Then when you come out of St Pancras station, dont forget to turn around and have a look at the gorgeous building youve just walked out of, its beautiful.
Awesome video, Mark! I love taking the Eurostar over a flight, especially when going to London. No airport hassle, you're right in the city center so no need for a pricey and long transfer from the airport. It's also much nicer to see the views of the different countries at ground level instead of just seeing clouds or a passenger drooling over himself, lol. Maybe just an extra tip: bring noise-cancelling headphones or at least earplugs to fully enjoy the ride as it can get rowdy, especially during summer holidays (teenagers, babies,..). Also, congrats on the weight loss!
On my birthday we went from London to Paris just to have lunch then came back. The following year we went London to Brussels, again just to have lunch!
Did London to Amsterdam on the Eurostar in 2018. Highly recommend it over dealing with the airports in London and Amsterdam. It’s much easier and quicker to get to St. Pancras than it is to any London airport if you’re staying in Central London, and cheaper. You can pass thru customs in a fraction of the time. The journey itself takes hours longer than a flight, and likely costs more, but if your destination is Central Amsterdam you’ll spend less time rushing around to and from airports and you’ll save a lot of money on transport to and from the airport (and on food at the airport, which is expensive). My advice is to take a late afternoon / evening train and get a ticket that comes with dinner. Going out to dinner in either London or Amsterdam is gonna take a couple of hours and cost a lot of money. The food on the Eurostar is very good and it essentially allows you to multitask, handling dining and travel at the same time. So don’t think of it as a 4 hour trip, but as a 2 hour trip plus the 2 hours you’d otherwise spend going out for dinner. I found the whole experience vastly less stressful than flying and - in the end - no more expensive or time consuming.
I saw a couple of youtubers had a race from Central London to Central Paris. One flew & one caught the Eurostar. The guy on the Eurostar won. The difference came down to the travel to & from the airports.
One time I took the Eurostar an American complained he couldn’t see anything out of the windows, I had to point out we were in the tunnel. Honestly a true story.
I had a very similar experience, it was in the days the Eurostar went from Waterloo. I was going to Paris on business , American couple opposite me in all seriousness asked me what they would be able to see from the tunnel .
Note to Eurail and Interrail Passholders: EUROSTAR seat reservations for passholders are limited and DO run out even though not all seats on the train are taken... So, it"s more important to reserve earlier when using a pass...
We rode it a decade or so ago. Two of our seats were double-sold, as two British men checked their reservation with ours. They were kind and went to the conductor to solve problem.
dang this video was uploaded 4 days ago but the train experience shown is clearly several weeks old. The current situation is that there is no customs check in Amsterdam (nor Rotterdam). On the way to London, everyone has to get off in Brussels and go through customs there. Was looking for more information on that.
Luv ya & your fam Walter…you are like the cool fun teacher /lifetime mentor everybody wishes they had. Keep up your sunny disposition way of life, your videos are therapeutic. 🫶🏼
I’ve travelled on Eurostar many times, from London to Paris & back and it’s so much better than flying. I’m still impressed by going through French Border Control in St Pancras and just walking out, into the street, at Gare de Nord.
I have ridden the Eurostar between Paris and London three times and all three times it was delayed in some way. The benefit to being in Europe though is that they required to give you some money back. The last time I went was from Paris to London and it was delayed over 2 hours and I was able to get half of my money refunded. So if you are not in an enormous hurry it's okay even if it's late.
I loved taking Eurostar. I took it from London to Amsterdam, and then from Paris to London again (I took THALYS from Amsterdam to Paris). The only problem I had was spotty WiFi. I’m looking forward to doing it again now that Eurostar and THALYS have merged.
omg, the wait and the lines! We did London to Paris and back in one day. It seemed like half the day was waiting to get on the train at each end. (A bomb scare in Paris made it worse.) It was a great adventure, though.
Awesome video! A few small corrections/additions: - The train from Amsterdam is not going directly to London for about 6 months, due to construction works on Amsterdam Centraal. It is still possible to book tickets to London, but you will take a Eurostar train to Brussels first, and then a connecting Eurostar to London from there, also meaning you will do check in in Brussels. When construction is finished, Eurostar will likely depart again from 15b, but the check in will be in a bigger check in area within the station itself, which is a big improvement. Back from London to Amsterdam, trains still run directly. - There used to be only 4 direct Eurostar trains from Amsterdam to London, with the company considering adding a 5th one. You can, however, buy tickets for a connection option, in the same way as described above. You take a Eurostar to Brussels, check in there, and take another Eurostar to London. - Maybe a small mention of the other Eurostar trains could have been good. Since last year, Thalys become Eurostar, meaning that the trains between Paris and Brussels/Amsterdam/Köln/Düsseldorf/Dortmund are now also Eurostar trains, but with their famous red livery still. This means there is now Eurostar Red and Eurostar Yellow. To make it more confusing, the company has started to use yellow Eurostar trains for red services, so Amsterdam-Paris, for example, to add capacity. Just make sure that, as a traveller, you don't get confused. Eurostar Red trains to Brussels and Paris usually also depart from track 15. But overall another very useful video! 😊😊
@@Marchanthof This!!! So much missing info 😕 and given this video has just been released it's a shame it doesn't cover the most up to date info given the changes for the next 6 months could really confuse folks!
Sounds like you might have the answer to my question about the amount of time needed to make that connecting train! In early September, I will take the Eurostar 9446 from Amsterdam to Brussels, which connects to the Eurostar 9141 to London. Provided the 9446 arrives on time, I will only have 39 minutes to get to the next train. I only have an American passport, so I don't know how long the check in process takes for us vs. Europeans, nor do I know where in the train station 9141 is. My ticket only reads "change platform". Thank you for your help!
