Anybody know if you can travel direct from Hook of Holland station to Ams Centraal or do you have to make a change along the way?
Im thinking of getting the ferry one way from the UK, just to make a change from flying, using stena lines rail and sail ticket.
I've checked online different timetables etc and im buggered if I can make any sense of them? I also phoned stena line and they were useless!!
Im sure its straight forward enough, I just want to know what im doing when I arrive and not waste any precious time in Ams.
Thanks

hi
stenaline very nice journey highly recomended just takes time very relaxing if you take it as part of your holiday

ive not done this for a few years i think you have to change trains at rotterdam i think its around 1 hour + to ams cs changing trains is simple platform change

normally as you leave the boat there is a train at the hook station which is next to the boat,you then travel to rotterdam on a sprinter train change trains at rotterdam cross platforms to about 8 or 9 then its direct to ams c/s

Thanks for the info, should make a nice change getting the ferry across.

I've done this trip over 100 times and it's a great way to get there. The quickest way is to change at Schiedam Centrum and that's what any rail official will advise you to do. However I tend to stay on the train for another 5 mins and change at Rotterdam Centraal instead. That way I can use the very spacious toilets and grab something to eat. The 2nd train then goes back through Schiedam Centrum and on to Amsterdam. The rail tickets you get are day passes so you can literally go anywhere in Holland for that first day. Remember to swipe them though like you would an OV-Chipkaart.
When I first used to go there was a train that went the whole way, commonly referred to as the boat train. They stopped that long ago though. I recommend this site for working out the trains- http://www.ns.nl/en/travellers/home .

Probably not worth going for the rail option if you're pre-booking with Stena. On the boat they sell Dagkaarts for €17, so that’s 2x€17 return from Hoek to Amsterdam. And you may as well get some spare in case you should ever feel like visiting Den Haag or Alkmaar whilst you’re there, they’re basically €17 for a day’s unlimited rail travel in the Netherlands and are valid for a year.

Thanks again guys, very helpful. I usually fly easyjet which i've never had any problems with, quick and convenient.
But just for a laugh and a bit of a change thought i'd do a ferry crossing lol!!

ignatzmice ferry meet up

I like the ferry, it's a pleasant alternative to flying, although the passenger gangway has been out of action at Harwich for a while, so at the moment it's a slightly awkward and surreal bus transfer for the short hop from the ferry terminal into the bowels of the ship.

At Hook of Holland (ignoring the mostly disused dead-end platform) there are two tracks through the station and the train you want leaves from the nearest one. Like ams2008dam says there's usually a train stood there when you come out of the ferry terminal - all the trains from that platform go to Schiedam Centrum and Rotterdam so just get on it, you can't really get on the wrong train.

Changing at Schiedam Centrum (go down the steps and cross to platform 5) is probably the simplest, quickest way to get to Amsterdam, but the trains here generally seem to be already quite full so I'm another one who usually changes at Rotterdam....although if you find big stations confusing then the Schiedam Centrum option is easier (but don't get off at the slightly earlier Schiedam Nieuwland stop....no connections there).

The only thing to remember if you change at Rotterdam is that the rail ticket you get is not valid on the "Intercity Direct" trains (these are the quicker trains via the new high-speed line) unless you buy a supplement [a.k.a "toeslag" - great Dutch word] before you get on (about €2.50 or so). Also don't try and get on any "Thalys" trains. Just get a normal "Intercity" (not "Intercity Direct") train heading to Amsterdam (it tells you the type of train on the platform screens).



It's good value if you need the rail part within the UK - the rail/sail ticket is valid on the UK side from either London or any "Greater Anglia" station (e.g Cambridge).



Yeah, remember to touch it against one of the OV-Chipkaart readers on the platform at Hook-of-Holland before you get on the train, or get a lecture from the train guard. Because it's a day ticket, I think you only really need to touch-in, after that you can forget about it, it will stay valid to the end of the day.

Hi would stenalines rail and sail train tickets cover you to roermond im thinking about a short break soon arriving at the hook and taking advantage of the any dutch station and going to roermond for a couple of days for fkk yin yan then on my return night sailing leave roermond early for amsterdam dayshift and back to the port in the evening which would be good value on that ticket if it covers there.

