is also home to one of the world’s largest diamond districts. Around half of the world’s rough diamonds are estimated to pass through Antwerp for trading and polishing, making the city a major centre of the international diamond industry.
Food is another attraction for visitors. Belgium is famous for its fries, known locally as frites, and Frituur LO is among the places recommended for those wanting to try them. Reaching the area also involves travelling through Sint-Anna’s Tunnel, which features historic wooden escalators.
Belgian chocolate is another major draw. Pierre Marcolini’s Antwerp shop offers chocolates, truffles, biscuits, macarons, ice cream and other confectionery.
Visitors can also explore the city after dark. Visit Antwerp recommends seeing landmarks including Antwerp Central Station, Operaplein and the Het Zuid district when they are illuminated at night.
The direct Eurostar service will give London travellers a faster way to reach Antwerp, although the lack of a direct return journey means passengers will still need to plan their trip back to the UK carefully.
