Which Eurostar class is the BEST? (ad) London to Paris | Business, Premium and Economy
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- Опубликовано: 4 июн 2024
- Planning on taking the Eurostar from London to Paris, or back? Well in this video we tried (and paid for) all three classes on the Eurostar to show you what they're like and you can decide if it's worth upgrading when taking the Eurostar. See our experience in Standard, Standard Premier, and Business Premier. Includes prices paid for each class, Eurostar lounge tour, and more!
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About Love and London:
I'm Jess, I've lived in London for many years, and this channel is a London travel guide for anyone visiting the city that wants to experience it like you live here. Beyond talking about the usual London attractions, I show you some of the cooler things to do in London, that most travel guides don't mention. Watch my videos and you'll feel like you've got a Londoner friend telling you the best kept secrets in the city.
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:33 - Security and immigration
3:42 - Lounge and waiting areas
6:13 - Carriage and seat tour
7:52 - Food and drinks
11:58 - Price and amenities comparison
13:10 - Arrival and our final thoughts on each experience
I’m proud that Jean has joined the love and London team! I do really miss him in TPG UK though 😢
:) Thanks for watching!
Fast track aside, it's hillarious that the standard premier was actually a better experience! For me if I'm paying business then having my own space would be an absolute must.
Yeah I get it. THanks for watching :)
FYI when you book a BP ticket you can select your dietry requirements in your booking. This way you ensure to have a hot meal option for vegetarian etc. There is normally one available, aside from the fruit platter. Also, Champage is not served on the morning services, the same way that the cocktail bar in the lounge is not open in the morning. Standard Premier is more the equivalent of "first class" for leisure travellers where as Business Premier is aimed more at business travellers who make use of the extra space, queue jump and being located at the front of the train when disembarking. You can also select your seat for free up until the day of travel in all classes, so you can choose a single / table seat if preferred :)
Thanks for watching! The Eurostar booking system was very glitchy when I booked these tickets and I was never offered the dietary options. And if they advertise champagne... I want the option without having to know you have to request it haha ;) Sadly I couldn't change my seat in BP either, as it was a full train and there were no empty seats to switch to! Boo!
Thanks Jess. Very helpful video, do more of these travel ones there great. Rob
Omg he is from the point guys videos. Crazy.
Love this video. Can't wait for my own travels.
Thanks for watching!
This video is great and it help us in many ways for this coming August trip.. Thank you so much!!!
Love this video! We take the Eurostar almost quarterly and Standard is definitely the best value most of the time.
Totally! Can get a cheeky upgrade for not very much from time to time though. Thanks for watching!
You are the best! Just the video I needed!
Glad to hear it. Thanks for watching Kevin!
Thank you so much for uploading this video! I haven’t been on the Eurostar in 9 years so I imagine a lot has changed since then! I can’t wait to go on it again - maybe if I win the lottery I can experience Business Premier for the first time lol! Great video!
And book through TrainPal will save you a lot. Not only in monetary terms, but smooth ticketing! I am also looking into train card sales.
Thank you! Helped to make the right choice. standard will work well for the family of four.
You're welcome ❤️❤️
Thank you so much, I’m just buying my first Eurostar ticket and now I know what to do 😀
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for another great video Jess & Jean! I'm definitely planning to go to Paris after my stay in London and I'm definitely taking the Eurostar so thank you for showcasing my favorite train! I've always wondered what the differences were in the classes on the Eurostar and you guys have unlocked that mystery! I was thinking business Premier definitely, just to save on queuing times but I think I'm sold on Standard or Standard Premier. That is a big price jump. And the food was not cool at all that you were served in Business Premier, Jean's meal in Standard Premier was waaay better! Anyways, thanks for another great and informative video! I look forward to using your tour service when I get to London. You guys have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and stay safe! Cheers!
So glad to hear you found it helpful Sam! Thanks for watching, and you too!
Good to see Jean back!
:) Thanks for watching!
