The fresh air express from Amsterdam to London

Simon Calder’s Travel Week [SUBSCRIBE]( [SUBSCRIBE: £1 FOR 3 MONTHS]( January 27, 2023 [View in browser](   [The Independent]( [The Independent]( “The need for mobility in Europe is stronger than ever.” So says Gwendoline Cazenave, Eurostar's new boss. Yet the prospects for persuading British travellers to the Continent to switch from air to rail look weaker than ever – because of Brexit. Crowded house: Eurostar's constrained London home, St Pancras International On Tuesday I caught the 8.16am from London St Pancras International to Brussels to meet the cross-Channel rail operator’s chief executive. Given the timing, I was surprised how many empty seats there were on a rush-hour train. Ms Cazenove later explained why: [Eurostar reluctantly keeps 350 out of 900 seats on each train empty]( on peak departures. Any more than 550 passengers and the passport queues could become unmanageable, delaying trains and wrecking the schedule. This applies at the key Continental cities – Brussels and Paris – as well as London. For every three tickets that are sold, two seats must remain unoccupied. From Amsterdam the limits are even lower: just 250 people are allowed on each train to London, leaving 72 per cent of the train empty on departure from the Dutch capital (though a further 175 passengers can be picked up at Rotterdam, and some more at Brussels). Brexit means Eurostar is moving vast quantities of fresh air rather than people between London and Continental Europe while airlines fill their planes. As a member of the European Union, the UK helped devise the rules for “third-country nationals”: stamped in and out by EU frontier officials, and possibly questioned about their intentions and income. After the vote to leave, the government negotiated for British travellers to become subject to those rules. The extra red tape demanded by the UK means it takes far longer to process British passengers. The Eurostar terminal at St Pancras was never designed to be a hard EU external border. Full trains and full checks are mutually exclusive. Eurostar has cut a dozen trains a day from its pre-Brexit schedule yet is unable to sell the remaining inventory due to constraints on space at the grand stations it serves. At the same time, says Eurostar's CEO: “Demand for travel from the UK is huge.” With the supply of train seats artificially suppressed, the only way is up: for fares, and passengers deflected from rail to air. Next Friday the lowest one-way fare for the Eurostar fresh-air express from Amsterdam to London is £164; easyJet will fly you from Schiphol airport to Gatwick for £54. Just when travellers should shift from planes to trains, Brexit is sending thousands of potential customers flying. Voting to leave the European Union was a perfectly respectable political choice. But it comes with consequences. The proponents of leaving the union are still running the country. They presumably anticipated the snarl-ups resulting from a hard Brexit. When the [EU “Entry-Exit System”]( finally comes into effect (possibly in November), border crossings will become even more sclerotic. Every British traveller entering or leaving the European Union must be photographed and fingerprinted – again at our government’s insistence. Mobility enriches humanity. Our freedom to travel responsibly should not be squandered. Ministers surely have a plan to deal with the mess they have created and to unlock those empty seats: we need to see it now. [Eurostar unveils new rebrand as part of Thalys merger](   [Get inspired...]( [Lovestruck South Africa]( Your type on paper: How to visit Franschhoek like a Love Islander [I'm an image]( Northern star]( Love Greece but know Athens inside out? Dip into its youthful sibling, Thessaloniki [I'm an image]( [Whirlwind Iceland]( Only got a few days to explore? This nifty Peninsula is known as "Iceland in miniature"   Enjoying this newsletter? Unlock unlimited, ad-free reading on the website and in The Independent app when you subscribe – plus, benefit from our [welcome offer when you join today](.   