Travel from London to Netherlands

IF you are indeed leaving from London, I'd do the Eurostar. Book as far out as you can for the best prices as it goes by the same method as airline pricing and last minute tickets are way more expensive. Are you looking directly at the Eurostar website? That is where you should book tickets...not from a 3rd party.

Eurostar Advantages: You are leaving from city center and being delivered to city center. You'll have to figure in transport costs out to whichever airport you want in London as well as transport costs to get in to Amsterdam. Although there is airline style security (things go thru a scanner) there is not a liquid limit so you can bring on water/beverages, food, etc. Makes for a nice picnic time. It's so easy and really is a nice way to travel.

Eurostar Cons: Really, I can't think of any (there may be some but I plead jet lag, hahaha!). Timewise you'd have to count leaving from your hotel, being at the airport 3 hours ahead as it's an International flight so even if the actual "flight" takes less time you are likely spending more time in the long run.

Where in the Netherlands? Eurostar is without doubt more convenient, and if you book in advance I don't think it will be more expensive.

Thanks for your replies!

We are going to do a couple days in Amsterdam then head north to Groningen. I was an exchange student in Uithuizen (north of Groningen) in high school so we're taking our kids to meet my host family. :) So really we could "land" anywhere in the country cause we'll get a week Eurail pass anyways.

I checked Ryan Air and it only goes to Maastricht and Eindhoven, which are also fine, since we'll be taking the train. Total for 5 of us with 5 checked bags (20kg) was about $285 USD. For the Eurostar it was $75/each, so a total of about $375.

I almost feel like the bag weights with the airline will freak me out...plus the time to get to the airport and check in. And I feel like the Eurostar would be fun for the kids...but really I'm completely torn... Not that we have to make our decisions today, but as you both said, sooner would probably be better! :)

Eurostar. Book as early as possible to make it affordable.

It departs from St Pancras Station which is interesting and an adventure in its own right.

If possible try to enjoy a meal in the Booking Office. Not cheap but a gorgeous conversion. It was the actual booking office ( where you got your tickets ).

On the ground level of the station you’ll find food and drink. There’s public art.

There’s a number of YouTube videos on St Pancras.

“ So really we could "land" anywhere in the country cause we'll get a week Eurail pass anyways.”
Have you done the math on this? A Eurail pass is almost never worth the money in the Netherlands. It’s very easy to buy point to point rail tickets in the Netherlands. Trains in the Netherlands are mass transit; trains run frequently, trains can’t sell out, there is free seating and the ticket prices remain the same regardless of when you buy your tickets. For more information see the website of the Dutch national railway company; https://www.ns.nl/en

I checked Ryan Air and it only goes to Maastricht and Eindhoven, which
are also fine, since we'll be taking the train. Total for 5 of us with
5 checked bags (20kg) was about $285 USD. For the Eurostar it was
$75/each, so a total of about $375.

Unless you plan to walk to and from the airports you need to add the cost of airport transportation as well, which is another £50 or so to get to Stanstead from London. And if you buy the Eurostar tickets in advance, the ticket price starts at €57, or €285 for the five of you. Maybe a bit less, I don't know how Eurostar prices child tickets.

Since you asked, I have no favorite for this route. Despite geography, they are not "close" to each other, and don't pair well for a vacation. I would fly directly from the US to Amsterdam if I had specific plans in that area, or fly home on an open jaw from there, if I wanted to hit another country or two.

I haven't taken Eurostar to Amsterdam, which is a newer route for them, and perhaps less business-oriented than Brussels and Paris (?) I make that observation because on the older routes, the day of the week and the time of day, as well as the choice of service level, make a huge difference in advance-purchase discount pricing. Did you explore that? Maybe it's too early, although you're traveling in tourist high season.

In view of past disruptions at Schiphol and Heathrow, I'd think that you should pay extra to take the train. Do not forget mandatory 60 minute or more pre-check in DEADLINE to arrive at the Eurostar terminal in London. (Immigration and Customs before boarding.) This is not capricious or optional.

Be sure you have the latest information about the check-in time for the Eurostar. I know it was one hour in the past, but more recently I've seen references on this forum to 90 minutes, and I believe there have been occasions when people missed trains even when they showed up on time. Maybe things will be going more smoothly by next summer, but it would be disastrous to miss your train and have to buy last-minute replacement tickets. They would be exorbitant.

There is a 3rd more unusual option. It’s the overnight ferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland (operated by Stena Lines).
Harwich is about 1:20 hours by train away from London Liverpool station. Thus, you could have an almost full day in London before moving by train to Harwich and spend the night on the ferry.
Next morning in Hoek van Holland you can ride metro Metro line B to Schiedam and Rotterdam or take the bus along the beaches to The Hague.

We did take the ferry last summer from Holland to England and enjoyed it. We paid about €420 including two 2-bed cabins for 4 persons. If you take a 5 bed family cabin it would be cheaper for your group.
Well, the highlight of that journey is not easily reproduceable, it was the rise of full moon over Rotterdam harbour and the sunrise next morning in Harwich.

And the (possible) lowlight would be seasickness.

Was it hard to sleep? I'm referring to the pre-EU tendency for overnight ferries to be a party scene, along with "tax free" tobacco and alcohol purchases?

I've done the Harwich - Hoek van Holland trip both directions and there wasn't the slightest hint of seasickness among anyone I saw.

No party scene either.

“And the (possible) lowlight would be seasickness”

Oh my word…that brings up (🤢) ghastly memories….Oostend to Dover or Ramsgate. Dec 26, 1974. People vomiting in the aisles and ferry staff just dumped sand on the piles. My brother and I stood outside in the weather to get away from the stench.

Think I’ll go fix dinner now…😏

Was it hard to sleep?

I did sleep very well, there was no loud party scene on board but of course a duty-free shop.
The bar did empty rather quickly, as there were only a few foot-passengers on board and most people had to drive a car early next morning (arrival 6.30 am).