@@amritawhitman8112 In my experience, the check-in in Brussels is a lot faster than in Londen, so I suppose you should have enough time to make the transfer. I am Dutch, so not fully comparable, but it took me about 10 minutes to get through everything. I suppose this might take a bit longer for you. Now, the Eurostars coming from the Netherlands are relatively often delayed a bit, due to track problems on the high speed line between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, so it is not uncommon to arrive in Brussels with a delay of 10/15 minutes by Eurostar. This means that the transfer would become a bit tricky. However, since you bought this as one through-ticket, Eurostar is responsible for you to make your connection or provide you with an alternative train if you do miss the connection due to their fault (a delay, for example). I am honestly not sure if they will make the train to London wait if people are likely to miss a connection. However, keep in mind that you will very likely not be the only one making this transfer, and they know that too. My advise is to contact Eurostar or speak to a conductor on board the first one. I am sure they have thought about this and have a solution ready in case your connection will be in danger, but I just don't really know how exactly they have planned to solve it. About the connection itself: This is relatively easy. I suppose your train will be a red Eurostar, with Paris being the final destination. But even if this is not true, expect to arrive in Brussels on track 3-6. You then head down to the main hall, which is quite easy to find. You then stay at the low platform numbers (Brussel-Zuid/Bruxelles-Midi has 22 tracks, high speed trains always depart from 1-6 and I expect your Eurostar to depart from 1 or 2), and will find the Eurostar checkin area fairly easy. I would not worry about finding your way in the station. In case you doubt, Google 'Brussel-Zuid floor plan' and you will find a link to a page of NS International, which will explain how the station works and down you will also find a floor plan, clearly indicating the track numbers and location of the Eurostar terminal. Good luck, and let me know if you have further questions! :)
@@Marchanthof Thank you very much for taking the time to provide me with so much helpful information!! 😊 After reading your reply I found the floor plan and oh my, the Brussels train station is HUGE! 😳 It then occurred to me to go back to the Eurostar website to contact them. They have a form there that allowed me to ask them about what I can expect with just 39 minutes between trains. After I submitted my question they provided a case number for reference. Thank you again for the information and for pointing me in the right direction! I'm looking forward to spending 6 days in Amsterdam!
Went from rotterdam to London a year ago, and back. It was a good experience. Enjoyed the lounge in the Netherlands a bit more than the crowded place in the UK. But it was still a good experience all in all. Quite organised. Liked it more than flying. 4 hours might seem long, but with flying all in all it takes just as long. 😊 train feld more relaxing
During Expo 67 in Montréal, when you rode the Métro (Montréal's Subway) to the site, going under the St-Lawrence river, there was an as on the tunnel wall. It was a series of pictures that we saw as couple of seconds of animation. It was an ad for cigarettes - it was 1967, after all...
That would have been from Longueuil to Île Sainte Hélène (now Jean Drapeau station). It's the only place where the Metro goes under the St. Lawrence River.
It was great when they ran the summer south of France service. Made a great summer holiday every time and its a shame they've not brought it back post covid.
In the Netherlands currently after a week in Paris -my first time either place with kids- it’s so nice to relax a little! It’s a much safer place once you adjust to the bike traffic!❤
Yeah, they've been cut down to 2 hours since 2007 when they completed the high-speed line on the British side into St Pancras. You took the old route out of Waterloo on classic third-rail lines up to the Channel Tunnel back in the day, hence why it was much slower then. Must've been a lot cheaper back then than it is now though?
@@AymanTravelTransport Yes back in 1998 Eurostar's policy was to have fares to suit all pockets which is typical domestic rail policy. Today Eurostar is a highly commercial business and its fares (unless booking well ahead) are very expensive as the operator seeks to recoup losses made during the pandemic.
Last I did London to Amsterdam returning Rotterdam to London and a couple weeks later London to Lille and back. Quick comfortable travel when compared with travel by air. And in previous years I've done London Paris as a day trip, cool factor when colleagues ask how was your weekend and you say I went to Paris yesterday.
Personally I wouldn’t try to day-trip from London to Paris or vice versa, it doesn’t do either place justice. Still, it opens options for which airports you can use. You could fly into any of those three major cities and easily catch a train to your destination. I find that helpful because I have nervous fliers in the family; the fewer takeoffs and landings we have to sit through, the better.
Never Never take take the bus from the Netherlands to the UK (London) On a two day trip. The bus late to pick us up and to late at the ferry (so fare no sleep) We had to wait for the next ferry (Duinkerk to Dover). We at the wrong season London was packed with tourist just like us. The bus driver missed the hour difference to main land of Europe. We where a hour to late for the ferry back. And the end I haven's seen hardly anything of London and had no sleep for two days. So Do it by train not by bus.
Flixbus is only interesting if you are still in your 20's, some backpacker, and on a very low budget. Unfort. flying is more available and cheaper than €urostar unless you book months in advance and still not all days or ll seats are available. In Dec. 2023 i went with €urostar for just over 200€ as i had booked months in advance. In May this year it wasn't available on the dates i wanted to go plus insanely expensive despite also months in advance, so i resorted to going by plane. I chose to go to LCY London City Airport.
My local train (10 mins walk from home), gets into St Pancras in about 20 minutes. It’s just a short change to the Eurostar platform and straight to Paris and the continent!! (We visit friends in Paris whenever we can afford to).
We just rode the Eurostar from Paris in June. We paid for the standard premier class and it wasn't that bad because we booked monthsbin advance. Prices increase as the date gets closer. Also, don't think you can switch seats once on board. There was a gentleman in our car who moved to a different spit within our car, and when food and beverage service came, he had to show his ticket and his ID and explain what he had done.
While I appreciate all the information he provides on this channel, since he invited his viewers to let him know if we have questions, it would be nice if he or someone working for him would respond to questions.
Forgot one thing : Don't be surprised if you arrive in London an hour earlier than you thought (or in Paris an hour later). Great Britain and Continental Europe are on separate time zones. If, for example, you take the Eurostar from Paris to London at noon, you will arrive (after a 2.30 hours long ride) at 13.30. In reverse, from London to Paris, if you leave London at noon, you will arrive in Paris at 15.30, still after a 2.30 hours long ride. Be sure to remember that.
@@WifeMamaArtist Sure, but considering nearly all of Western, Central and even a lot of Eastern Europe is on the same time zone and have open borders and good infrastructure like this, it's easy to forget.
In Paris, I got the Eurostar with seconds to go before they were about to lock the doors, they could see me running down the gangway and were waiting at bottom just to get us on the closest coach (I think I was one of 3 people who got on in time). There were post-Brexit and pandemic delays throughout the check-in (2022). Brexit has caused a lot of travel mess! Especially for British Passports! (Which I don't have, but people I travel with have and it is inconvenient if the person with the car keys doesn't get on a plane!) Another suggestion - don't sit in the coach next to the cafe in the evening unless you enjoy loud people getting super drunk.
I just did the Eurostar from Paris to Amsterdam and then a few days later from Amsterdam to London. I booked my tickets on the Eurostar website a few months in advance. The train also has vending machines onboard.