I live in Japan. I am planning to travel to London and Paris next March. I'm planning to travel by Eurostar and I think your video will be very helpful. I especially noticed the difference in seat class. I'll take a look at your other videos as well. appreciate!
Thanks for watching! :)
Great video. Answered all my questions, and greetings from Los Angeles, California.
glad to hear it!
I plan to travel to London and Paris. 😊thanks for sharing.
You're welcome! have a great time.
Great video. Am planning a trip to Paris from London and will be using your useful suggestions. 😃
Book Eurostar early. more choice, lower prices.
Have a great time! We have a couple other videos about Paris so be sure to watch those too.
Interesting video comparing the service received in each class. Like you said, Standard Class appears to be best value. I love travelling on Eurostar.
Thanks for watching!
This was super helpful!
Glad to hear it, thanks for watching Pravin!
I adore Jean! I'm so happy to see him here at the Love and London team!
I have only traveled standard class on the Eurostar (between London and Paris and London and Brussels) and been happy with that. Of course, I didn't have a terrible queue situation -- leaving at 7 am does make a difference at times, I guess! But upgrading for as little as 10 euros or 10 pounds is worthwhile. Your breakfast was most definitely disappointing, Jess. I hope you got a fantastic lunch in Paris!
Thanks so much Lori, and thank you for watching :)
Yea, € 10 only to upgrade is amazing !! 👍👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🇬🇧🚄💞
My train leaves at 6am in March. When do you think I should arrive at St Pancras?
Jean is on here! deffo worth a sub now
Hey…Jean finally bumped up from standard economy. Temporarily at least. 😄
Another great video.
haha finally!! Thanks for watching Travis
Just took Eurostar 2 weeks ago from Paris to London. It was so packed. The train was extremely dirty. I have taken it before and it was a pleasant experience but this last experience was horrendous.
Great video comparison
❤️❤️❤️
Thanks! Very helpful. 🥰
Glad to hear it, thanks for watching Celia!
Thank you for this video, Jess. I was in London last week and travelled in standard. On my way back to Paris on Dec. 3 there was no queue at all at St. Pancras Int. (my train was at 18:31 and I arrived at the station at 17:15), so I was happy for getting standard ticket with no queue.
Let me also thank you for all your recommendations on your channel. They made my 4 days in London last week wonderful. Thank you for the tip to top off your Oyster card even if the doors are open, I guess it saved me some money on 3 occasions during my stay. And I had afternoon-tea solo in one of the Firmdale Hotels (the Soho Hotel) as you said in one video they had nice afternoon-tea. I did enjoy it very much... and the nice glass of champagne lessened my self-consciousness a lot, ha ha.
Have a beautiful week-end, and thank you again 🙏
So glad to hear this Rachel!! :) And thanks for watching!
Thank you that was good advice.
:) Thanks for watching!
L love london so much it is my fabrat thing ever😊
Nice comparison. For me, the larger seat and the option for a single seat in premier class is more important than a cheap fare.
Cool! Yeah the single seat option is LUSH. thanks for watching Lausi :)
Problem can be solved using TrainPal. Their tickets are just cheaper and you can buy train cards to save more!
This is an awesome video!
I just bought my eurostar tikckets, on Standard, and let me say, the prices didn't changed at all. I bought them 3 months in advance and the tickets were £125 each either way. Also, I really loved the idea of upgrading and I almost did, but when you're a foreigner, that little diference can be more expensive than you think in your currency, those £10 became R$65 for me hahahahah.
🙂thanks for watching !
I took this train back in June (2022) and spent far more time at the Gare du Nord than I planned thanks to a power cable theft. glad your ride was less eventful.
oh wow! Interesting. Thanks for watching!
Ahhhh, I wish I would have seen this video before I booked a regular ticket last week. I might see if I can upgrade.
Thanks for watching!
Great video, i'm travelling standard premier next week and i would like to know if there is enough space to work on a large laptop on the single seat, if not i might try and get a seat with the table in front. Your help would be appreciated.
