Dutch Flyer Validity and Information

I'm thinking of doing the Dutch Flyer in June and have a few questions, which I'm hoping the experts on here may be able to help with.

The website says valid from any Greater Anglia station. Does this mean any station that's served by Greater Anglia or just those that are managed by them? Specifically I was thinking off traveling from Peterborough on a GA service to Ipswich and then onwards to Harwich is this allowed?

Is a break of journey permitted as I would like to go to the shops and get something to eat in Ipswich before continuing to Harwich.

On the night sailing does anyone know what time you are woken up and therefore how much sleep you actually get?


Alternatively is the day sailing any good? Do you need a cabin and if not do you have to carry your luggage round the ship?

Thank you for any information and advice provided.

I’ve used Greater Anglia services from Peterborough on this ticket more than once, no problems. But they’re only every 2 hours and you can’t use other train company services (EM for example).
I’ve also broken my journey at Ipswich for food, just asked the barrier staff, showed my printed Dutch Flyer ticket, and they were fine.
You generally get woken by “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin over the speakers, in time to shower and get to breakfast. 6.30 local time when going to Hoek I think. Will check my notes from last time. Edit: in 2024 it was 0642 repeated at 0700, but I was expecting 0630, and had set my alarm for 0628 in anticipation, as it was on the dot of 0630 in 2023.
Foot passengers are generally let off at about 8 at Hoek, and if you’re first off, you stand a slim chance of getting the 0820-ish metro into Schiedam/Rotterdam.
And the metro takes contactless bank cards.

eastwestdivide said:

And the metro takes contactless bank cards.

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A 2-hour ticket is cheaper though, especially if you use the metro further than Schiedam.

STINT47 said:

On the night sailing does anyone know what time you are woken up and therefore how much sleep you actually get?


Alternatively is the day sailing any good? Do you need a cabin and if not do you have to carry your luggage round the ship?

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At the moment I'm doing this (the night sailing) a few times a month, and what eastwestdivide says is right — at Hoek van Holland you are woken by Bobby McFerrin around 06.30 Dutch time, so be aware that it's only 05.30 UK time, i.e. it's worth going to sleep earlier the night before, to get enough sleep. I usually aim to board before 21.00, so there's time to have something to eat and then go to sleep before the actual departure around 23.00. If you want to save walking with heavy luggage it's worth being at the back of the train at Manningtree, to be close to the lift at Harwich.

On arriving into HvH you have 90 minutes between the wake-up call and disembarkation, whereas in the other direction there's only 60 minutes. There is security screening at Harwich when travelling to the Netherlands, but not in the other direction. I don't know why.

It's definitely possible to get through passport control and to the Hoek van Holland metro platform very quickly as long as you are near the front of the foot passenger queue on board. You have to go down from deck 9 to deck 7 which if your luggage is not too heavy/awkward, is faster on the stairs than the lift. Once so far I have managed to get the 08.10 metro, but usually it's been the 08.30 just because of the time taken to walk down the long passage from the ship to the passport control.

I have not done the day sailing, but there's a luggage storage room to the side of one of the café lounges with a sign saying it's at your own risk, so I presume that's where people store bags for the day crossing if they don't get a cabin.

About the tickets, my experience so far has been:

- it's worth printing the Stena email rather than just showing it on your phone, because of the awkwardness of scrolling and zooming and the email formatting
- most GA staff, on trains and at barriers will take one glance and OK it immediately; I have only had one person so far (at Norwich) who more thoroughly checked the dates. And one person who said he'd never seen anything like that before, but asked me whether I'd been let through the barriers with it before, and when I said yes he said "OK then!" and let me through.

I've done this by day and night. I must say that the day crossing seemed very long, but it's down to personal preference, and how the specific timings work for you. If you have no time constraints it is a lot cheaper, but if you'd be paying for overnight accomodation anyway the night crossing is pretty good value.

Day cabins can be quite cheap if you want the peace and quiet and a snooze or are worried about security. Night time heading east - I'd reiterate the point about getting an early night due to the time difference and wake up call.

Food and drink onboard is a bit pricey so if you're on a budget and don't want a hot meal its good to take your own.

Dan_Lockton said:

If you want to save walking with heavy luggage it's worth being at the back of the train at Manningtree, to be close to the lift at Harwich.

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...and for anyone arriving from London and Colchester direction the lift at Manningtree is towards the front of the train (roughly coach 3 IIRC), useful if the connection to the Harwich branch train from Manningtree is a bit tight.

At Harwich International (in old money Parkeston Quay hence HPQ) the lift to the bridge over to the terminal is indeed near the back of the train from Manningtree.

When I travelled in mid March the moving walkways from the terminal to the ferry at both Harwich and HvH were barricaded off and not moving. Whether or not short term I don't know.

Hello all, I'm thinking of travelling from NL to the Sandringham Concerts in August on a Wed/Thu and taking the ferry. Does anyone have any hints / advice about catching the train to Kings Lynn after the night ferry? One arrives at 6.30 am and there's a train to Kings Lynn at 7.09 (3 changes via Ely with a 3 min change at Manningtree) or a 7.45 train via Cambridge.
Which is a nicer ride/ train? Check in at Sandringham is 1 pm so no rush.
Is 1st class worth the extra
I assume a 1 hour change at Cambridge is preferable to a 3 min change in Manningtree and 1 hour change in Ely buy have never been to either stations.
Any advice appreciated!

https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/tickets-fares/discounts/rail-and-sail-holland says

• Tickets are available for travel to and from Harwich International and any station served by Greater Anglia trains.
  Stations such as Peterborough, which are not operated by Greater Anglia but are served by Greater Anglia trains, are included, but only Greater Anglia trains may be used. All main line services on the London to Harwich route are operated by Greater Anglia.

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This means you can use the ticket to get to from Harwich International to Ely. You will then need another ticket for Ely to Kings Lynn.

Personally, I would get the 7.45 to Cambridge. Its a Class 755 from Stadler. Some of these have 3 cars. Others have 4. The 3 car ones accelerate particularly quickly in electric mode, and there is a 100mph speed limit on (some of?) the line from Ipswich to Stowmarket.

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/fastest-accelerating-mus-in-the-uk.211814/page-4#post-4890549 has these performance figures:

1. 755/3 0-60mph in 27s 0-90mph in 56s, 0-100mph in 69s (electric mode)
2. 755/4 0-60mph in 32s 0-90mph in 66s and 0-100mph in 85s (electric mode)
4. Class 745/1 0-60mph in 38s - 0-90mph in 80s, 0-100mph in 103s - fastest 100mph Intercity unit?

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If you have an hour to kill on the journey, then this is a nice 20 minute walk from Ely station to the cathedral

NickenWerner said:

Is 1st class worth the extra

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Not on those routes.

NickenWerner said:

I assume a 1 hour change at Cambridge is preferable to a 3 min change in Manningtree and 1 hour change in Ely buy have never been to either stations.
Any advice appreciated!

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2 minutes is the official connecting time at Manningtree, but you have to use the subway, and the Norwich train won't wait.
You will make the 0709, so rather than hang around at Harwich I would try for the connection - the worst case is ending up on the 0745 from Ipswic.
Either way, as you have time in hand I would second a visit to Ely - wonderful cathedral, nice town - though Lynn is also nice.