If you're travelling onwards to somewhere like Manchester or Liverpool from London, Euston station is also easily walkable from St Pancras. It's a bit further than King's Cross but still only 10 minutes (use Brill Place / Phoenix Street behind the Crick Institute museum across from the west exit of St Pancras as it's much quieter than the main road), so it's actually better than taking the tube one stop, especially given how far down you have to go to get the tube in the first place on both sides, meaning you might as well just do all that walking at surface level in the first place. For the mobility impaired or those with lots of luggage, you're better off taking the bus as it's a bit cheaper than the tube and you'll save yourself lots of hassle going up and down the tube stations.
As others here have noted there are engineering works currently taking place at Amsterdam Centraal. It means while you can take a direct LON-AMS train you *cannot* travel direct AMS-LON. Train change needed at Brussels Midi where you clear UK Border controls. Also note that EU rules from October (assuming these rules are not delayed yet again) mean that StPancras check-in times will take much longer from that time. So if planning a trip from London when the new EU rules take effect it's wise to check.
Dont put little cases and bags on the racks at the end of the carriage. It is tempting, as soon as you get on, to offload all your stuff there but it is really for all the big suitcases. Use the overhead racks or you will incur the displeasure of the Eurostar staff.
Last time I took the Eurostar, the Wifi was really spotty and slow. The Wifi is actually routed through 3-4G cellphone signals (or so it said on the sign-in page). At very busy times the waiting lines can be very long in London. Last year we started queuing 2 hours in advance and only barely made it. Holidays and especially long weekends can be really busy.
I’m taking this from Amsterdam to Brussels in a few months. So for me there doesn’t seem to be a need for passport control. Is there a separate line (queue) for someone with my itinerary?
Thank you very much for this video! It was very helpful. I haven't taken Eurostar yet, so I do have a couple of questions for you. #1 I have my ticket to go from Amsterdam to London at 12 pm in early September, however I'm concerned about whether or not I allowed enough time to catch the connecting train in Brussels Midi/Zuid. I will only have 39 minutes between the arrival of the train from Amsterdam to get the train to London (Eurostar 9446 to Eurostar 9141). My reservation says "change platform", but doesn't indicate where in the train station that platform is located. Is that enough time? #2 This might seem like a silly question, but since you alluded to it a bit, since I'm a solo traveler, coming from Los Angeles where one can't leave ANYTHING unattended or it will be stolen, I'm concerned about leaving my small suitcase on the luggage rack while I go to the cafe or restroom, so I've ordered a wire combination lock so I can secure the suitcase to the rack. Is that a good idea or a common thing to do, or will I get dirty looks from people? Thank you!
Question two first No one locks luggage on the racks so you could get funny looks from people, all luggage has to have a label attached by the way although they do not check for that. With all seats reserved it is not like a normal train where someone will walk about the train looking for things to steal so a walk to the buffet and back you will be fine leaving anything on the rack. Question 2 In Brussels you will have to go through check in because at the moment there is no UK boarder control in Amsterdam thanks to us leaving the EU and making it less easy to travel. I think you have left yourself short of time to check in, and think it best if you can try to get an earlier train from Amsterdam or later one from Brussels. The actual change of platform is not going to take long, walking from train to Eurostar check in, but check in closes 30 mins before departure leaving you only 9 mins. I hope all goes well and you will sure enjoy the scenery along the way especially the first part.
@@cedarcam Thank you for answering my questions! I contacted Eurostar and they assured me that since I booked one ticket going from Amsterdam to London and not two separate tickets, that the online reservation system wouldn't have allowed me to book it if there was not enough time to get from one train to another. They advised me to keep my ticket as is and not make any changes. This will be interesting! I noticed no one tethers their luggage to the racks last year and when I traveled in France in 2018. However, here in the US luggage is often stolen from baggage carousels in airports. Sometimes it's a mistake, but often it's deliberate. Here in California they decriminalized thievery up to $950 so retail stores are being looted every day! I witnessed it too. It's gotten so bad here the stores are putting a lot of merchandise in locked cabinets.
@@amritawhitman8112 Thanks for your reply. Good to know you should have a smooth connection. Since I went a few years ago I know they now have an agreement with Thalys for through tickets. When I went I had to buy separate tickets. They probably have a fast track Q in Brussels now. What a bad world we live in. Over here in UK things are not so bad yet, but only a matter of time before we too are locking luggage to racks. Shop theft has increased a lot since Poo Tin upset everything and prices soared, so far I have not heard of locked cabinets in stores. I am sure you will feel more at ease over here. Do take care using our tube or Underground in London where everyone is in a hurry and trains get very full. Take your time looking for the signs, and if a train is really full there is often another a few minutes later, so it can be better waiting and finding the next one has more room in The underground staff are good and helpful if you get stuck or lost.
One thing to be aware of with Eurostar - There are security checks and you have similar limitations to a flight (though the strictness is variable!) A colleague took the Eurostar to Brussels for a trip and took a tool kit for work purposes. No problems heading out, but on the return, the security at Brussels confiscated his entire tool kit! this was about £100 of hand tools (screwdrivers, wrenches etc...). No option to package them or have them held - just confiscated without any options! You would be better flying nd packing them in checked baggage. No problem on way out or on any other trip, but this time, no go - Just be aware.
We will be arriving in Paris at CDG and transferring to the train station to take the Eurostar to London and I'd like to buy my tickets in advance. So my question is, what happens if my flight is delayed? Do I simply lose my money. It is much simpler and safer to buy them directly at the train station. Thanks for your help and have a great great day.
Right now (july 2024) the border control situation when travelling from Amsterdam is a bit different due to work being done on Amsterdam Centraal Station. Until the end of the year people travelling from Amsterdam to London St Pancras have to change trains at Brussel Zuid/Midi to have the border check there.
Thanks Mark! Question I’ve never been sure about, if you’d be able to answer please? You mention the restaurant car takes Sterling and Euro. Flights sometimes do similar, I think. Is there no difference which option you choose? If I have a UK bank card that gives me the Mastercard exchange rate for example, should I just choose to pay in Sterling or might there be a markup if the train is going through Belgium for example?
If you have a UK (credit)card I would avoid paying in foreign currency when your own is available. Same is true for the opposite of course. That way you can avoid weird exchange rates and what have you. I am sure that when you buy a coffee or whatever, they will ask you if you want to pay in euro's or in pound sterling. I am sure that the staff onboard have cheat sheet they use for looking up prices in both EUR and GBP. If they tell you it's 5 GBP / 7 EUR then I would just ask to pay in GBP instead of EUR given you have a UK mastercard. That 7 EUR then is calculated at Mastercard back into GBP, whatever the exchange rate at that moment is, and then on top of that you have to pay extra fees because it is a foreign currency.
