Eurostar will launch a new direct high-speed rail service from London St Pancras to Antwerp, Belgium, on December 14, cutting the journey to just over two and a half hours.
The service connects London directly to the ancient port city on the River Scheldt, avoiding the current route that requires travellers to change trains in Brussels and takes around three hours and 15 minutes.
Five daily direct services with fares from £51
Eurostar will operate five scheduled direct services from St Pancras to Antwerp each day, with one-way fares available for as little as £51. Tickets are already on sale.
Direct trains depart London at 06:16, 08:16, 11:04, 15:04 and 18:04, arriving in Antwerp at 09:57, 11:57, 14:57, 18:59 and 21:57 respectively.
For travellers willing to take a train with one change, which can sometimes be cheaper, daily departures are at 07:04, 09:01, 13:04, 17:04 and 19:34, arriving at 11:36, 13:36, 17:36, 21:36 and 23:53.
Return journey requires a connection in Brussels
While the outbound journey is direct, the inbound route is not, because Antwerpen-Centraal has no dedicated UK border and customs facilities, and there is no plan for one in the near future.
Customers travelling from Antwerp to London can book a combined SNCB and Eurostar ticket on eurostar.com, connecting via Brussels-Midi where UK border and security checks take place.
A growing destination for culture and winter breaks
Antwerp dates back to the Middle Ages and is often overlooked in favour of Brussels and Bruges. The city received a record 3.18 million overnight stays in 2025, compared with Brussels' 9.8 million and Bruges' 8 million day-and-overnight tourists in 2024.
The city is known for its Flemish-Renaissance architecture, its Old Town, and its reputation as the 'world's diamond capital'. Attractions include the 19th-century central train station, the Plantin-Moretus Museum, which has UNESCO status, and the MoMu fashion museum.
Antwerp is also a major international fashion city, known for the Antwerp Six, a group of avant-garde graduates, and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Visitors can head to Grote Markt, the city square with restaurants, cafés, the Renaissance City Hall and the Brabo Fountain. In winter, the old city quarter hosts a Christmas market and ice rink running from December 4, 2026 to January 3, 2027.
Borgerhout, a trendy creative hub in northeast Antwerp, is one of the coolest places in the world. Locals call it 'BoHo', and it is known for its vegan coffee bars, leafy terraces and DIY spirit. Visitors can explore the city by renting a bike through Antwerp's bike-sharing system, Velo Antwerpen.
