Eurostar presents high-speed practice journey between the U.Ok., Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany. Its trains can attain 186 mph, which implies a practice from London to Paris takes solely 2 hours and 16 minutes. Eurostar merged with Thalys — one other European high-speed practice firm — in 2023.
Taking a Eurostar practice between these 5 international locations might be extra seamless than flying since you get a stable baggage allowance and don’t have to take care of airports, liquid restrictions in your carry-on and lengthy safety strains.
Right here’s what you should learn about Eurostar’s locations, cabin lessons, lounges, loyalty program, facilities and pricing.
Eurostar presents direct practice service to London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, Netherlands. For all different locations, you could connect with a unique practice, doubtlessly with one other provider.
The quickest practice journeys are the next:
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Paris to Brussels – 1 hour, 22 minutes.
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London to Lille, France – 1 hour, 22 minutes.
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London to Brussels – 1 hour, 53 minutes.
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Brussels to Amsterdam – 1 hour, 53 minutes.
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London to Paris – 2 hours, 16 minutes.
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London to Rotterdam – 3 hours, 13 minutes.
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Paris to Amsterdam – 3 hours, 20 minutes.
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Paris to Cologne – 3 hours, 20 minutes.
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London to Amsterdam – 3 hours, 52 minutes.
Relying on the place you’re headed, taking the practice could take much less complete time than flying. For instance, the practice from London to Paris takes 2 hours and 16 minutes, whereas a flight takes 1 hour and 20 minutes. Although the practice takes nearly an hour longer, different elements concerned with flying, together with early airport arrival, journey time to/from the airport, safety and boarding, make the practice the sooner choice.
The Eurostar operates out of St. Pancras Worldwide Station, situated in central London and simply accessible by a number of tube (underground) strains and buses. In contrast, London’s primary airports, Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport, are situated outdoors the town and might take an hour or extra to get to relying on the place you’re touring from and your mode of transport.
Moreover, Eurostar’s guidelines are arguably extra traveler-friendly than these of airways. On even the most cost effective tickets, Eurostar permits adults to carry two items of baggage and one carry-on with no weight restrict. Youngsters can carry one piece of baggage and one carry-on.
You additionally don’t have to fret about paying for a seat or coping with liquid restrictions. You can also make fee-free adjustments to your ticket as many occasions as you want till seven days earlier than departure. Ticket adjustments inside seven days of departure incur a $40 price except you’re in Enterprise Premier.
Membership Eurostar is Eurostoar’s loyalty program and you’ll sign up for a free account to begin incomes factors. You earn 1 level per $1 spent on Eurostar tickets. Prepare + resort packages additionally earn factors, albeit at a decrease fee (1 level per $2).
Eurostar has 4 membership ranges, and with every growing stage you earn extra factors on journey and get entry to extra perks.
All ranges can pool factors with family and friends, use factors to pay a portion of their tickets and improve their seats from Normal to Normal Premier/Consolation. In case you’re going for elite standing with Eurostar, the most important benefits are companion vouchers, lounge entry and precedence advantages when touring.
Rewards can be utilized for as little as 100 factors on numerous experiences from free tickets to upgrades.
Eurostar presents totally different journey lessons, and these journey lessons fluctuate by vacation spot. All trains supply Wi-Fi, however in my expertise, the Wi-Fi has been terrible, with add and obtain speeds of lower than 1 Mbps.
Trains to/from London
A Eurostar practice to/from London presents three journey lessons: Normal, Normal Premier and Enterprise Premier. All seats supply U.Ok. and EU plug sockets. You can too select your seat when touring on this route.
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Normal: This journey class presents the bottom priced tickets and meals and drinks can be found for buy.
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Normal Premier: You get free magazines and a extra spacious seat, together with a light-weight meal and drinks.
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Enterprise Premier: You get the identical seat as in Normal Premier, plus extra perks together with three items of baggage, a carry-on, scorching meals created by Raymond Blanc OBE served with champagne, free newspapers and magazines and a devoted fast-track ticket gate. You additionally get entry to Eurostar lounges and NS Worldwide lounges.
Trains between Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany
When touring between Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany, there are three journey lessons: Normal, Consolation and Premium. All seats embrace EU plug sockets.
You even have entry to Eurostar’s taxi reserving service, which lets you organize transport to/from the practice station. Sadly you can not select your seat when touring between these locations.