How old are you? Don't you feel a little uncomfortable asking basic questions the answers to which are easy to research? Here's a piece of expert advice that will blow your mind and educate you forever: IN CASE OF CONFUSION, USE INTERNET TO DO RESEARCH (or call your mommy).
Oh, gosh. Be careful. I think you have been given some poor advice here by masterTigress96. I can't speak for the Eurostar because it might be like a plane and it's hard to know where you are in terms of legal currency. But as a rule when paying by card abroad if the machine asks you to choose your own currency or the local currency always choose the local currency. The reason for this is that if you choose the local currency you will just pay at the normal exchange rate. If you choose your own currency your card company will normally impose you an extra charge for the service. Not all companies do this so it's worth researching it. Monzo, Nationwide and Starling for example do not charge you for using your card abroad but most do. So as a rule do not avoid paying in foreign currency. Quite the opposite.
Eurostar has now taken over the old Thalys routes and is a very diferent experence being intra EU between running between Amsterdam-Brussels-Paris and the Brussels- Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund. they Operate diferent looking Red trains vs the Eurostar to/from London that are Blue. Red doesn't have the arrive early need passport etc its just like a normal highspeed train.
Genuine question Mark, what is the advantage of the £200+ Eurostar over a £20-£80 flight to Amsterdam form London? Love your content, you're a RUclips Legend!
Add it all up, factor in getting to Schiphol and then getting into London from Heathrow. At least you arrive in (more or less) Central London with the Eurostar.
it depends on the day and how early you book , if it's peak holiday season, for instance 6th sept is £78 return London to Paris,just checked the prices, where 31st June is £128 return. Add to that it takes you city centre to city centre, in just over 2hrs to Paris, so security (say 3.5hrs hotel to hotel), if you where to fly to Paris, the time taken to get to the Airport, security , check in time, same on the other side, you are looking at probaly more like 7hrs+. Not really practical for 1 day visit For the same day flying 6th Sept , the cheapest flight i can find is £40 compared to £78 buts that's from Luton , so travelling to there would negate any savings, i.e Train,Taxi to Airport could'nt find a flight for June, but August you looking at £85 return compared to £128 So the difference is not much, unless you live or going to somenear by Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton or Charles DeGaulle
I can name 4 benefits from the top of my head that I really like: - departing and arriving from/at the middle of each city with the benefits of that - no added costs for the most common things. Standard Premier and Business Premier even include dinner and drinks - much more comfortable - you can keep your luggage close to you
@@WDH59510 More relevant on the London side, its a nightmare getting to London from the several airports, you're right, and the price will usually tack on a bit extra. That makes sense.
If you have only a small suitcase don’t rush to the train at boarding time - your seat will wait for you and everyone else will stand in front of you for quite a while. You have at least 30 minutes to board ! Especially at St.Pancras it can be overcrowded… Euston Station is just a 5-10 min. walk from King’s Cross/St.Pancras you don’t need the Tube - it’s not like in Paris where most of the stations are quite far like Gare du Nord/Est and Lyon 6,5 km/3,7ml ,a 40-5 min. walk…. AND don’t change money-take it from an ATM with your card- it’s way cheaper !
You have not mentioned from London with easy connexions from Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles to other destinations getting you to destinations same day, in the High Speed European Rail Network. For Example you can get to Marseille, Barcelona and Milan via Paris, and Koln onwards from Brussel/Bruxelles etc... Buon viaggio!
eurostar and thalys recently merged so you can buy a eurostar ticket from cologne/rheinruhr area/aachen to london. beforehand you had to buy 2 tickets: one for thalys to brussels and one from brussels to london
But unfortunately a train change in Brussels is still required as Eurostar, Amsterdam excepted, has not expanded its network since 1994. Plans to serve Germany direct from London never materialised.
Then when you come out of St Pancras station, dont forget to turn around and have a look at the gorgeous building youve just walked out of, its beautiful.
But if going to St PancrEas then it's probably best not to look 😉
I left that building through Thameslink, so couldn't see it.
London St Pancreas is a much better station than London St Kidney 🙂
Go via the bile duct - it's much prettier.
St Pancreas was a native of Liver-pool I fancy.
😂🤣😂🤣
😂
Agreed. And also much better than Lung-don St Pancreas.
Awesome video, Mark! I love taking the Eurostar over a flight, especially when going to London. No airport hassle, you're right in the city center so no need for a pricey and long transfer from the airport.
It's also much nicer to see the views of the different countries at ground level instead of just seeing clouds or a passenger drooling over himself, lol.
Maybe just an extra tip: bring noise-cancelling headphones or at least earplugs to fully enjoy the ride as it can get rowdy, especially during summer holidays (teenagers, babies,..).
Also, congrats on the weight loss!
I visited Amsterdam with a friend in June 2024 and it was so safe and peaceful. Highly recommend it!
On my birthday we went from London to Paris just to have lunch then came back. The following year we went London to Brussels, again just to have lunch!
Did London to Amsterdam on the Eurostar in 2018. Highly recommend it over dealing with the airports in London and Amsterdam. It’s much easier and quicker to get to St. Pancras than it is to any London airport if you’re staying in Central London, and cheaper. You can pass thru customs in a fraction of the time.
The journey itself takes hours longer than a flight, and likely costs more, but if your destination is Central Amsterdam you’ll spend less time rushing around to and from airports and you’ll save a lot of money on transport to and from the airport (and on food at the airport, which is expensive).
My advice is to take a late afternoon / evening train and get a ticket that comes with dinner. Going out to dinner in either London or Amsterdam is gonna take a couple of hours and cost a lot of money. The food on the Eurostar is very good and it essentially allows you to multitask, handling dining and travel at the same time. So don’t think of it as a 4 hour trip, but as a 2 hour trip plus the 2 hours you’d otherwise spend going out for dinner.
I found the whole experience vastly less stressful than flying and - in the end - no more expensive or time consuming.
Plus you get to see a lot more scenery from the train than the plane.
I saw a couple of youtubers had a race from Central London to Central Paris. One flew & one caught the Eurostar. The guy on the Eurostar won. The difference came down to the travel to & from the airports.
0:33 "St Pancreas" lol
6:10
Hee-Hee
I just watched some movies with Wilford Brimley earlier today. And now this. Got the Diabeetus now.
