Instead of heading to the airport for a budget flight or booking multiple train tickets, the London to Amsterdam service will make the journey smoother than ever.

So how will this new route work?

Details on the London-Amsterdam train route

You will now be able to hop on the train at St. Pancras in the heart of London and ride straight to Amsterdam Central Station in a little less than four hours (3 hours and 41 minutes to be exact). The London to Amsterdam route will use the new e320 trains that we’re launched in 2015 and feature free Wi-Fi and plugs for your devices at every seat.

After you go through Passport control at St. Pancras International, you can sit back and relax until you get to Amsterdam. Order a croissant and coffee or a sandwich and glass of wine in the cafe car. Travelers will be happy to know they won’t have to switch trains in Brussels or anywhere else along the way on their trip to Amsterdam.

How to get €35 tickets

Budget travelers can rejoice as well because tickets for the new London-Amsterdam trip start at €35. Seats for this special promotion go on sale on February 20th, so mark your calendar if you want to score this super cheap deal. There will be two trains a day heading out from London at 8:31 am and 5:31 pm. Arrive in Amsterdam just in time for lunch with the morning train or an evening cocktail with the late afternoon train. Check eurostar.com for the latest updates.

Hotels in London and Amsterdam

Make your journey even easier by booking a hotel within a quick walking distance of St. Pancras International in the King’s Cross neighborhood or Amsterdam Central Station. You’ll never have to worry about being late for your train. Since it’s an international trip, just make sure you show up at least 30 minutes before your departure time (45 minutes on holidays and weekends) for the check-in and Passport control.

More travel tips for Europe
• The cheapest way between London & Paris: Planes, trains & buses from £10
• Should you fly or take a train around Europe?
• French Train Tips: How to find cheap TGV tickets

The post Eurostar is launching a new London-Amsterdam route with €35 tickets appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

After all, during his first-ever visit to Europe in June 2001, the presidential itinerary featured Spain, Sweden and Slovenia – or perhaps it was Slovakia. Even Dubya himself was a shade uncertain, but he did a grand job in covering up his doubts.

From Vaduz to Vilnius

In any case, given the fact that most visitors to Europe have only the haziest notion about their intended destinations, alphabetical tourism makes perfect sense. The Netherlands and Norway one year, Poland and Portugal the next.

For urban types, the principal of alphabetical tourism can be extended to capital cities. Tallinn and Tirana find themselves nicely allied as travel partners. And the letter V throws up an improbable handful of desirable spots: Vaduz, Valletta, Vatican City, Vienna, and Vilnius (which if visited in a single long trip, would reveal a peculiarly Catholic Europe).

Think L: Liechtenstein and Luxembourg

For “first timers” to Europe we really think “L” is the place to start. Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg make up the perfect foursome for Europe novices.

Latvia and Lithuania are an object lesson in just how different neighbouring states can be. And Liechtenstein and Luxembourg are among the most perfect countries on the entire continent, both heaving with interest, yet each small enough that the visitor can have a sense of coming to grips with the issues of culture, identity, and language that make up nationhood.

We happen to be great fans of both Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, and were in both countries only last month. If there were an award for the countries on the planet with the finest public transport, it would be shared by Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. Amazing bus services, and in both countries you can travel for a pittance across the entire national bus network (in each case it is just €4 for a one-day ticket).

Trains, too!

The Princesse Marie-Astrid approaches Wasserbillig in Luxembourg.

And both countries have trains, too. Who ever would have thought that Luxembourg could boast more than sixty train stations? Tiny Liechtenstein packs a punch with four train stations, including at Schaanwald, one of the most handsome little station buildings in the Alps. And, what’s more, it’s a border station–the first stop on the line from Austria after the train crosses the Liechtenstein border.

It is too easy to write off Europe’s small countries as undeserving of a visit. We beg to differ. Liechtenstein and Luxembourg are both perfectly formed, and each country deserves a thorough exploration. There are few better European days than listening to cowbells in the Liechtenstein Alps above Vaduz or cruising up the River Moselle in Luxembourg on the Princesse Marie-Astrid.

So if you don’t know Europe from A to Z, think L. It’s as good a place as any to embark on alphabetical tourism. And from there it is an easy hop to M for next year’s tour, with a neat fivesome: Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, and Montenegro.

The post Alphabetical Tourism: Europe from A to Z, and especially L appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.