Eurostar vs flying to Europe's Christmas markets

The routes at a glance

Eurostar runs direct from London St Pancras to Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam. Bruges, Cologne and Strasbourg need a change of train. The times below are the in-train times Eurostar gives for each route, checked in November 2026. Remember that clocks on the continent are an hour ahead of the UK, so the arrival time on your ticket will look an hour later than the journey time.

Door-to-door time: where the train wins

A flight to Brussels or Paris is short in the air, but the time around it adds up. You travel out to the airport, arrive two to three hours before departure, fly, then take a train or bus from the destination airport into the city. On short routes, those extra stages often take longer than the flight itself.

With Eurostar you start and finish in the city centre. Eurostar asks Standard and Plus passengers to arrive at St Pancras 75 minutes before departure, and gates close 30 minutes before. Premier passengers can arrive 45 minutes ahead. If you live in London or near a good rail link to St Pancras, that typically puts Brussels and Paris within about four hours door to door, and the Brussels markets are a short walk or tram ride from the station.

Amsterdam is closer to a draw. The train takes nearly four hours, while flights are short and Schiphol has fast rail links to the centre. Many people still choose the train for the simpler departure and the lack of airport queues, but if you live near a regional airport with a direct flight, flying can be quicker.

Cologne and Strasbourg are where flying can make more sense on time alone. Both rail journeys involve a change, and Strasbourg takes around six hours. If you fly, check which airport you would land at and how long the transfer into the city takes, as it is not always the closest one.

Check-in and border checks

Both ways of travelling now involve the EU Entry/Exit System, which registers non-EU travellers' fingerprints and a photo. For Eurostar passengers, this happens at St Pancras before departure, as the French border check takes place in London. For flights, it happens on arrival at the destination airport. Either way, your first trip after the system started may take longer, so allow extra time.

Eurostar's arrival times are guidance and may change, so check the time printed on your ticket. On the way back, arrival advice varies by station: Eurostar suggests 75 to 90 minutes at Paris Gare du Nord and Amsterdam Centraal for Standard passengers, and 45 to 60 minutes at Brussels-Midi/Zuid. December weekends are busy, so aim for the earlier end of those ranges.

If you miss the gate closing time, Eurostar can charge a fee to move you to a later train, so this is not the trip to cut fine.

Luggage: a clear win for the train

Christmas market trips tend to come home heavier than they went out, with gifts, food and bottles. Eurostar is far more relaxed about luggage than most airlines.

Standard and Plus passengers can take two main bags plus one small item, and Premier passengers three. Bags on London routes can be up to 85cm long. There is no set weight limit as long as you can carry the bag yourself, and there are no strict liquid limits, although some alcohol restrictions apply. Pushchairs travel free.

With low-cost airlines, a cabin bag beyond a small under-seat item, or any hold luggage, usually costs extra, and hold bags have weight limits. Liquids in hand luggage are also restricted at airport security. Add those charges before comparing fares, especially if you plan to bring back wine, beer or cheese.

Fares and when they rise

Eurostar's lowest advertised Standard fares were £39 one way to Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam when we checked in November 2026, and Eurostar advertised Cologne from £48 one way. These are starting prices based on limited seats, and December weekends sell much higher.

Eurostar tickets usually go on sale 10 to 11 months ahead. A Which? analysis of fare data, published in 2024, found that Eurostar prices stayed broadly flat from release until about three months before departure, then rose sharply. Its average one-way fares to Brussels were around £67 six months out, £74 three months out and £128 a week before. The pattern is likely to be similar this winter, so for early December markets, book by early September if you can.

Midweek trains are usually cheaper than Friday and Sunday departures. Standard and Plus tickets can be changed free of charge up to one hour before departure, paying any fare difference, which is useful if you book early and plans shift.

Flight fares follow their own pattern, and a cheap headline fare can rise once bags and seats are added. Compare the total for your group, including travel to and from both airports.

Carbon: the train produces far less

The UK government's own journey emissions guidance shows how large the gap can be. In its worked example for London to Glasgow, the train produced about 28kg of CO2 equivalent per passenger against about 108kg for the flight, before counting some additional effects of flying. That is a domestic route rather than a Channel crossing, so treat it as an illustration of scale rather than an exact figure for your trip.

Practical tips for a December trip

Christmas market season is one of the busiest times of year on both trains and planes into these cities, and a little planning makes a big difference.

• Book onward trains early. Belgian connections for Bruges usually go on sale four to eight months ahead, German ICE trains for Cologne around 90 days ahead and French TGVs for Strasbourg around 120 days ahead, according to Eurostar. Booking the whole trip together means your ticket covers the connection.
• Leave a sensible gap when changing trains. For Strasbourg, the walk from Gare du Nord to Gare de l'Est takes about 10 minutes, and TGV doors close two minutes before departure, so do not book the tightest connection on offer.
• Get to St Pancras early on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings in December, when queues for security and passport checks are longest.
• If you fly, check the last train or bus from the destination airport into the city for late arrivals, and what a taxi would cost if you miss it.
• Check the market's own opening dates before you book travel. Some markets close before Christmas Day and others run into January.
• Pack for standing outdoors in the cold for several hours. Many market evenings are spent on your feet, and a small backpack is easier in crowds than a large bag.
• Keep your passport valid for the Schengen rules. It must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive and expire at least three months after the day you plan to leave. Check GOV.UK before you travel.

Which should you choose?

• Brussels and Paris from London or the South East: Eurostar, almost always. It is quicker door to door and much simpler with luggage.
• Bruges: Eurostar plus a Belgian train. Allow for the change at Brussels-Midi/Zuid.
• Amsterdam: either works. Choose the train for simplicity and luggage, or fly if you live near an airport with a direct route.
• Cologne: the train is a comfortable day's journey with one change. Flying can be quicker from outside the South East.
• Strasbourg: the train takes about six hours with a station change in Paris. Compare flights carefully, including the airport transfer.
• From Scotland, the North or the Midlands: a direct flight from your nearest airport often beats travelling to London first. Compare both on a door-to-door basis.

Frequently asked questions

Route guides for this trip