To be fair he seemed really tired
@@joostverra9130To be fair, it was 5:30 in the morning and, if I recall correctly, Mark doesn't drink coffee? 😂
Congrats on 1 million subscribers! 🎉
One time I took the Eurostar an American complained he couldn’t see anything out of the windows, I had to point out we were in the tunnel. Honestly a true story.
I had a very similar experience, it was in the days the Eurostar went from Waterloo. I was going to Paris on business , American couple opposite me in all seriousness asked me what they would be able to see from the tunnel .
@@peterjones6640 LOL I had that asked too Geee it's a tunnel.
Note to Eurail and Interrail Passholders: EUROSTAR seat reservations for passholders are limited and DO run out even though not all seats on the train are taken... So, it"s more important to reserve earlier when using a pass...
We rode it a decade or so ago. Two of our seats were double-sold, as two British men checked their reservation with ours. They were kind and went to the conductor to solve problem.
Thanks. We are taking the Eurostar from London to Paris (and back) in September.
dang this video was uploaded 4 days ago but the train experience shown is clearly several weeks old. The current situation is that there is no customs check in Amsterdam (nor Rotterdam). On the way to London, everyone has to get off in Brussels and go through customs there. Was looking for more information on that.
gross
A absolute wealth of knowledge.. great video 👍
Luv ya & your fam Walter…you are like the cool fun teacher /lifetime mentor everybody wishes they had. Keep up your sunny disposition way of life, your videos are therapeutic. 🫶🏼
Wow, very impressive. You rented the entire wagon to film.
Wtf is a wagon?
It is the train car@@mildlydispleased3221
@@mildlydispleased3221 You know what he means, probably just a languange thing
It looked like he did. But we don't have that kind of budget!😂
@@joostverra9130 whats the other word then? I thought they are called wagons.
I’ve travelled on Eurostar many times, from London to Paris & back and it’s so much better than flying.
I’m still impressed by going through French Border Control in St Pancras and just walking out, into the street, at Gare de Nord.
Perfect timing for this video because I'm planning this exact trip soon.
I have ridden the Eurostar between Paris and London three times and all three times it was delayed in some way. The benefit to being in Europe though is that they required to give you some money back. The last time I went was from Paris to London and it was delayed over 2 hours and I was able to get half of my money refunded. So if you are not in an enormous hurry it's okay even if it's late.
I loved taking Eurostar. I took it from London to Amsterdam, and then from Paris to London again (I took THALYS from Amsterdam to Paris). The only problem I had was spotty WiFi.
I’m looking forward to doing it again now that Eurostar and THALYS have merged.
Why need for wifi when you have free roaming in europe 💁
@@deadzio
In the tunnel it is the same…
omg, the wait and the lines! We did London to Paris and back in one day. It seemed like half the day was waiting to get on the train at each end. (A bomb scare in Paris made it worse.) It was a great adventure, though.
Awesome video! A few small corrections/additions:
- The train from Amsterdam is not going directly to London for about 6 months, due to construction works on Amsterdam Centraal. It is still possible to book tickets to London, but you will take a Eurostar train to Brussels first, and then a connecting Eurostar to London from there, also meaning you will do check in in Brussels. When construction is finished, Eurostar will likely depart again from 15b, but the check in will be in a bigger check in area within the station itself, which is a big improvement. Back from London to Amsterdam, trains still run directly.
- There used to be only 4 direct Eurostar trains from Amsterdam to London, with the company considering adding a 5th one. You can, however, buy tickets for a connection option, in the same way as described above. You take a Eurostar to Brussels, check in there, and take another Eurostar to London.
- Maybe a small mention of the other Eurostar trains could have been good. Since last year, Thalys become Eurostar, meaning that the trains between Paris and Brussels/Amsterdam/Köln/Düsseldorf/Dortmund are now also Eurostar trains, but with their famous red livery still. This means there is now Eurostar Red and Eurostar Yellow. To make it more confusing, the company has started to use yellow Eurostar trains for red services, so Amsterdam-Paris, for example, to add capacity. Just make sure that, as a traveller, you don't get confused. Eurostar Red trains to Brussels and Paris usually also depart from track 15.
But overall another very useful video! 😊😊
@@Marchanthof This!!! So much missing info 😕 and given this video has just been released it's a shame it doesn't cover the most up to date info given the changes for the next 6 months could really confuse folks!
Sounds like you might have the answer to my question about the amount of time needed to make that connecting train! In early September, I will take the Eurostar 9446 from Amsterdam to Brussels, which connects to the Eurostar 9141 to London. Provided the 9446 arrives on time, I will only have 39 minutes to get to the next train. I only have an American passport, so I don't know how long the check in process takes for us vs. Europeans, nor do I know where in the train station 9141 is. My ticket only reads "change platform". Thank you for your help!
@@amritawhitman8112 In my experience, the check-in in Brussels is a lot faster than in Londen, so I suppose you should have enough time to make the transfer. I am Dutch, so not fully comparable, but it took me about 10 minutes to get through everything. I suppose this might take a bit longer for you.
Now, the Eurostars coming from the Netherlands are relatively often delayed a bit, due to track problems on the high speed line between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, so it is not uncommon to arrive in Brussels with a delay of 10/15 minutes by Eurostar. This means that the transfer would become a bit tricky. However, since you bought this as one through-ticket, Eurostar is responsible for you to make your connection or provide you with an alternative train if you do miss the connection due to their fault (a delay, for example). I am honestly not sure if they will make the train to London wait if people are likely to miss a connection. However, keep in mind that you will very likely not be the only one making this transfer, and they know that too.
My advise is to contact Eurostar or speak to a conductor on board the first one. I am sure they have thought about this and have a solution ready in case your connection will be in danger, but I just don't really know how exactly they have planned to solve it.
About the connection itself: This is relatively easy. I suppose your train will be a red Eurostar, with Paris being the final destination. But even if this is not true, expect to arrive in Brussels on track 3-6. You then head down to the main hall, which is quite easy to find. You then stay at the low platform numbers (Brussel-Zuid/Bruxelles-Midi has 22 tracks, high speed trains always depart from 1-6 and I expect your Eurostar to depart from 1 or 2), and will find the Eurostar checkin area fairly easy. I would not worry about finding your way in the station. In case you doubt, Google 'Brussel-Zuid floor plan' and you will find a link to a page of NS International, which will explain how the station works and down you will also find a floor plan, clearly indicating the track numbers and location of the Eurostar terminal.