Tip of the week: Istanbul airport gains Metro connection Istanbul’s new airport is finally connected with the city by rail. Trains on Metro line M11 from the aviation hub travel at up to 75mph, covering the 21 miles to Kagithane on the northern edge of the city centre in under half-an-hour. Onward connections by Metro, bus and taxi are available. [Read The Independent's latest guide to an Istanbul city break](   Deal of the week: Cruising Loch Ness for less The Caledonian Canal, linking Inverness with Fort William via Loch Ness, is arguably the UK’s finest waterway. In my experience from two transits, it is best explored aboard a converted barge: either Fingal of Caledonia or Ros Crana, both operated by Caledonian Discovery. Until Tuesday 31 January the firm is offering discounts on its 2023 and 2024 cruises. [Read our guide to the Caledonian Canal](   Question of the week: One step beyond Cuban all-inclusive? Q We are going to Varadero in Cuba for a two-week all-inclusive trip. We want to explore beyond the resort. Where do you recommend? A Varadero has always been Cuba’s leading resort: a beautiful, 20km peninsula with a picture-postcard-perfect strip of beach. Yet escaping into “real” Cuba is rewarding. An excellent place to begin is the port of Cardenas, just 15km from where the Varadero peninsula begins. Visit the market: a massive two-storey affair in the shape of a cross, with a dome at the centre and wrought-iron balustrades. But the main attraction is Havana: a dazzling capital of colour and energy set against a Spanish colonial backdrop. Forego a night of your all-inclusive and stay overnight to make the most of the city. Along the way there or back, call in at the city of Matanzas – known, somewhat ambitiously, as the “Athens of Cuba,” but worth a detour. [How to spend 48 hours in Havana]( STAT OF THE WEEK 24 Percentage [increase in average easyJet fares over Easter 2023](compared with the same spell in 2019 What you might have missed... - Ticket to ride? [Rail penalty for fare-dodging soars]( - Carbon cost: [Aviation industry must be upfront, says CAA]( - Inca retreat: [Tourists have been cleared from Machu Picchu]( SIMON'S DIARY       Every day from Monday to Friday I tackle a top travel story, or explore a topic in more detail than usual in ‘Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast’ – available free on [Spotify](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Pocket Casts]( or [Acast](.         Every day from Monday to Friday I tackle a top travel story, or explore a topic in more detail than usual in ‘Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast’ – available free on [Spotify](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Pocket Casts]( or [Acast](.         I find the easiest way to rush out stories is to tweet them. It’s also an easy way to contact me. My direct messages are open and I read all DMs, though regrettably I can’t respond to every one. Let me know your thoughts [@SimonCalder](         I find the easiest way to rush out stories is to tweet them. It’s also an easy way to contact me. My direct messages are open and I read all DMs, though regrettably I can’t respond to every one. Let me know your thoughts [@SimonCalder](         Each Saturday and Sunday I take questions live at 5.30pm British time on Instagram Live – from wherever I happen to be in the world – so please do come and say hello. Follow me on [@Simon_Calder](         Each Saturday and Sunday I take questions live at 5.30pm British time on Instagram Live – from wherever I happen to be in the world – so please do come and say hello. Please note that on Sunday 29 January I am scheduled to be on a plane at 5pm and therefore likely to begin at 4.30pm. Follow me on [@Simon_Calder](         Or you can find me on TikTok. Come and have a look at what I have been up to as I bring you top travel topics and report on the latest changes in a minute or less via [@caldertravel](         Or you can find me on TikTok. Come and have a look at what I have been up to as I bring you top travel topics and report on the latest changes in a minute or less via [@caldertravel](   INDYBEST / [TRAVEL BEST BUY]( [The best changing robes to throw on after swimming or surfing]( These insulated and waterproof coats will keep you warm and dry. [Click here to read our review.](     Essential reading [Spain's digital nomad visa: How does it work and who can apply?](   Articles available exclusively to subscribers [Following Bob Marley's footsteps in Jamaica](   OTHER NEWSLETTERS YOU MIGHT LIKE [Climate News] Climate News Every Friday, 12pm (UK time) Written by Louise Boyle [Join now]( [IndyEats] IndyEats Every Saturday, 7am (UK time) Written by Hannah Twiggs [Join now]( If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. 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