I always prefer the seats with the tables for laptop work but all classes have trays you can fit a laptop on!
Thank you
When/Why did Jean leave TPG? Great to see him again on these type of videos again, very lovable character!
He's worked for me as a freelancer for almost a year and a half now!
@@loveandlondon I love this! Also love your videos 😊
I took the Eurostar from London to Paris and had a standard seat. Perfectly acceptable for a 1.5 hour trip. The wait before boarding surprised me but it was still easier and cheaper than getting a flight.
❤️❤️
I took the Eurostar from London to Paris and even though we were hours early, we ended up running to make it. Trying to get a coffee on a moving train was interesting. We were all holding on, trying not to fall in the cab and walking back to our seat
Sure. I love that you can get up and walk around though compared to flying where that's not really an option. Thanks so much for watching!
Great video
Thanks for watching Jamie!
This is such an awesome channel. Have binge watched lots of your videos. I am hoping to take my elderly mum on the eurostar this summer but will go further than Paris maybe down to Provence. Do you think the standard seats are comfortable enough to sleep. How are they in comparison to plane economy seats? Thanks very much in advance🙏🙏
They are not great for sleep!
Loved it, like and subscriptión 🤩👍🏻
Worth noting that holders of an Amex Platinum card issued in ICC, UK, France or Belgium can enter the Business Premiere Lounges at Eurostar terminals. I don't think we get fast track, though.
Correct on both accounts! Thanks for watching.
We always used Folkestone, living in the south east. Average queue time - 90 seconds!
Not to Paris though, I imagine!
Jean I miss u in TPG
Super branding !
The queue at Gare du Nord always seems so much quicker and more efficient than at St. Pancras. I usually book Standard Premium but perhaps I need to pay more attention in future to the price difference.
Yeah sometimes it's marginally more to upgrade to the next class! Thanks for watching
@@loveandlondon I'm kind of an old hand at visiting London but I always learn something new from your videos - great site!
Well, in Paris they have less trains: only London bound services; in London on top of Paris they have Amsterdam/Rotterdam, and Lille/Brussels trains.
Hi Jess and Jean, Nice video and helpful. I think you make a lovely couple and should be very happy together, all the best for the future and hope it works out for you both?
We're not together, he is a hired videographer.
Queues now in St Pancras are horrendous since they closed Ebbsfleet and Ashford, as everyone that used to get on there is now having to go to St Pancras
Can depend on the time of day though, can be quite short too.
Very fun video. That cafe I'm sure gets club vibes at night!
Thanks for watching !
I took the Eurostar two days ago to Amsterdam, got there 50 minutes before, the line plus security was fine, maybe 20 minute's and I had time to pick up a coffee
nice!! Thanks for watching
Can I ask where you got your bag from?❤
Great review. Might splurge on a higher class next time. Funny how important food service is to people on trains and planes. I know there’s not much to do, and we’re bored, but am I the only man in the world who can go 2 hours and 20 minutes without needing a meal? And whether I’m heading to London or (especially) Paris, there are always much better options to eat once I arrive.
Yeah it's important to me if I paid a lot for the upgraded ticket. Otherwise I don't need the meal. Thanks for watching
@@loveandlondon I would definitely expect way better food service in the BP level too! On the flipside I would be fine in S w/no food.
Oh… Jean’s cute. 😉 I booked for Standard. Maybe I should upgrade??
Thank you for the comparison, you have made me feel we just need standard premier for our trip in late February. Coming back to London from Paris on the Eurostar can the VAT be processed? it no longer exists in the UK for a American, correct?
We don't have the VAT refunds in the UK for anyone anymore! Thanks for watching Lisa.
Yes there is tax refunds available in Paris Gare du Nord once you have passed through border control and security
Its very useful ınformayition thank you . I want to go to Paris my Sons bırthday . 🌷🇹🇷
Great video comparing the 3 different ticket levels. Currently our fares next summer would be $76.Standard, $130/150/180 Standard Premier (depending on time) and a whopping for $433. Business! So definitely not doing BP. Trying to figure out if it's really worth doubling plus for a slightly larger seat for just 2 1/2 hours.
