I want to take the train from London to Brussels. Multiple websites advised arriving at St. Pancras up to 90 minutes prior to departure to allow for immigration and check in. Should I purchase my ticket well in advance? (I will be traveling in late June, so it could be peak travel time.) If so, how much time should I allow if I arrive at Heathrow at 9:30 am? It appears to take approximately one hour from Heathrow to St. Pancras.
Posted by
Green Bay
22100 posts
I guess the question is how sure are you that your plane will arrive on time and how fast you can make it through UK immigration. Nobody here can give an honest answer to that question. If you are not too worried about money, you could just play it by ear and get a full fare ticket on arrival and not get too upset if you have to wait a while. I hear there are plenty of restaurants and bars at St Pancras. Or you could buy a discounted ticket now for 4 hours after your scheduled arrival, knowing if you miss that you will need another full fare ticket to get to Brussels.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thanks for responding Sam. You've hit the nail on the head. Getting through Heathrow can be unpredictable. I guess my main concern was tickets being sold out and not getting a seat. There are 3 of us traveling. I also thought worse case we can grab a bite to eat while we're waiting on the next train.
Posted by
The Netherlands
1799 posts
Wouldn’t it be easier to fly into Brussels? Or have you already bought your plane tickets?
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
3084 posts
The longer you wait to buy tickets for Eurostar, generally the more expensive the tickets get. I would not wait given the time of year, your preferred train could very well sell out. You do have to go through airport-ish style security, and border control as you will have just entered the UK and are leaving it again on the train, that is the reason for the 90 minutes. I was there in late June and it was very, very busy.
Given all the potential variables that could really mess things up (late flight arrival, potential long processing through Heathrow, delay in getting to St. Pancras (tube or train delays), going through Eurostar security at St. Pancras, etc.) have you considered staying in London one night and taking an early train the next day? Depending on the day of the week, the early morning Eurostar tickets are less expensive and you'd have the added benefit of a good night sleep. If that is not a palatable option, buy tickets in a fare class that allows you to exchange up to one hour before the train (you pay fare difference, if any).
Posted by
OP
3 posts
We did look into flying dirct to Brussels but the prices were considerably higher with sometimes long layovers.
I don't really want to spend the day in London. Great city but been there many times. The solution may be just to buy tickets on an afternoon train and hope for the best
Thanks for all the advice! I'm new to the forum and this is very helpful.