Eurostar London to Antwerp direct from 14 December 2026

1. Antwerp-Central, the stop being added to the line

Antwerp-Central

From £44 (indicative) 2h41 announced Four trains a day From 14 December 2026

Antwerp-Central is the main station in Antwerp, a few hundred metres from the historic centre according to travel guides. It already handles international trains. Eurostar wants to add a stop on the trains linking London and Amsterdam. According to Trip By Trip, which cites Eurostar, departures from Antwerp-Central rose by 16% between January and August 2026.

For a traveller leaving London, the stop mainly changes the end of the journey. The train goes through Brussels-Midi, but you stay on board. For the return, the station changes nothing: no British border control is set up there.

What to remember

• Four trains a day in the London to Antwerp direction, according to press reports citing Eurostar.
• A journey announced at 2h41, against about 3h15 to 3h30 today with a change at Brussels-Midi.
• No British border control at Antwerp-Central: the return remains indirect.

Pixidia tip: for a return trip, compare the combined ticket the press says Eurostar offers with two separate tickets. In both cases, check that your booking covers the change at Brussels-Midi.

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2. The announced journey, train by train

The announced direct service adds a stop to the trains running from London to Amsterdam. According to Time Out, these trains call at Lille-Europe, Brussels-Midi, Antwerp-Central and Rotterdam-Centraal, before Amsterdam-Centraal. Of the five daily trains from London to Amsterdam, four stop at Antwerp-Central. The 3:04 pm does not, according to Treinreiziger.

The table below compares today’s journey, the announced direct service and the return. Press durations do not always agree to the last digit: we use 2h41, the figure in the articles we read, and note that other texts give 2h40 or 2h45. For the current journey, we use a range.

Source: VRT NWS, Brussels Times, Sidetrack, checked on 17 October 2026.

Departures from London known so far

Four departures from St Pancras to Antwerp-Central are cited by the press: 6:16 am, 8:16 am, 11:04 am and 6:04 pm (Sidetrack, Treinreiziger). The sources do not give arrival times. The table offers an indicative arrival time, calculated from the announced duration of 2h41 and the one-hour gap between London and Belgium in December. Eurostar does not publish this calculation.

Source: Sidetrack, Treinreiziger, checked on 17 October 2026. Indicative arrivals: editorial calculation from the announced duration (2h41) and the one-hour gap between London and Brussels in December.

Do not plan a meeting or a hotel check-in around these arrival times without confirming them on the operator’s site. Timetables can change between the announcement and the launch.

Weekends: a different frequency

One press article, AndyBTravels, gives four trains from Monday to Friday, two on Saturday and three on Sunday. No other source we read gives this split. Before you plan a stay around a Saturday or a Sunday, check the operator’s timetable.

Dates to note

Source: GOV.UK, Visasnews, New Mobility News, Antwerpen.be, SNCB, checked on 17 October 2026.

3. The return: why the ticket goes through Brussels-Midi

The one-way service is not a timetable oversight. British border checks must be carried out before boarding, and Antwerp-Central is not set up for them (Brussels Times, VRT). Eurostar says it has no plans at this stage to install these checks in Antwerp (Brussels Times). The return therefore happens in two steps.

1. An SNCB train from Antwerp-Central to Brussels-Midi.
2. British border checks at Brussels-Midi, then Eurostar to London. VRT estimates this part of the journey at about 3h30.

A possible installation, still open

In January 2026, alderman Koen Kennis proposed passport checks in a unit at the station, to make Antwerp-Central compatible with Eurostar (VRT, 16 January 2026). The Plopsa in the station is closing, according to VRT, and NMBS/SNCB has launched a tender for this unit. According to New Mobility News, in an extract, bids were due on 7 October 2026 at noon, and the contract could not start before 1 January 2027. These dates still need to be checked with NMBS/SNCB. No decision on checks had been published at the verification date.

How much time to allow at Brussels-Midi?

No official minimum connection time has been found for this route. Our advice: allow at least 45 minutes between your arrival at Brussels-Midi and your Eurostar departure. This is an editorial safety margin, not an official rule, and it should be wider on busy days or if you travel with luggage.

The combined ticket

According to the press, Eurostar offers a combined ticket for the return. Its terms could not be read on the operator’s site. Check what it covers before you buy: the connection, luggage and the time needed to get through the station.

Source: Brussels Times, VRT NWS, checked on 17 October 2026.

4. How much does the journey cost? Indicative fares

No official fare could be found at the verification date. The figures below are starting fares reported by the press in July 2026. They may change as soon as sales open and are not binding. The date sales open was not found at the verification date. The conditions of the combined ticket, which the press mentions for the return, could not be read.

Source: Shortlist, Sidetrack, checked on 17 October 2026.

The price from £44 is a starting fare: it assumes a date, a class and a period that the articles do not detail. The flexible £88 return does not say whether the return goes through Brussels-Midi. Treat these amounts as orders of magnitude, never as a total.

To compare with today’s journey, add up the two separate tickets you would buy for the trip via Brussels-Midi. Add the cost of a meal during the change, and for a return, the safety margin you will allow at Brussels-Midi. Do not assume the direct service costs less: no official fare has been published to compare it with.

5. Formalities: passport, EES and ETA

Your passport must be valid for the journey. For entry into the Schengen area from London, gov.uk says you must register at St Pancras for EES before leaving the UK. Plan for this before you travel. For the formalities of entering the UK, our guide to the ETA before London covers the cases.

