Here's what it's like to take the 4-hour train journey on Eurostar from London to Amsterdam

The interior of a Eurostar carriage.Grace Dean/Insider

• I spent almost $200 to take the Eurostar from London to Amsterdam and it took four and a half hours.
• The train was very clean and modern and I could even go to a duty free shop at St Pancras station.

I can't count how many hours I've spent on trains. I grew up taking the train to school and to visit friends, and as someone who doesn't drive I use it for almost all of my trips in the UK. But recently I took the Eurostar for the first time to travel from London to Amsterdam.

The interior of a Eurostar carriage.      Grace Dean/Insider

The Eurostar departs from St. Pancras, right next to King's Cross station in central London.

St. Pancras station.      Grace Dean/Insider

Though St. Pancras is known mainly for its Eurostar connections, it also serves a variety of destinations in England.

St. Pancras has more than a dozen platforms.      Grace Dean/Insider

Eurostar gates at St. Pancras close 30 minutes before the train departs. There were huge Tube strikes on the day I traveled, and I arrived just a few minutes after the gates closed.

Tube stations were closed on the day I traveled.      Grace Dean/Insider

But I wasn't the only passenger with this problem, and Eurostar staff at the station were switching people onto later services. I hadn't expected this as it wasn't the company's fault I failed to arrive with enough time to make it through security.

My Eurostar boarding pass.      Grace Dean/Insider

Three other train operators offer services from St. Pancras ...

The platforms at St. Pancras.      Grace Dean/Insider

... but Eurostar has a separate section in the station. This included customer service desks and counters where you could buy and collect tickets.

Eurostar ticket counters at St. Pancras.      Grace Dean/Insider

Tickets are scanned at the barriers before passing through security like at airports. Passengers also get their passports stamped. Despite a long queue, it was relatively fast-moving, and the process only took about 30 minutes.

Eurostar security at St. Pancras.      Grace Dean/Insider

Then you're through to the waiting area for Eurostar passengers. The company advises Eurostar advises arriving 90 minutes before your train departs, so I had a while to wait.

Eurostar waiting area at St. Pancras.      Grace Dean/Insider

It was very similar to being in an airport lounge, with departure screens dotted about.

Eurostar waiting area at St. Pancras.      Grace Dean/Insider

There was a coffee shop with quite a long line ...

Eurostar waiting area at St. Pancras.      Grace Dean/Insider

... as well as a duty-free store, which I hadn't expected to see.

Eurostar waiting lounge at St. Pancras.      Grace Dean/Insider

The waiting area was busy – it seemed that a lot of people planned to travel that day, and the room was littered with suitcases too. About 20 minutes before our train to Amsterdam was due to leave, the screens updated and said we could start boarding.

Eurostar waiting area at St. Pancras.      Grace Dean/Insider

The interior of the train had a dark blue color scheme with hints of yellow, like the Eurostar logo.

The interior of a Eurostar carriage.      Grace Dean/Insider

The seats were arranged as pairs on either side of the aisle ...

The interior of a Eurostar carriage.      Grace Dean/Insider

... with small tables that fold down. There were also small foot rests, though I didn't find mine very comfy.

The interior of a Eurostar carriage.      Grace Dean/Insider

A few seats in each carriage were arranged in fours around a small table, although each passenger could extend the table out a little.

The interior of a Eurostar carriage.      Grace Dean/Insider

The train was really clean. Eurostar has three travel classes – standard, standard premier, and business premier. I opted for the former.

The interior of a Eurostar carriage.      Grace Dean/Insider

There were racks at the ends of each carriage for passengers to store suitcases, big bags, and foldable bikes ...

The luggage racks in a Eurostar carriage.      Grace Dean/Insider

... as well as racks above the seats where you could put smaller bags and coats. Unlike on a plane, you didn't have to pay extra for large luggage – passengers in standard class can bring two pieces of luggage plus hand luggage for free.

The luggage racks in a Eurostar carriage.      Grace Dean/Insider

Source: Eurostar

My train stopped off at four destinations: Lille, France; Brussels, Belgium; Rotterdam, and Amsterdam, both in The Netherlands.

The screens on board a Eurostar train.      Grace Dean/Insider

Messages on screens throughout the train told you information such as the time, the next stop, the train's maximum speed, and the length of the tunnel ...

The screens on board a Eurostar train.      Grace Dean/Insider

... switching between English, French, and Dutch. Announcements were made in all three languages, too.

The screens on board a Eurostar train.      Grace Dean/Insider

The Eurostar also had a cafe on board, but it only sold food and drink to take back to your seat. It accepted payment in both euros and pounds.

The cafe on board a Eurostar train.      Grace Dean/Insider

When I first went to the cafe at around 1:20 p.m., I was told that its staff was on break. I returned after 10 minutes and ordered the risotto but was told there wasn't any left. I opted for a falafel sandwich, brownie, and orange juice under its 10.20 euro ($10.22) meal deal. I thought that was expensive but not entirely unexpected.

My lunch on the train.      Grace Dean/Insider

There were restrooms at the end of each carriage. They looked very much like normal train toilets – but I'd expected them to be a bit nicer given the price of the tickets and the length of Eurostar journeys.

Eurostar journey London to Amsterdam      Grace Dean/Insider

The train did have free WiFi, but it was very unreliable. I kept losing my connection and ultimately gave up.

The interior of a Eurostar carriage.      Grace Dean/Insider

Instead, I passed my time reading a book. Other passengers spent the journey talking with fellow travelers, reading, sleeping, and watching films and TV shows. I presumed they downloaded the video to watch offline.

I read during the journey.      Grace Dean/Insider

I also tried to enjoy the view, but most of it wasn't very exciting, especially when we passed through the Channel Tunnel and could only see darkness.

The view wasn't inspiring.      Grace Dean/Insider

Most of the other passengers looked like groups of friends and family, alongside a few solo travelers. They were largely dressed in casual clothing and looked like holidaymakers. Because it was a Monday morning train, I had expected there to be more people in business attire working on their laptops, but maybe they were in business class.

The interior of a Eurostar carriage.      Grace Dean/Insider

I enjoyed the journey – until we got to Rotterdam, where we had a long stop. Upon arrival, an announcement on the train warned us of "pickpockets and luggage thieves" known to operate in the area. I dashed over to check on my suitcase, but thankfully it hadn't been taken. I had never heard a warning like this before on a train and it made me feel quite unsafe.

The luggage racks in a Eurostar carriage.      Grace Dean/Insider

But that was the only incident I had during the journey. Other than that, my first trip on the Eurostar was similar to any other train journey I'd been on, apart from the fact that it took four and a half hours. At almost $200, it was more expensive than flying – but it included up to two large suitcases and took me between two city-center stations, rather than airports on the outskirts. Train travel also has a much smaller carbon footprint.

The interior of a Eurostar carriage.      Grace Dean/Insider

I'd definitely travel on the Eurostar again, but I plan to keep my eyes peeled for discounts and special offers. And next time, I won't travel on a Tube strike day.

The interior of a Eurostar carriage.      Grace Dean/Insider