❤️❤️thanks for watching
Do you enjoy uk public transport than USA, Canada, Australia.
Could you maybe record a video about train from london stansed to central london and about national rain and ther 2for1 offer, because im really confused about them?
I usually don't recommend 2 for 1 for international tourists as it's quite confusing, instead you could look at the London Pass if you're keen to stick to the super touristy sights. We have a guide that will help you figure out if it's for you: loveandlondon.com/london-pass-worth/
I’ve been happy with the standard, never even looked into the other options 😂
Could you guys probably do a VAT refund process for London-Paris or vice versa for Eurostar? Does that even exist or just for flights?
The UK doesn't do it anymore but you can do that when leaving France either by train or flight :)
Champagne is offered in Business Premier on trains departing after 10.30am, on earlier trains is on request only.
Wish they had made that a bit more clear as I was ready for a champagne 😂
Heineken 🥳🥳🥳 Good choice 👏👏👏
I went to Lille (lovely place good for a couple days visit) just went standard, 1.5 hrs crazy to pay anything extra. And Id do the same for Paris. I was travelling outside holiday times, no q's.Nothing like the vid. At holiday times i *might* be tempted to pay for the fast track but then remember I'm trading a lot of money for an extra hour in my hotel room.
Amazing. Does standard give you lounge excess access and is the food free over there.
Nope, only the Business Premier
I think you should have both done standard premier for a fairer comparison. That’s the class that I think is the best value by far. Can be as little as £30 more than standard (£70) vs business class always being £250
Wasn't in the production budget ;)
What type of bag is your personal item carry on? I love it
The black one? It's from Antler!
GREAT video with some really good information!!! Now, if I could figure out a way to entice my grandson into watching this video so that we can skip the discussion and he doesn’t feel like he is missing out buy traveling standard. I am already having trouble convincing him to cruise with me on the QM2 vs getting squished into a sardine can with 450 other passengers for a dreadful flight across the pond. I suspect that I will leave ahead of him and meet him at whatever airport he flies into. But, let’s be honest because when I was his age, I would have begrudged the week off from work just to get there and would have made the same choice that he is making. My priorities have shifted as a pensioner and I make choices to save money but I have plenty of time. Thank you!!!
You can tell him that by the time you travel to a London airport, arrive two hours early, have potential flight delays, etc. it can take quite a bit longer to fly than to take the train!
Would love to know where you got your black purse!
It's secondhand!
Muito interessante
I didn’t know Jean left TPG. Travel worlds are colliding!
:) Thanks for watching!
Jess, Can you comment on train vs flying London to Amsterdam? Thanks Sarah
Train all the way! Much better for the environment, and a nice experience in my opinion.
Thank you!!!
Confusing to know which leg of the journey you were on at any given time - return journey clips interspersed with outbound clips??
yeah there wasn't any way to compare all three classes at the same time beause there was only two of us.
I am planning to travel with Eurostar next month with Standard. Thinking of taking 6 AM or 7AM train, how long before the departure should I arrive? And what happens you you miss the train?
Lines have been longer than usual so I would arrive 45 mins early just to be safe. Don't miss the train haha but if there;s a big delay they come through and pull people if needed.
@@loveandlondon Thank you, Jess, what do you mean by "pull people"?
@@ellabraitman6336 They can move people through the queue to get to the train so it can depart on time or go looking for you if you've missed the call in waiting area
St.Pancras international & Paddington station are my faves !! 😍 👍👍This is a very intriguing video to watch !! I used to sub to them ,btw. I really loved that channel until they shot birds to gain points on their air travel tickets !! It was very sad for me to watch !! As I really enjoyed those guy's videos !! I am still watching this ! I'd love to take a Eurostar train someday !! Lots of stuffs are still in my bucket list !! 💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🇬🇧💞
Huh? We never shot birds, we would never do that!
