EUROSTAR-- which side?

there is very little of any interest to see, just fields and tunnels. You don't see much of either London or Paris.

And you are zipping along at 300 km/h (186 mph) on most of the route so what you do see you don't see for very long.

We use the Eurostar round trip annually between Paris and London and always select our seats to make sure we are facing the direction of travel and have a window seat, not that there's much to see. We also choose a carriage at the front of the train so we disembark earliest so cut down on the wait for a taxi. That means you will have a long hike to your carriage at departure. Check out www.seat61.com for seat maps and tips selecting your seats. Tickets go on sale 180 days prior to your travel dates. Good luck.

Agree with Nigel, there is very little in the way of interesting scenery between Paris and London.

I didn't care about the side but the car I was in. I tried to get in one that would have me exit near the front of the herd so I could catch a taxi quickly, but I was traveling London to Paris.

If, however, you find yourself in the club car/refreshment car, enjoy the sensation of zipping along through the countryside while you stand next to the hand rail and sip your beverage. There is a gentle rocking and swaying motion at 186 mph and the sensation of speed is enhanced.

Hi Joe, I have never noticed a difference according to what side I have sat on.

We used the Eurostar in April and the French countryside was beautiful.

Be careful to arrive an hour early, for security screening and pre-boarding UK immigration.

Agree with Tim about arriving early for check-in. But for the Paris to London trip I advocate even longer at Gare du Nord. 75 minutes minimum now. The check-in is upstairs and you have to find it and my experience is that the orderly queues on the London side are not always replicated in Paris. In short the little overcrowded area is often a madhouse. I don't like to cut it close.

Thank you all.

To sum up:

1- Forward facing and closer to front of train more important than which side

2- Arrive at station EARLY

When I told a friend we were taking the Eurostar from London to Paris, she warned me that the train would go under water in a tunnel which I found rather humorous. In NYC we do that all the time, by car, bus and train. I had never thought that it might upset people to do something I had done all my life without any issues.

Yes, facing the direction of travel and having a window seat is the most important. I was in Norway on a fast train and felt sick as I was not sitting in the direction of travel. It is the worst feeling. But once the other person got off the train I moved to that seat facing the direction of travel and felt so much better!

Check the accurate seat maps on the seat61 website for exact Eurostar window placement and tips on riding trains all over the world. The scenery is the same on both sides of the train.

I was underwhelmed with the scenery.

Yes - the scenery is underwhelming. I opt for the side opposite where the sun is.

And the reason why the Seat 61 website has that name.
Because that is his preferred seat in the Eurostar trains: https://www.seat61.com/aboutme.htm

Why 'Seat 61'?
Zaharoff, the notorious arms dealer, would always book compartment 7 on the Orient Express to or from Istanbul. On Eurostar, I would always request seat 61 (in first class cars 7, 8, 11 or 12 in a classic Eurostar or in cars 3 or 14 in the new e320) as it lines up with the window, one of a cosy pair of seats facing each other across a table complete with table lamp, like an old Pullman car.

For the sake of completeness: the only 'sight' of note is a glimpse of Rochester Castle if you sit on the right hand side towards London. But it lasts for 10 seconds and is no big deal really.