British Railways cross channel ferries.

[markskoda]

Travelling on the Hook Continental from Liverpool Street to Parkeston Quay where the night ferry to Holland was waiting, made a great impression on me during my 1960's boyhood. The s.s. Amsterdam or the s.s. Arnhem were pretty small by today's standards. Mahogany and brass fittings. Stewards in crisp white starched coats. Wheezing air ducts. Only 3 or 4 cars craned into the hold.
At The Hook there were big gleaming trains direct to points all over the Continent. The Rheingold. The Harz Mountains Express with through carriages to Warsaw and Moscow. The Scandinavia Express to name but a few.

 

[Greenback]

I used the Harwich - Hoek route a lot in the 1980's. There always seemed to be a lot of aquaddies on the overnight ships! The biggest impression I was left with was the bloke serving in the bar of the Dutch ship who looked like the man from Boney M!

I loved arriving at 'The Hook' and seeing/hearing the destinations served by the trains that were sitting in the platforms waiting to transport you all over the continent. If I took the day service it was even better, seeing the line up of overnight trains to exotic places, with their sleepers waiting to whisk people away.

I never did anything more exciting than travelling to Amsterdam or Rotterdam though!

 

[kylemore]

In 1990 I went from the Hook to Berlin off the overnight ferry arriving at Zoo station at about 7pm dodging the heroin addicts to the exit and with nowhere to stay! That was an adventure!

 

[markskoda]

I haven't travelled this route for years. I believe that there is a local train connection now from Hoek van Holland to Rotterdam, where one can join the express network. All the named trains have been withdrawn in this age of the car ferry.

 

[Greenback]

Yes, the local trains have been running ever since I made my first trip. You have to use those and change in Rotterdam to get anywhere else.