@@loveandlondon Heyy ! Not you ! Lol. I know you'd never do that ! I was talking about the other guy's !! THE POINTS GUY !💜🥁🐉🎤🎶✈️💞
When travelling alone and you want to go to the cafe or toilets must you take your hand luggage with you for security. Many thanks from Aus🇦🇺
I’m British and have used the Eurostar many times. I regularly leave my luggage on the Eurostar (and other trains) when using the toilets/cafe. Sometimes, I even leave my laptop on the desk, although I’d always bring my phone with me.
My thinking is, the train doesn’t stop, so anyone who thinks about stealing my stuff has no where to go. Not only that, but they’re also on a train full of witnesses. On domestic, long-distance trains in the UK that stop at multiple stations, I’m careful to time my toilet break for just after the train has left then station. Nothing bad has ever happened to me and I’ve been using this approach for years and years.
Hope that helps.
@@yeahyeahyeahyeah8888 Hi many thanks for the information. It is good to hear about your experiences.
I mean I usually don't but you do you!
Have the queues got worse since brexit? I've not been in the UK since 2018, and I don't remember it being that bad.
Standard seems the best option tbh. It's 2h30m and you can take your own food. And save loads that you can get a nicer place to stay or a better dinner out.
No you've always had to do border control between UK and rest of the EU. Thanks for watching!
@@loveandlondon Not much though. That's the UK not being part of Schengen. But it was still free movement. So brexit has definitely put up hurdles that weren't there before. All bruts had to do is show they had a passport.. if that.
@@danellis-jones1591 Yes the border control checks have been reinforced due to brexit unfortunately which had increased queue time. There will also be added queues for ESTA requirements in the future
Is 30 minutes before the train departs ok to arrive at St Pancras? Thanks Gillian
If you're not travelling business, 45 mins, just in case!
@@loveandlondon thank you 👍
I will be in london on the 21st do you know if the strikes will be an issue?
An issue for what :) I would need more specifics but generally plan to not use any transport on strike days.
@@loveandlondon Thank you for your time responding. I wasnt sure what transport services would be striking.
It would be great if Eurostar would explain why it takes so long on the London Station to get through check-in as apposed to Paris.
It can just depend on time of day !
Are the seats themselves different? Wider? More plush? Comfort? Leg room?
Prem and biz are bigger nicer seats but they are the exact same.
I always bring my own foods with me everywhere I go !! On planes ,trains ,busses !! Lol. Sometimes they even forget special ordered meals !! Or like your case ,a very disappointing meal happen for vegans/ vegetarians !! Not just for us ,happens for meat eaters ,too ! Or very small meals don't fill people up at all ,they get hungry right afterwards ! Lol. I usually bring a bagle,organic popcorn 🍿, or sandwiches. Chocolates,shortbread ,so on ,as well as an organic 🍎 & 🍌 ! Sometimes vegan🍣 ! I did that in London on a train ! Have you ever tried Wasabi 's vegan salmon !!? Pretty realistic !! The looks/ textures/ tasting even !! More like tuna ! 😋 💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🚄✈️🇬🇧💞
That smoothie bar used to be a cocktail bar (pre-pandemic) 😢
It was the morning so I am 99% sure it turns into a cocktail bar post 8am lol!
I want to go London to paris end of May -one way, the avg ticket is $222 -50% off for the last train. SO I am contemplating Eurorail pass.
Definitely look into it !!
Have you ever thought of doing the LAL thing but in other parts of England?
We've done Edinburgh and have written content about outside of London but those pieces of content aren't watched or read as much as London. Plus, we specialise in London.
Can you put your suitcase near your sit or not , if you can’t
Is that safe to put the suitcase on the train ?
It's mentioned in the video, the larger luggage is to be put on the racks at the end of the car you are in. Carry-ons go above in the overhead shelves.