Good luck, and let me know if you have further questions! :)
@@satanwithwings Yeah true. I suppose he had this video ready a while ago, and decided to post it now. Not sure, but it feels like it.
@@Marchanthof Thank you very much for taking the time to provide me with so much helpful information!! 😊 After reading your reply I found the floor plan and oh my, the Brussels train station is HUGE! 😳 It then occurred to me to go back to the Eurostar website to contact them. They have a form there that allowed me to ask them about what I can expect with just 39 minutes between trains. After I submitted my question they provided a case number for reference. Thank you again for the information and for pointing me in the right direction! I'm looking forward to spending 6 days in Amsterdam!
Went from rotterdam to London a year ago, and back. It was a good experience.
Enjoyed the lounge in the Netherlands a bit more than the crowded place in the UK. But it was still a good experience all in all. Quite organised.
Liked it more than flying. 4 hours might seem long, but with flying all in all it takes just as long. 😊 train feld more relaxing
Wow, you even thought about the air pressure changes. Thank you, Mark :)
During Expo 67 in Montréal, when you rode the Métro (Montréal's Subway) to the site, going under the St-Lawrence river, there was an as on the tunnel wall. It was a series of pictures that we saw as couple of seconds of animation.
It was an ad for cigarettes - it was 1967, after all...
That would have been from Longueuil to Île Sainte Hélène (now Jean Drapeau station). It's the only place where the Metro goes under the St. Lawrence River.
@@tazman572 From Montréal to île Sainte-Hélène
Brilliant informative video, one of your best ones, thanks as I plan on using the service
I have done the eurostar twice
london to paris
london to brussels and then went to bruges
wonderful experiencein th tunnel for about 20min.
Great advice, Mark 👌✨
Very informative! I’m traveling in December 2024.
It was great when they ran the summer south of France service. Made a great summer holiday every time and its a shame they've not brought it back post covid.
They still do the ski trains in winter though, right?
In the Netherlands currently after a week in Paris -my first time either place with kids- it’s so nice to relax a little! It’s a much safer place once you adjust to the bike traffic!❤
I did London-Paris return as a day trip back in 1998. It was a good 3-4 hours each way, so it sounds like they've improved the travel time since then.
Yeah, they've been cut down to 2 hours since 2007 when they completed the high-speed line on the British side into St Pancras. You took the old route out of Waterloo on classic third-rail lines up to the Channel Tunnel back in the day, hence why it was much slower then. Must've been a lot cheaper back then than it is now though?
@@AymanTravelTransport Yes back in 1998 Eurostar's policy was to have fares to suit all pockets which is typical domestic rail policy. Today Eurostar is a highly commercial business and its fares (unless booking well ahead) are very expensive as the operator seeks to recoup losses made during the pandemic.
Love your vlogs 😊
My last Eurostar trip was a nightmare. A 4 hour trip to Amsterdam took 13 hours. There was a power outage on the tracks in France.
Last I did London to Amsterdam returning Rotterdam to London and a couple weeks later London to Lille and back. Quick comfortable travel when compared with travel by air.
And in previous years I've done London Paris as a day trip, cool factor when colleagues ask how was your weekend and you say I went to Paris yesterday.
Personally I wouldn’t try to day-trip from London to Paris or vice versa, it doesn’t do either place justice. Still, it opens options for which airports you can use. You could fly into any of those three major cities and easily catch a train to your destination. I find that helpful because I have nervous fliers in the family; the fewer takeoffs and landings we have to sit through, the better.
Good information. Thank you for sharing.😊❤
Great video as always!
Love the videos. You do such a great job please keep up the good work ❤️
The best Eurostar ticket is the London to any Belgian station. Same price, but you get to go anywhere you want in Belgium from Brussels.
Never Never take take the bus from the Netherlands to the UK (London) On a two day trip. The bus late to pick us up and to late at the ferry (so fare no sleep) We had to wait for the next ferry (Duinkerk to Dover). We at the wrong season London was packed with tourist just like us. The bus driver missed the hour difference to main land of Europe. We where a hour to late for the ferry back.
And the end I haven's seen hardly anything of London and had no sleep for two days. So Do it by train not by bus.
Flixbus is only interesting if you are still in your 20's, some backpacker, and on a very low budget. Unfort. flying is more available and cheaper than €urostar unless you book months in advance and still not all days or ll seats are available.
In Dec. 2023 i went with €urostar for just over 200€ as i had booked months in advance. In May this year it wasn't available on the dates i wanted to go plus insanely expensive despite also months in advance, so i resorted to going by plane. I chose to go to LCY London City Airport.
My local train (10 mins walk from home), gets into St Pancras in about 20 minutes. It’s just a short change to the Eurostar platform and straight to Paris and the continent!! (We visit friends in Paris whenever we can afford to).
We just rode the Eurostar from Paris in June. We paid for the standard premier class and it wasn't that bad because we booked monthsbin advance. Prices increase as the date gets closer. Also, don't think you can switch seats once on board. There was a gentleman in our car who moved to a different spit within our car, and when food and beverage service came, he had to show his ticket and his ID and explain what he had done.
Eurostar prices like the airlines so fares will fluctuate depending on supply and demand. Booking at short notice can be expensive for that reason.
Also a short walk turning right out of St Pancras is Euston railway station for trains up the west side.
Nice video ❤
Hey Mark, awesome video
Thank you! This was very helpful 😊
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Good information
While I appreciate all the information he provides on this channel, since he invited his viewers to let him know if we have questions, it would be nice if he or someone working for him would respond to questions.
It can be expensive. Compare prices for flights. Bus can be a cheap alternative, but that takes a looong time :)
It’s also a short 2 hour ride from London to Brussels 😊
Forgot one thing : Don't be surprised if you arrive in London an hour earlier than you thought (or in Paris an hour later). Great Britain and Continental Europe are on separate time zones. If, for example, you take the Eurostar from Paris to London at noon, you will arrive (after a 2.30 hours long ride) at 13.30. In reverse, from London to Paris, if you leave London at noon, you will arrive in Paris at 15.30, still after a 2.30 hours long ride. Be sure to remember that.
Strangely enough this happens with all time zones, even when flying…
Departure and arrival times are in local time zone. No need to know this
@@WifeMamaArtist Sure, but considering nearly all of Western, Central and even a lot of Eastern Europe is on the same time zone and have open borders and good infrastructure like this, it's easy to forget.
