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There'll be no more changing trains in Brussels for British holiday-makers wanting to take the Eurostar to Amsterdam as the company's brand new route from London St Pancras to the Dutch capital launched today.

The high-speed train made its maiden voyage earlier this year but today marked a milestone as it made its first journey carrying members of the public.

Celebrity chef Raymond Blanc joined the lucky passengers who'd bagged a ticket for the milestone journey, to help mark the occasion. (After all, he is Eurostar's Culinary Director!)

Fares start from £35 each way and are available on the Eurostar website. The new service will include two trains a day, departing at 08.31 and 17.31 respectively.

The train made the record books when it embarked on its inaugural journey back in February.

It departed St Pancras International at 8:30am and reached Brussels in the fastest ever time of 1hr 46mins, before continuing on to Amsterdam via Rotterdam.

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

The journey took a very reasonable three hours 41 minutes with the Eurostar travelling at speeds of up to 300kph to its Dutch destination.

Passengers in standard class will be able to buy Dutch treats including Stroopwaffle biscuits, beer and gin from the buffet car.

Daily Mirror Travel Editor Nigel Thompson was on board and said: "It's a huge step forward for travellers who don't want to fly – and in any case the city centre-to-centre journey time makes it very competitive with the airlines as you avoid the trek to the airport and the tedious hanging around.

"Though I accept if you live some distance outside London this is not necessarily the case and the plane will beat the train from Newcastle, for example.

"The journey out was excellent and on time, also setting a new record for London-Brussels of 1hr 46mins.

"The only drawback at present is that the UK and Dutch governments have yet to agree on the immigration procedure at Amsterdam Centraal.

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"That treaty is not likely to be ready until late 2019, so for now you have to disembark in Brussels on the return journey to go through passport control, adding around an hour to the trip."

If you're planning on treating yourself to Standard or Business Premiere tickets, then you'll also get complimentary Dutch tapas snacks and gin and tonic as well as a cooked breakfast or evening meal.

With fast WiFi, passengers will also be able to access special onboard entertainment including 300hours of Amazon Prime TV shows and movies in English, French and Dutch.

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Check out our round-up of the best cheap hotels in Amsterdam for hidden gems in the city centre that won't break the bank, as well as our guide to the best things to see and do in the city whether you're there for a week or just a long weekend.

The new route comes after Eurostar unveiled its new e320 trains for the London-Brussels route last May.

The new trains, designed by Italian house Pininfarina, boast 20 per cent more capacity than the original Eurostar trains and are expected to be more comfortable, not to mention there's extra perks such as wifi connectivity and onboard entertainment that can be streamed straight to your tablet, laptop or phone.