Get ready, London! Eurostar is about to make your European adventures a whole lot easier (and a lot more sustainable). The rail operator has just announced plans for direct services from London St Pancras to two more stops in Europe outside of its current ones to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam!
With no more faffing about the flight delays, airport queues and painful layovers, you’ll soon be able to hop on a train in central London and step off in the heart of Germany and Switzerland!
Eurostar direct trains: London to Germany and Switzerland
Eurostar is rolling out direct trains from London to Frankfurt and Geneva, with services expected to launch in the early 2030s.
Frankfurt will be just five hours away by train, while Geneva will take about five hours and 20 minutes – plenty of time to binge a podcast, polish off your emails, or just gaze out the window with a croissant in hand.
These new routes will be served by a shiny fleet of up to 50 brand-new trains, part of a £1.7 billion investment to make rail travel the chicest way to cross the continent.
Sustainable travel: greener alternatives to flying
Eurostar’s CEO, Gwendoline Cazenave, says there’s a huge demand for sustainable travel from both business and leisure passengers. With companies and eco-conscious Londoners looking for alternatives to short-haul flights, these new routes could be a game-changer.
The move is also a bold response to growing competition from airlines and other rail operators, with Eurostar aiming to spark a “new golden age of international sustainable travel”.
Eurostar Route Details: London St Pancras to Frankfurt and Geneva
While details such as intermediate stops – potentially including Cologne or Paris Charles de Gaulle and boarding options en route remain undecided, Eurostar is working with partners to overcome logistical challenges like border controls and track access. The new direct trains from London to Germany and Switzerland are expected to transform rail connectivity across Europe.
What would be the prices for Eurostar to Frankfurt and Geneva?
Expect fares to start around £59 each way if you book in advance and don’t mind a bit of flexibility, but as with all things Eurostar, prices can climb fast.
So what does this mean for Londoners? No more schlepping to the airport at the crack of dawn or wrestling with hand luggage restrictions. Instead, picture yourself gliding from St Pancras to the heart of Europe, city centre to city centre, with WiFi, snacks, and zero turbulence.
With up to four trains a day to Frankfurt and three to Geneva, you’ll have plenty of options for your next business meeting, ski trip, or spontaneous Euro-weekend.
Eurostar’s expansion also means more frequent trains to Amsterdam (a fourth daily train launches in September, a fifth in December) and extra services to Paris, so your European bucket list just got a little easier to tackle.
Whether you’re a business traveller, a ski season regular, or just someone who loves a good city break, this is big news. So dust off your passport, start plotting your next adventure, and get ready to say “auf Wiedersehen” to airport stress.