We want to take the train from London to Paris, one way, Is the Eurostar only for those people taking cars to Europe? Do they charge extra for luggage? How much time should we get to the station before departure?
Posted by
Chicago
8181 posts
The Eurostar is a passenger train and not only for those taking cars. You can buy tickets and see the rules on luggage allowance on the official site https://www.eurostar.com/us-en/travel-info/travel-planning/luggage
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34003 posts
Eurostar is the train company taking seated passengers between London St Pancras and Paris Gare du Nord (also Lille, Brussels, Amsterdam and seasonal destinations). No cars on the train. If you can carry it you can take it. Nominally they say two pieces of luggage included per person but unless you are pushing the boundaries don't expect any difficulties. You have to hoik it up in London and hoik it down in Paris.
How much luggage do you expect to have?
If you are not in business First you must be checked in no less than 30 minutes ahead - officially. And they stick to that. The problem is there are sometimes (most of the time) queues to check in, and you have to be checked in and not in the queue that 30 minutes ahead. You then have security, and two sets of immigration officials - British and French, before you can head for the waiting room to get the signal to head upstairs to the train. I suggest a minimum of 60 minutes, tending towards 75 minutes on a normal day.
To take the car through the Channel Tunnel people can use Eurotunnel, the company who runs freight trucks and passenger cars on special trains between Folkestone in Kent and Coquelles next to Calais in northeastern France. Those are the only terminals for those trains, and they don't take passengers who are not in a car or on a motorcycle (or coach). No foot passengers.
I hope that clarifies it.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
The Eurostar is the train for passengers. It does not take any cars. Eurostar runs trains between London St Pancras station and either Paris Gare du Nord or Brussels Midi. Plus a few trains to other destinations.
London Paris trains depart hourly and the trip takes 2h15.
London Brussels is every 1-2 hours and takes 2 hours.
Eurostar timetable: https://content-static.eurostar.com/documents/460888_Timetables%20Core%20Destinations_Issue%2083_EN_0.pdf
Main website (for buying tickets: https://www.eurostar.com
- As is normal for trains:
- They do not charge for luggage.
- You have to carry all luggage onto and off the train yourself.
- They do have a registered luggage service. It requires advance booking, and I am not sure it travels on the same trains as you do. Info: https://www.eurostar.com/rw-en/travel-info/travel-planning/luggage/luggage-services
- One thing that is very different about Eurostar, the immigration checks (both UK exit AND French entry passport checks, or vice-versa) are done before boarding the train. You need to be the station and through the ticket barrier 45-60 minutes before departure, to allow for this.
The train for cars (and buses, vans and lorries) runs between the two ends of the tunnel only (Folkestone and Calais). It is run directly by the company owning the tunnel, Eurotunnel. Website: https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/home/