The UK ETA

For eligible travellers, the ETA fee is £20 (gov.uk), in force since April 2026 according to Visasnews. Check on gov.uk whether your nationality needs one: the requirement depends on the passport you hold, not on the city you arrive in.

The 90-day rule

If you are British, gov.uk reminds you that the 90/180-day rule applies in the Schengen area. It counts stays over a rolling 180-day period, and it does not stop at the Belgian border.

ETIAS, a status to follow

On the verification date, no ETIAS application date is confirmed for December 2026: the sources we read do not agree on the timetable. Check the European Commission’s website before you travel.

Time to allow at St Pancras

No source we read gives a minimum time in the station for this route. The step to plan for is the EES registration at St Pancras, before the border. For luggage, an extract attributed to eurostar.com gives 2 bags and 1 cabin bag in Standard class, with a maximum length of 85 cm from London: check this on eurostar.com. Allow extra time if you travel with luggage, and in the festive period, when queues get longer.

Source: GOV.UK, ETA, GOV.UK, entry to Belgium, checked on 17 October 2026.

6. Antwerp in December: what to check

Antwerp, the city of Rubens and the Christmas market

City card: price to be checked One day or a weekend Rubens, cathedral, MAS Market: 4 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027

The Antwerp Christmas market runs from 4 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, in the historic centre and on the Operaplein, according to the city’s exhibitor page. Guides suggest starting your visit at the station, then heading to the Groenplaats and the Grote Markt. Opening hours vary by site: check them on the day of your visit.

The city is best explored on foot from the station. The historic centre is a few hundred metres away, and the museums are spread between the centre and the Scheldt waterfront. Several guides say the tram and De Lijn bus are included in the city card; check this on the tourist office’s website.

To check before you go

• Opening hours and access to Rubens’ house: the official site reports that the house is under renovation, so check which parts are open before you go.
• Opening hours of the cathedral and the MAS: the figures come from undated tourist sites.
• Price of the city card: several guides give different amounts depending on the duration.

Pixidia tip: do not book an entry ticket based on a guide alone. Check the attraction’s official page on the day you buy, and keep a screenshot of the page in case the price changes before your visit.

Source: Antwerpen.be, Rubenshuis, Visit Antwerpen, checked on 17 October 2026. Opening hours and attraction prices: undated guides, to be checked.

7. A day in Antwerp from London

The train you choose changes the day. With the 6:16 am departure, the indicative arrival is late morning: you have the afternoon for the station, a walk around town and the market. With the 11:04 am departure, you arrive around mid-afternoon (2:45 pm, indicative), which still leaves the afternoon for the city. With the 6:04 pm departure, you arrive at night (indicative arrival around 9:45 pm, Belgian time): plan to stay overnight locally and visit the next day.

A simple route follows the city from south to north: the station, then the market on the Groenplaats and the Grote Markt, then the shopping streets leading to the cathedral. The river and the Scheldt waterfront are good for a break at the end of the day, before the return. The market starts near the station, then the Groenplaats and the Grote Markt, according to guides; opening hours of the sites still need checking.

If you want a guided visit, our selection of day trips from London compared gives price benchmarks for day formulas, useful for comparing with a visit to Antwerp.

8. Depending on your profile

First time in London or Antwerp

Prepare your passport, the ETA if you need one, and the EES registration at St Pancras. Check the departure station on your ticket: Eurostar leaves from St Pancras. Allow time for the station check-in, especially if it is your first departure from St Pancras.

Families with children

The direct service cuts out the change on the outbound leg, but 2h41 is long for a young child. Bring games and snacks, and a backup plan in case the afternoon train is delayed. Check the child conditions when you book: they have not been read here.

Tight budget

Compare the starting fares with two separate tickets via Brussels-Midi. The cheapest ticket is not necessarily the direct one: no official fare had been published at the verification date.

Reduced mobility

For a change at Brussels-Midi with a wheelchair or assistance, contact Eurostar and SNCB before you book. Assistance arrangements were not checked for this article, and each operator may ask for advance notice.

Combined trip with the Netherlands

The trains that stop at Antwerp continue to Rotterdam-Centraal and then Amsterdam-Centraal, according to Time Out. A combined stay in Antwerp and the Netherlands is therefore possible on the same route. The timetables of these trains beyond Antwerp are not confirmed here.

To continue to other cities after Antwerp, our Interrail 2026 guide covers passes and budgets.

What other guides don’t tell you

Each point links to its source and its date of consultation.

• The one-way service is explicit in the Belgian press. The service only runs from London to Antwerp. Many guides miss this and talk about a « direct » service without giving the direction, according to Brussels Times (consulted on 17 October 2026).
• The reason is the station, not the train. Antwerp-Central has no British border control facility, and Eurostar says it has no plans at this stage to install one, according to Brussels Times (consulted on 17 October 2026).
• A unit at the station is out to tender. NMBS/SNCB is looking for a tenant for a unit linked to Plopsa. According to New Mobility News, in an extract (consulted on 17 October 2026), bids were due on 7 October 2026; the outcome of this tender is not known from the sources read. Dates to be checked.
• The Belgian timetable change falls the day before the launch. SNCB introduces a new timetable from Sunday 13 December 2026. The details of the changes could not be read on the SNCB site: see SNCB, extract (consulted on 17 October 2026).
• EES registration takes place at St Pancras. Before leaving the UK for Belgium, gov.uk requires an EES registration at the station, according to GOV.UK, entry to Belgium (consulted on 17 October 2026).