Compare: London→Amsterdam (358 km) vs London→Brussels (321 km). London → Brussels wins by 37 km (10%). Side-by-side with flight & drive times.
By SnapDistance Team
358 km
222 miles · Flight: ~57 min
321 km
199 miles · Flight: ~54 min
✓ Shorter route
Difference: 37 km (10%) · Flight time difference: ~3 min
Verdict
London → Brussels is the smarter pick if travel time and emissions matter most: it is 37 km (10%) shorter, saves about 3 min of flight time, and cuts roughly 9 kg of CO₂ per passenger. Choose London → Amsterdam only if the destination itself is the reason for the trip.
London → Brussels is the shorter route at 321 km, which is 37 km (10%) shorter than London → Amsterdam. You would save approximately 3 min in flight time by choosing the shorter route.
| Metric | London → Amsterdam | London → Brussels |
|---|---|---|
| Distance (km) | 358 | 321 |
| Distance (miles) | 222 | 199 |
| Flight time | ~57 min | ~54 min |
| Driving time | No road estimate | No road estimate |
| Road distance (rough estimate) | Not published | Not published |
| Continuous road link? | No | No |
| Cross-continental | No | No |
| Initial bearing | 73° (ENE) | 101° (ESE) |
| Time-zone shift | +1h | +1h |
| CO₂ – flight (per pax) | ~91 kg | ~82 kg |
| CO₂ – driving (per car) | — | — |
| Fuel cost (est.) | — | — |
Flying from London to Amsterdam produces roughly 91 kg of CO₂ per passenger, based on the ICAO/EEA short-haul emission factor of ~0.255 kg per passenger-km. The London → Brussels flight emits about 82 kg. Choosing the shorter route saves approximately 9 kg of CO₂ per traveler — equivalent to 0 typical tree-years of carbon sequestration.
The London to Amsterdam route covers 358 km (222 miles), staying within Europe. London (population: 8,982,000) is located in England, United Kingdom, while Amsterdam (population: 872,680) is in North Holland, Netherlands.
The London to Brussels route covers 321 km (199 miles), remaining within Europe. London (population: 8,982,000) is in England, United Kingdom, and Brussels (population: 1,209,000) is in Brussels-Capital, Belgium.
Flying from London to Amsterdam takes approximately 57 min, while London to Brussels takes 54 min.
Since both routes depart from London, this comparison is especially useful for travelers deciding between Amsterdam and Brussels as a destination.
The 37 km difference between these routes is relatively modest, so other factors like ticket prices and schedules may matter more.
Neither route has a road figure we can defend. Yes — you can drive from London to Amsterdam by taking your car through the Channel Tunnel (Le Shuttle, Folkestone–Calais, about 35 minutes) or on a cross-Channel ferry. Because part of the trip is a rail or sea crossing, SnapDistance does not publish a single road-distance figure for this pair. Yes — you can drive from London to Brussels by taking your car through the Channel Tunnel (Le Shuttle, Folkestone–Calais, about 35 minutes) or on a cross-Channel ferry. Because part of the trip is a rail or sea crossing, SnapDistance does not publish a single road-distance figure for this pair.
Amsterdam (Netherlands) has a population of 872,680 and is located in the North Holland region of Europe. It's a charming destination known for its regional character.
Brussels (Belgium) has a population of 1,209,000 and is situated in Brussels-Capital, Europe. This city serves as an important regional hub with solid connectivity.
Choose this route if your priority is reaching Amsterdam (Netherlands) — a city of 872,680 in the North Holland region of Europe. Despite being the longer of the two at 358 km, it makes sense when Amsterdam itself is the destination, the schedule fits better, or ticket prices are noticeably lower. This is a fly-only route in practice — overland travel is not realistic at 358 km. The initial bearing is 73° (ENE), so a great-circle flight leaves London heading roughly ENE.
This route is the right call if you are heading to Brussels (Belgium) — a city of 1,209,000 in the Brussels-Capital region of Europe. It is also the shorter of the two at 321 km, saving about 3 min of flying and around 9 kg of CO₂ per passenger. Overland travel is not practical for 321 km; flying is the realistic mode. Departing London, the great-circle bearing toward Brussels is 101° (ESE).
London (51.51°, -0.13°) → Amsterdam (52.37°, 4.90°): London keeps Europe/London time and Amsterdam keeps Europe/Amsterdam time — a gap of about 1 hour, with Amsterdam ahead. The exact gap moves when either zone switches to or from daylight saving, so use the live figure in the calculator for your travel dates. London (51.51°, -0.13°) → Brussels (50.85°, 4.35°): London keeps Europe/London time and Brussels keeps Europe/Brussels time — a gap of about 1 hour, with Brussels ahead. The exact gap moves when either zone switches to or from daylight saving, so use the live figure in the calculator for your travel dates. Both gaps come from the cities' real IANA zones and move with daylight saving. Both routes have manageable shifts, so jet lag should not be a major factor.
Brussels is closer at 321 km, which is 37 km (10%) shorter.
358 km (222 miles). Flight: ~57 min.
321 km (199 miles). Flight: ~54 min.
Flying to Brussels is faster at ~54 min, saving about 3 min compared to Amsterdam.
All distances on SnapDistance are calculated using the Haversine formula, which determines the great-circle distance between two points on Earth's surface. This gives the shortest possible distance over the globe, which is the measurement used for aviation and navigation. Actual travel distances by road or rail are typically 20-40% longer due to terrain, borders, and infrastructure routing. Flight times assume 800 km/h cruising speed with 30 minutes for takeoff and landing. Driving estimates use 80 km/h average speed with a 30% road distance factor.