Yes any station served by NS. Unless you're making good use of your train ticket on the UK side though (from central London or the sticks like Cambridge or Norwich like Alderbran says) you may as well buy NS day tickets on the boat for €17, that's cheaper for me and I live about 20 miles from London.

My single ticket to harwich int is £22.60 or £31,60 for 1 month open return then the journey from the hook to roermond is 23 euro then another 23 euro coming home so thats quite a fair chunk of money.

I was also working out that flying to ams is a cheaper way but then you add train ticket or gatwick flyer its not as cheap as you think.Also the main thing i like stenaline for is night sailings and you get to the dam nice and early.

The difference in fare between foot passenger only, and adding the rail tickets on both sides, is only £33 or so. Deducting the €34 value of the two NS tickets if bought on the boat, the UK rail option is costing me about £8 (£4 each way)....a bargain!



That would be ideal for using these NS day tickets. Like you say, just looking at the ticket costs it will usually be cheaper to fly, but the night sailings give me extra time in Amsterdam, basically functioning as a cheap hotel room on the way over and the way back.

I think Eurostar are planning to start a direct London - Amsterdam service within the next year or two, the only downside is that on the way back it will probably involve getting off the train at Lille for immigration checks. Might be a nice option though, saves changing trains at Brussels......haven't done Eurostar for years.

I like the eurostar if i was doing that route i would do a nights stop in brussels.I never like to do to many journeys in one day eurostar then thayls was always a nice journey.

One time back in the day i forget what station but there was a major power cut after 2hrs waiting on train they said all off for replacement buses lol.The taxis outside was waiting shouting 50 euro to antwerp.I got lucky there was 3 guys in suits and i team up with them and cab ride back to midi station cost 25 euro each.Missed my eurostar train but they was really helpfull and put me in the next train and upgraded me to 1st class free of charge after we checked in all the buses was arriving and a couple of hundred people so i got really lucky then.

Also just looking at prices stenaline without rail is 104 return with cabins on night sail with the rail allin its £158 difference if £54.

Looking at tickets both sides would be £63 total so a saving o £5.

I think stenaline is better value for familes with lots of luggage plus more fun and less stress for the kids.

You say less stress but I find that damn gangway farce very stressful. Must be a year or so since the piece of crap collapsed. It was the same when they originally ordered it from Spain, over a year to arrive and then half the time it didn't work. I have friends in the building industry who could have knocked up a temporary one in a few days. If I have to clamber on that crowded old bus again with two huge bags in amongst lorries and cars I will scream. Rant over.

Comparing prices for the outward journey of a return trip on a Saturday night sailing in January:

Harwich - Hook (no train tickets) £36.50
Harwich - Hook + rail ticket on Dutch side only £43
Harwich - Hook + rail ticket for both UK & Holland £49

(+ £30 for a cabin)

So a return night sailing with rail-sail-rail is £158 if booked well in advance (with slight increases in fares on busier sailings; e.g I often pay £53 instead of £49 for a Saturday night sailing in summer).

I usually add the breakfast option, it's £10 which is not too bad compared to a hotel breakfast (better than arriving in Amsterdam feeling tired and grumpy from hunger.....although I could stop to eat something at Rotterdam station I suppose). The only bad thing is when the ship is really busy and you are stood around with a tray, waiting to get your coffee while somebody seems to be filling cups for a family of 8......but the trip wouldn't be the same without the ritual of an insanely early breakfast, and there are usually some cute, sleepy Dutch girls wandering about, fresh from the shower....

Don't forget to use your Stena Xtra points if you go often. Earn / use them on bookings, food and general shop purchases excluding tobacco.

That's true, although they recently dropped the rewards value from 10% to 5%.

I did quite a few trips before I realised that the "Compass Points" scheme (as it was then) was actually worth joining...

I would like to do the daytime sailing harwich to the hook without the cost of the cabins.I just dont like the thought of the train journey getting to harwich so early.


1st train is 0556 arrives 0741 but theres 4 changes on route sommink could easy going wrong boat sails at 9am would probaly be fine but i would just be to worrid about a delay on train that time of day.