Travelling By The Eurostar

The Eurostar is one the United Kingdom's greatest assets, connecting London to Europe by train makes it so easy to make a quick getaway to major European cities. But how easy is it? What's it like travelling on the Eurostar?

What is the Eurostar?

The Eurostar is an international high-speed train which connects the United Kingdom with France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Lille and Rotterdam are some of the destinations you can reach directly by train with plans to develop more tracks in place!

Is it better than flying?

For destinations that are close to the UK we would say it is much better than flying for a number of reasons.

1) There are far fewer restrictions on what you can bring! Of course you have to go through passport control and security, but there is no limit on liquids and there is no need to remove all of your electricals from your bag. There is no baggage check-in and the only real 'limit' on your bag size is your ability to carry it on and off the train.

2) It is far more convenient! It is so easy to get to the Eurostar and it does not take as long as checking into the airport, then security, then boarding and then take-off. It takes so much stress off of the experience.

3) It is around the same price as a flight! For our trip to Paris a ticket was around £70 each, not far off a flight ticket with added restrictions and stress.

For us the Eurostar is an ideal way to travel for a quick nearby city break.

Getting to the Eurostar

The Eurostar terminal is located at London St Pancras Station in the heart of the city. This station is very easy to access as there are many trains that come directly into the station from around the country. There are also London Underground services that arrive at the station. It is also possible to arrive by train into London Kings Cross Station and walk across the road to St Pancras, it takes around 5 minutes.

Inside St Pancras it is busy, really busy! There are seemingly hundreds of shops and a hundred cafes, it is very easy to get lost inside. However, the terminal for the Eurostar is on the ground floor and is very well sign posted.

Security and Passport Control

Is security and Passport Control easier than flying? Yes. Is it less stressful? Yes. Is it quicker? Partly. Whilst the procedure of security and Passport Control are much easier and far less stressful than in airport, the queue that you will wait in is huge, at least it is during half-term holidays.

Before you actually go into the area where you scan your tickets and go through security, you have to queue. The good thing is that the staff will only allow the people on the next train to depart queue up, but this still a long line. A fully loaded train carries 900 people, so you can imagine the queue. In fact we ended up queuing around London St Pancras almost out of the door, and that was just for the 11:31 to Paris!

The queue may appear huge (because it is), but once moving it didn't take too long to get through. It is still far easier as mentioned before so don't let the queuing put you off.

Boarding the Eurostar

Unlike boarding a plane, boarding the Eurostar is quick and easy. With 18 coaches people spread out fast and it's quick to just jump on and get into your seat. There is plenty of overhead space for your small luggage and large spaces for bigger suitcase, so there is no need to rush to get the best storage space.

For those readers who will appreciate this, the Eurostar seats are far comfier than any other English train provider with a good amount of leg room. I usually struggle on planes and trains because of my height, but on here I was very comfy so that's another bonus over flying if you to experience this problem! There is a WiFi connection on board which is OK on the whole and there is food and drink available on the train. It is a pleasant ride, much more comfortable than plane journeys and the views are better!

Overall Judgement

Overall we really liked our Eurostar experience. Much more accessible, a lot less stress and for a similar price to a flight it is a no brainer in our opinion. We would recommend travelling to the previously locations by Eurostar, especially those who hate airports or dislike flying. This method is perfect for you!

St Pancras International

@backheadtravels

The perfect place to board the Eurostar to mainland Europe. There are so many locations to travel to! With many cafes and shops it's a great place to grab something to eat and get waited for your trip!

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