We showed where you store your big luggage, and there's only one destination so no one can go far with your bags!
Are the restrooms the same in each class?
Oh that's a good question, I believe so yes!
So, IMHO, after watching numerous travel videos, I think those travelers who either need or follow special dietary restrictions (e.g. vegan/vegetarian) should probably not expect a great experience and plan to bring take away. Sad, I know but carriers just don’t put a lot of thought into it as they do for regular meals. 🤔. For me, Business Premier is how I book because not having to deal with regular queue when I can be in the lounge stressless is worth it. To each their own. 😉
I don't agree with that though, especially as vegetarian is very easy to accommodate these days if even just a tiny bit of effort is made. Plus you're paying a lot of money for those tickets so having one "good" option isn't really good enough! But thanks for watching.
Where can I find london eye fire works tickets?
The Mayor of London's website but they I think are sold out now!
Do people honor seat assignments in standard?
yes!
You don't say, can you pick your seats or just class? Thanks!
Both !
I feel like the prices are significantly higher for the period I'm looking at. Sept. 28 looking at mid-December: $145 / $244 / $433 for 09:31 departure from London
That's peak travel time that's why ❤️
I have autism so I got to go through All lines very quick.
Do you pay for the seat selection? How did you know nobody will seat with you guys (when it's 2 of u trip)
No you don't have to pay! We didn't know we wouldn't have anyone next to us it was a pleasant surprise 🙂
@@loveandlondon so there is no way to secure a certain seat? Like anybody can seat next to you?
@@GeniaBy The only way to secure a seat next to you is to buy it otherwise anyone can purchase it. She said they discovered no one was sitting next to them but that's finding out when you get there.
You are so beautiful Dear Jess and He is so handsome English Guy.😊😇🥰😍🤗
He's Brazilian!
I actually hate those opposite seats. You always have to look for where the legs of fellow passengers are. And avoid bumping your knees into the column which supports the table. I won't consider that business class at all. And the seat layout 1+2 is not really better than what was second (economy) in the 80s of last century. Compartments had only three seats in one row. And nobody bumped into you because of the aisle between seat rows.
I didn't understand which station you end up on in Paris.
Gate du Nord
Gare*
Gare du Nord.
Do you need to book eurostar to Paris or you can just hop in.
book, and in advance! Link in bio to where to book!
Book as far in advance as possible to get the cheapest fares and most availability
Ah so that's where Jean went when he stopped drinking bloody marys on TPG UK
Some would say he traded down.
I really don’t understand why Jess didn’t get the hot vegetarian breakfast in BP! The staff always has spare veggie breakfast in the morning, you don’t even need to book them! Did she ask for one? If she booked it, they were supposed to know but sometimes, when very busy, can happen to forget. She should have asked. Fruit salad is the light option, is not considered as vegetarian meal.
I said I wanted the vegetarian option and that was what they gave me!
@@loveandlondon that's not right! I don't know what happened but if for some reason they were missing the hot vegetarian breakfast, at least they should have told you what the problem was and apologised! This is not normal... 🙄
40 minutes in the queue? What a nightmare! And what if you need to use the toilet?
Go before you get on the queue I guess. Thanks for watching!
@@loveandlondon I have read that the stamping of British passports adds a 15 seconds to the time it took before Brexit. It may not seem like a lot, but multiply that by the number of passengers, it adds up…
@@viewwwwer I think it's also that border officers do more processing , than pre brexit, whilst you are going through as well as stamping.
You’re doing this in off season judging by your coats …..try same video in July
It was September
I can't see the point in paying extra on anything above standard which I done last year as its only a 2 hour journey and my children wernt bothered about getting the food as they probably wouldn't like or eat it ,just buy your own food or get it from the train cafe, only my opinion but I think all this food and 1st class is a con ,and the younger generation won't care about it and just want to pay for a cheep ride and bring your own snacks for a short 2 hour 15 minute train ride.
that biz class skip the line though....