Good work
Wonderful
In Paris, I got the Eurostar with seconds to go before they were about to lock the doors, they could see me running down the gangway and were waiting at bottom just to get us on the closest coach (I think I was one of 3 people who got on in time). There were post-Brexit and pandemic delays throughout the check-in (2022). Brexit has caused a lot of travel mess! Especially for British Passports! (Which I don't have, but people I travel with have and it is inconvenient if the person with the car keys doesn't get on a plane!)
Another suggestion - don't sit in the coach next to the cafe in the evening unless you enjoy loud people getting super drunk.
I just did the Eurostar from Paris to Amsterdam and then a few days later from Amsterdam to London. I booked my tickets on the Eurostar website a few months in advance. The train also has vending machines onboard.
Another great video. Thanks
08:40 Also London Euston, the mainline terminus for journeys towards Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow is around a 400m walk away.
The standard premier is worth the extra money.
In my experience, the tunnel is only 20 minutes, not 30-35.
Eurostar is definitely my favourite way of travelling (especially London-Paris).
good one 👍🏻
If you're travelling onwards to somewhere like Manchester or Liverpool from London, Euston station is also easily walkable from St Pancras. It's a bit further than King's Cross but still only 10 minutes (use Brill Place / Phoenix Street behind the Crick Institute museum across from the west exit of St Pancras as it's much quieter than the main road), so it's actually better than taking the tube one stop, especially given how far down you have to go to get the tube in the first place on both sides, meaning you might as well just do all that walking at surface level in the first place. For the mobility impaired or those with lots of luggage, you're better off taking the bus as it's a bit cheaper than the tube and you'll save yourself lots of hassle going up and down the tube stations.
I liked the British humour so much when they made the train from Paris terminate at London Waterloo....
As others here have noted there are engineering works currently taking place at Amsterdam Centraal. It means while you can take a direct LON-AMS train you *cannot* travel direct AMS-LON. Train change needed at Brussels Midi where you clear UK Border controls. Also note that EU rules from October (assuming these rules are not delayed yet again) mean that StPancras check-in times will take much longer from that time. So if planning a trip from London when the new EU rules take effect it's wise to check.
Good advice as usual.
Good job
Goood work❤
Dont put little cases and bags on the racks at the end of the carriage. It is tempting, as soon as you get on, to offload all your stuff there but it is really for all the big suitcases. Use the overhead racks or you will incur the displeasure of the Eurostar staff.
8:54 I don't think i want to "take a picture with Harry Potter's little thing", but thank you for pointing it out.
Informative
One thing that surprised me was the lack of a checked luggage option like on Australian trains.
Doing your research on hotel locations and transport hubs essential when travelling to places not been to before.
Perfect
thank you
Only done Brussels to London
#24 is key, I believe a lesser price for booking in advance too.
Last time I took the Eurostar, the Wifi was really spotty and slow. The Wifi is actually routed through 3-4G cellphone signals (or so it said on the sign-in page).
At very busy times the waiting lines can be very long in London. Last year we started queuing 2 hours in advance and only barely made it. Holidays and especially long weekends can be really busy.
I’m taking this from Amsterdam to Brussels in a few months. So for me there doesn’t seem to be a need for passport control. Is there a separate line (queue) for someone with my itinerary?
Thank you very much for this video! It was very helpful. I haven't taken Eurostar yet, so I do have a couple of questions for you. #1 I have my ticket to go from Amsterdam to London at 12 pm in early September, however I'm concerned about whether or not I allowed enough time to catch the connecting train in Brussels Midi/Zuid. I will only have 39 minutes between the arrival of the train from Amsterdam to get the train to London (Eurostar 9446 to Eurostar 9141). My reservation says "change platform", but doesn't indicate where in the train station that platform is located. Is that enough time? #2 This might seem like a silly question, but since you alluded to it a bit, since I'm a solo traveler, coming from Los Angeles where one can't leave ANYTHING unattended or it will be stolen, I'm concerned about leaving my small suitcase on the luggage rack while I go to the cafe or restroom, so I've ordered a wire combination lock so I can secure the suitcase to the rack. Is that a good idea or a common thing to do, or will I get dirty looks from people? Thank you!
Question two first No one locks luggage on the racks so you could get funny looks from people, all luggage has to have a label attached by the way although they do not check for that. With all seats reserved it is not like a normal train where someone will walk about the train looking for things to steal so a walk to the buffet and back you will be fine leaving anything on the rack. Question 2 In Brussels you will have to go through check in because at the moment there is no UK boarder control in Amsterdam thanks to us leaving the EU and making it less easy to travel. I think you have left yourself short of time to check in, and think it best if you can try to get an earlier train from Amsterdam or later one from Brussels. The actual change of platform is not going to take long, walking from train to Eurostar check in, but check in closes 30 mins before departure leaving you only 9 mins. I hope all goes well and you will sure enjoy the scenery along the way especially the first part.
@@cedarcam Thank you for answering my questions! I contacted Eurostar and they assured me that since I booked one ticket going from Amsterdam to London and not two separate tickets, that the online reservation system wouldn't have allowed me to book it if there was not enough time to get from one train to another. They advised me to keep my ticket as is and not make any changes. This will be interesting! I noticed no one tethers their luggage to the racks last year and when I traveled in France in 2018. However, here in the US luggage is often stolen from baggage carousels in airports. Sometimes it's a mistake, but often it's deliberate. Here in California they decriminalized thievery up to $950 so retail stores are being looted every day! I witnessed it too. It's gotten so bad here the stores are putting a lot of merchandise in locked cabinets.
@@amritawhitman8112 Thanks for your reply. Good to know you should have a smooth connection. Since I went a few years ago I know they now have an agreement with Thalys for through tickets. When I went I had to buy separate tickets. They probably have a fast track Q in Brussels now. What a bad world we live in. Over here in UK things are not so bad yet, but only a matter of time before we too are locking luggage to racks. Shop theft has increased a lot since Poo Tin upset everything and prices soared, so far I have not heard of locked cabinets in stores. I am sure you will feel more at ease over here. Do take care using our tube or Underground in London where everyone is in a hurry and trains get very full. Take your time looking for the signs, and if a train is really full there is often another a few minutes later, so it can be better waiting and finding the next one has more room in The underground staff are good and helpful if you get stuck or lost.
