Eurostar is the exclusive high-speed train service that links London to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and the rest of Europe at speeds of up to 186 mph (300 km/h).

As of 2026, there is no direct high-speed train that runs from London all the way to Germany, but the journey is easily completed with a single, seamless transfer. The fastest way is to take the Eurostar from London St. Pancras International to Brussels-Midi in Belgium, which takes approximately 2 hours. Once in Brussels, you can transfer to either a Deutsche Bahn ICE (Intercity-Express) train or a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) train heading to German cities like Cologne (Köln), Düsseldorf, or Frankfurt. The second leg from Brussels to Cologne takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes, making the total travel time from central London to western Germany roughly 4 to 5 hours including the transfer. In 2026, Eurostar has fully integrated its "Red" (continental) and "Blue" (London) fleets, allowing for more streamlined ticketing. While there have been long-standing proposals for a direct "ICE" service from London to Frankfurt via the Channel Tunnel, regulatory hurdles and security requirements at London St. Pancras mean the transfer in Brussels or Paris remains the standard route for this high-speed rail journey.