Eurostar from Paris to London

I've done a round trip Paris to London once -- we were half an hour late both directions. I missed my connection in London as a result and had to track down officials to stamp my tickets to allow me to take another train. Although the train was late, they did not have anyone on the platform who could just do that predictable task -- it was not that easy to find someone which burned up another half hour. This was about 4 years ago visiting relatives in Norwich form Paris.

I've taken it a few times without any problems. But every day is different.

According to the man in seat 61 (the highly respected source for anything to do with European train travel) "90%-95% of Eurostar trains arrive on time or within 15 minutes". I'd call that pretty reliable. But things can happen, and that is rarely predictable.

I once had an 8 hour delay (Brussels-London) because a previous train had struck a pedestrian on the French segment of the ride. But that is the only time I had a problem. Pay attention to the early arrival rules for Immigration and Customs (at departure, not arrival), or you can be denied boarding.

Yep, it varies. The first time I took it, it was right on time, but the second time I took it, it was late and I almost missed my connecting train.

If you have a pre-ticketed connecting train to make and think you will miss it, as mentioned above, the Eurostar conductor can stamp your ticket so you can get on the next train without having to pay again. Just make sure you do this before arriving at the first destination so you don't lose any time. I would ask the conductor for this right away if the train departs late.

What has been taking more time lately is the check-in procedure: it is now recommended to arrive 90 minutes ahead (used to be 60), or even 2 hours on busier days, and minimum check-in time (equivalent of "gate closing") is now 45 minutes (used to be 30).