One thing to be aware of with Eurostar - There are security checks and you have similar limitations to a flight (though the strictness is variable!) A colleague took the Eurostar to Brussels for a trip and took a tool kit for work purposes. No problems heading out, but on the return, the security at Brussels confiscated his entire tool kit! this was about £100 of hand tools (screwdrivers, wrenches etc...). No option to package them or have them held - just confiscated without any options! You would be better flying nd packing them in checked baggage. No problem on way out or on any other trip, but this time, no go - Just be aware.
We will be arriving in Paris at CDG and transferring to the train station to take the Eurostar to London and I'd like to buy my tickets in advance. So my question is, what happens if my flight is delayed? Do I simply lose my money. It is much simpler and safer to buy them directly at the train station. Thanks for your help and have a great great day.
Nice 💯🙂
London to Lille.. Anything I need to know.. Are there car rental companies in Lille?Also, the best accommodation in Lille,thanks
We start this Saturday Cologne -> London =D
Right now (july 2024) the border control situation when travelling from Amsterdam is a bit different due to work being done on Amsterdam Centraal Station. Until the end of the year people travelling from Amsterdam to London St Pancras have to change trains at Brussel Zuid/Midi to have the border check there.
Good speech
Thanks Mark! Question I’ve never been sure about, if you’d be able to answer please? You mention the restaurant car takes Sterling and Euro. Flights sometimes do similar, I think. Is there no difference which option you choose? If I have a UK bank card that gives me the Mastercard exchange rate for example, should I just choose to pay in Sterling or might there be a markup if the train is going through Belgium for example?
If you have a UK (credit)card I would avoid paying in foreign currency when your own is available. Same is true for the opposite of course. That way you can avoid weird exchange rates and what have you. I am sure that when you buy a coffee or whatever, they will ask you if you want to pay in euro's or in pound sterling. I am sure that the staff onboard have cheat sheet they use for looking up prices in both EUR and GBP. If they tell you it's 5 GBP / 7 EUR then I would just ask to pay in GBP instead of EUR given you have a UK mastercard. That 7 EUR then is calculated at Mastercard back into GBP, whatever the exchange rate at that moment is, and then on top of that you have to pay extra fees because it is a foreign currency.
How old are you? Don't you feel a little uncomfortable asking basic questions the answers to which are easy to research? Here's a piece of expert advice that will blow your mind and educate you forever: IN CASE OF CONFUSION, USE INTERNET TO DO RESEARCH (or call your mommy).
@@masterTigress96 thank you!!
@@desiderata2209 alright keep your hair on, jeez
Oh, gosh. Be careful. I think you have been given some poor advice here by masterTigress96. I can't speak for the Eurostar because it might be like a plane and it's hard to know where you are in terms of legal currency.
But as a rule when paying by card abroad if the machine asks you to choose your own currency or the local currency always choose the local currency. The reason for this is that if you choose the local currency you will just pay at the normal exchange rate. If you choose your own currency your card company will normally impose you an extra charge for the service. Not all companies do this so it's worth researching it. Monzo, Nationwide and Starling for example do not charge you for using your card abroad but most do. So as a rule do not avoid paying in foreign currency. Quite the opposite.
did you just call st pancras st pancreas ? xD actually really awesome mate
It's a dumb station name and the difference is an 'e'. Get over it
Eurostar has now taken over the old Thalys routes and is a very diferent experence being intra EU between running between Amsterdam-Brussels-Paris and the Brussels- Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund. they Operate diferent looking Red trains vs the Eurostar to/from London that are Blue. Red doesn't have the arrive early need passport etc its just like a normal highspeed train.
Genuine question Mark, what is the advantage of the £200+ Eurostar over a £20-£80 flight to Amsterdam form London?
Love your content, you're a RUclips Legend!
Add it all up, factor in getting to Schiphol and then getting into London from Heathrow. At least you arrive in (more or less) Central London with the Eurostar.
it depends on the day and how early you book , if it's peak holiday season, for instance 6th sept is £78 return London to Paris,just checked the prices, where 31st June is £128 return.
Add to that it takes you city centre to city centre, in just over 2hrs to Paris, so security (say 3.5hrs hotel to hotel), if you where to fly to Paris, the time taken to get to the Airport, security , check in time, same on the other side, you are looking at probaly more like 7hrs+. Not really practical for 1 day visit
For the same day flying 6th Sept , the cheapest flight i can find is £40 compared to £78 buts that's from Luton , so travelling to there would negate any savings, i.e Train,Taxi to Airport
could'nt find a flight for June, but August you looking at £85 return compared to £128
So the difference is not much, unless you live or going to somenear by Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton or Charles DeGaulle
I can name 4 benefits from the top of my head that I really like:
- departing and arriving from/at the middle of each city with the benefits of that
- no added costs for the most common things. Standard Premier and Business Premier even include dinner and drinks
- much more comfortable
- you can keep your luggage close to you
@@WDH59510 More relevant on the London side, its a nightmare getting to London from the several airports, you're right, and the price will usually tack on a bit extra. That makes sense.
Im big on trains as my wife is German but this feels similar to a flight. Also I did not see the dinning car. It where I like to hang out.
If you have only a small suitcase don’t rush to the train at boarding time - your seat will wait for you and everyone else will stand in front of you for quite a while. You have at least 30 minutes to board ! Especially at St.Pancras it can be overcrowded… Euston Station is just a 5-10 min. walk from King’s Cross/St.Pancras you don’t need the Tube - it’s not like in Paris where most of the stations are quite far like Gare du Nord/Est and Lyon 6,5 km/3,7ml ,a 40-5 min. walk…. AND don’t change money-take it from an ATM with your card- it’s way cheaper !
You have not mentioned from London with easy connexions from Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles to other destinations getting you to destinations same day, in the High Speed European Rail Network. For Example you can get to Marseille, Barcelona and Milan via Paris, and Koln onwards from Brussel/Bruxelles etc... Buon viaggio!
There is actually phone and data for your phone as well as onboard internet through the tunnel available
The WiFi never seems to work. Have music and entertainment downloaded for your journey. It makes a huge difference booking early, so many discounts.
Nice
I’ve heard that it’s pretty sleazy around gare du nord. How do you recommend getting to a connection at gare de l’Est?
Both termini are very close ... almost adjacent to one another. By foot is the only option.
eurostar and thalys recently merged so you can buy a eurostar ticket from cologne/rheinruhr area/aachen to london. beforehand you had to buy 2 tickets: one for thalys to brussels and one from brussels to london
But unfortunately a train change in Brussels is still required as Eurostar, Amsterdam excepted, has not expanded its network since 1994. Plans to serve Germany direct from London never materialised.