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Normal: This journey class has the most cost effective tickets. Meals and drinks usually are not included however might be bought onboard.
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Consolation: You get a extra spacious seat, however nonetheless have to pay for meals and drinks. Consolation seats have entry to premium Wi-Fi, however I discovered that Wi-Fi to be simply as sluggish as in Normal class.
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Premium: You might have the identical seat as in Consolation class and a few extra perks together with a connoisseur chilly meal served at your seat, entry to Eurostar lounges and NS Worldwide lounges.Â
The Eurostar facilities you obtain rely upon which class you journey in. You obtain a complimentary meal in Premium, Normal Premier or Enterprise Premier. These in Enterprise Premier (solely accessible on London routes) obtain three-course meals created in collaboration with Michelin-star chef Raymond Blanc OBE. Passengers in Premium get a meal designed by Belgian chef Frank Fol.
Passengers in different journey lessons don’t obtain a complimentary meal however should purchase drinks or snacks from the Eurostar Cafe.
Vacationers in Premium can go to the Eurostar lounge in Paris and Brussels, and NS Worldwide lounges in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. These touring in Enterprise Premier can use the lounge in London, Paris and Brussels.
Membership Eurostar elites touring on any fare class can entry sure lounges relying on their elite standing:
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Avantage, Carte Blanche and Etoile members: Eurostar lounge in Brussels and Paris.
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Carte Blanche and Etoile members: Eurostar lounge in London, Paris and Brussels; DB lounges in Cologne, Düsseldorf and Essen; NS Worldwide lounges in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Schiphol airport; Railteam lounges in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria.
Examine every lounge’s info web page for opening hours. Typically, you may anticipate finding numerous seating areas, complimentary newspapers and magazines, free Wi-Fi in addition to meals and drinks to take pleasure in.
Eurostar lets you guide tickets as much as 120 days upfront, and the earlier you guide the higher. You’ll typically discover the most cost effective tickets on Tuesday and Wednesday. Since you may change your ticket fee-free as many occasions as you need till seven days earlier than departure, you may as effectively guide as quickly as doable.
There are additionally particular or discounted fares for the next teams:
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Passengers beneath 26 or over 60
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Wheelchair passengers and companions
The supply of reductions depends upon your vacation spot, so that you’ll need to examine Eurostar’s web page for steerage.
If in case you have a bank card that earns journey rewards, you’ll need to use it for this buy since trains are a part of the journey class. Right here’s a sampling of playing cards that earn additional rewards for journey and don’t cost international transaction charges.
Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card
American Specific® Inexperienced Card
Earn fee on practice journey
• 2 factors per $1 spent on journey, together with practice journey.
• 3 factors per $1 spent on journey, together with practice journey.
• 2 miles per $1 on each buy.
• 3 factors per $1 on transit, together with practice journey.
Welcome supply
Earn 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. That is $750 once you redeem by means of Chase Journeyâ„ .
Earn 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. That is $900 towards journey once you redeem by means of Chase Journeyâ„ .
Take pleasure in a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases inside 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in journey.
Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Factors after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
You’ll be able to pay in U.S. {dollars} when shopping for Eurostar tickets on-line. Nonetheless, when you plan to purchase something on board the practice, and also you’ll be in Europe anyhow, you’ll need to use a card that waives international transaction charges.
Is it cheaper to fly or take Eurostar?
The reply to this query depends upon how far upfront you buy your ticket, your day of journey, whether or not you should pay for baggage, and the distinction in prices between touring to the airport and to a Eurostar practice station.
Right here’s a sampling of Eurostar fares in September 2024 from London to Paris.
Right here’s a collection of flights from London to Paris on the identical day.
Though the most cost effective flight is $13 lower than the practice, bag charges usually are not included in that value. And since Eurostar stations are typically extra centrally situated, your general price could also be cheaper on the practice after factoring in a rideshare or taxi to the airport.
Eurostar presents a handy solution to journey between the U.Ok., Belgium, Netherlands, France and Germany. In case you’re deciding whether or not to fly or take a Eurostar, consider the associated fee, journey time (together with the time spent attending to and from the airport, in addition to the time spent on the airport) and what number of baggage you are bringing as a part of your determination.
maximize your rewards
You need a journey bank card that prioritizes what’s vital to you. Listed below are our picks for the finest journey bank cards of 2024, together with these finest for: