tell me about eurostar

[Bahnhof Strasse]

When returning from Paris recently, the queues were huge. Security and check in quick and easy other than that. I'm sure people got rushed through for a train which they turned up for about 15 minutes from departure time.

Gare du Nord's always been awful for Eurostar, even if you have a business premier ticket you'll get stuck in a massive queue.

 

[teuchter]

having to show up super early

You actually don't have to show up quite as early as they "recommend". I forget the exact details but a close examination of ticket conditions reveals that something like 30 or 40 mins is fine.

 

[Silas Loom]

Unless you have expensive tickets and you are departing Brussels, in which case the hot chocolate in the lounge is worth devoting an hour to.

 

[skyscraper101]

You actually don't have to show up quite as early as they "recommend". I forget the exact details but a close examination of ticket conditions reveals that something like 30 or 40 mins is fine.

I don’t think I would ever cut it that fine given the ridic queues I’ve seen plus passport control. Neither St. Pancras nor Gare du Nord seem able to cope when the trains are busy.

 

[Sue]

It's strange, I really don't recognise all these tales of woe. I used to do the return trip at least once a month, now I do it two or three times a year.

I actually did it this weekend (so out Friday afternoon, back late afternoon Sunday so quite peak times I'd think). A two minute wait to get through security at St Pancras on Friday and maybe a ten minute wait to get through security at the Gare du Nord yesterday. All felt v painless.

 

[oryx]

And if you don't it's pretty crap, especially as they've stopped serving Ebbsfleet. Waterloo is my London terminus, if you have kids/baggage etc. it's a bastard to get to St Pancras from there unless your train stops at Vauxhall (which mine don't), so it's a black cab/uber across town.



They still do an 'any-Belgian-station' ticket, (used to be all tickets to Brussels included this, (gouging fucks pulled the plug on that decent perk), might be worth looking at that rather buying a separate ticket to Bruges. If you have standard premier (now called Eurostar Plus) and an any station ticket you can sit in first class on Belgian rail.

Thanks for that, really useful, will bear that in mind.

Waterloo. Now that must have been one of the most expensive infrastructure mistakes in the history of the UK - how long did it last, a decade? Went from there a couple of times and liked its proximity to my old place but not being picked for having the inside of my handbag swabbed

 

[iona]

It's strange, I really don't recognise all these tales of woe. I used to do the return trip at least once a month, now I do it two or three times a year.

I actually did it this weekend (so out Friday afternoon, back late afternoon Sunday so quite peak times I'd think). A two minute wait to get through security at St Pancras on Friday and maybe a ten minute wait to get through security at the Gare du Nord yesterday. All felt v painless.

Maybe I've just been unlucky but every single time I've got the Eurostar from London has been a total nightmare with massive queues to go through security, and people having to sit on the floor in the area after that because there doesn't seem to be enough seating even when there haven't been a load of trains cancelled or badly delayed. And I'm usually getting the cheapest trains at what I assume aren't peak times.

Travelling in the opposite direction has always been really quick & easy.

 

[Riklet]

I hate Eurostar too much as a company to consider travelling with them with my own money. Utter miserly arseholes. Also I dont live in London so it's just not worth it. If they werent complete cunts they would include free UK train travel to St Pancras with every ticket, but as they are complete and utter shameless cunts... well they don't

Would rather boat or fly into Mainland Europe then take trains there.

They have finally brought back the Snap Eurostar tickets but theyre not as good as before. Obviously. Still if youre flexible and want to go to Brussels Paris Amsterdam they're a solid option, can do a return for about £100

 

[Bus Honeygun]

Despite living 170 miles from London, the thing that makes Eurostar worthwhile for me is that I'm nearly always using an InterRail.

Cost of a return ticket to Paddington from Exeter is nearly £100. With that taken care of by the InterRail and with a flat rate £28 each way reservation on Eurostar it compares quite well financially with flying. Of course, it helps that I'll be doing a load more travelling when I get off the Eurostar at Paris, Brussels, Lille or wherever.

Speaking of InterRail, the current Black Friday 25% reduction offer is a steal. I've bought two!

 

[teuchter]

I don’t think I would ever cut it that fine given the ridic queues I’ve seen plus passport control. Neither St. Pancras nor Gare du Nord seem able to cope when the trains are busy.

In my experience they keep the queues quite tightly managed, and they wave people through for earlier departures. As someone said further up the thread, you'll often see them waving people through if they've arrived a bit late.

I tend to aim to be there about an hour before departure time. That means that my train into St Pancras (from south London) can be up to half an hour late and I'll still generally be OK. If I was travelling from further afield I'd consider getting a CIV ticket for the UK leg which would protect against that leg being delayed.

Having said all this, I'm no fan of Eurostar's ticketing/fare system and look forward to the day that there will be a competing operator running through the channel.

 

[iona]

Despite living 170 miles from London, the thing that makes Eurostar worthwhile for me is that I'm nearly always using an InterRail.

Yeah that can make sense for me if my onward travel plans fit with not arriving in France or wherever until early evening. The Aberdeen boat arrives about 7am, ten minute walk to the station where I can get a direct train and arrive at Kings Cross by 3pm. Depending on where you're headed after that it's sometimes possible to get a sleeper train from there with the same day's pass too.

 

[hash tag]

I'm hoping for a long weekend in the Hague next year. My first and only choice will be Eurostar.

 

[pbsmooth]

IMO it's just way faster and less stressful.

Agree with this generally. But have had some big queues recently in Paris and London but it does tend to be better organised and quicker than it looks. And still quicker and easier than flying. But it is expensive. Have driven over last few times as easier with family and much cheaper.