One of the most popular routes for traveling in Europe is from London to Paris. There are also options of planes and buses, but we recommend the Eurostar!
You can enjoy a comfortable train journey through the Eurotunnel (the Channel Tunnel) from London St. Pancras Station to Paris Gare du Nord in just about 2 hours and 15 minutes! I’ve always wanted to ride the Eurostar, so I’ll share some real information and my experience.
I hope this will be helpful for those who are thinking about traveling to Europe or taking the Eurostar by train ♪
How to book Eurostar tickets
Eurostar tickets can be purchased in advance on the Eurostar official website, Omio, Klook, and other booking sites. It’s definitely cheaper to book early, and you can even find promotional tickets for less than 100 euros one way!
I bought my ticket a month and a half before my trip, and was able to get it for 102 euros one way!!
By the way, if you buy it on the day, it can cost more than 300 euros one way, so be careful. If you decide to travel between London and Paris, make your reservation early!
The types of seats are
- Eurostar Standard (economy, no meals)
- Eurostar Plus (slightly wider seats & snacks)
- Eurostar Premier (top class)
There are three types of tickets. This time, I chose the cheapest Eurostar Standard because the travel time was short! For details on how to make a reservation through Omio, please read this article.
Check-in at London St Pancras station
Where do I board the Eurostar?
Eurostar departs from St Pancras International station.
By the way, the current Eurostar departure and arrival station is St. Pancras Station, but Waterloo International Station used to play that role. It was the main base of the Eurostar from the opening of the Eurostar in 1994 until 2007.
St. Pancras Station is characterized by its beautiful design, which combines historical architecture with modern facilities. Unfortunately, it was dark before sunrise and the rain was pouring, so I couldn’t see the beautiful station. I’ll try again next time.
Right next to St. Pancras Station is King’s Cross Station, a holy place for Harry Potter. Inside the station is the famous “Platform 9 3/4” photo spot!
However, the famous cart embedded in the wall is operated by the Harry Potter shop, so the cart is only installed during the shop’s opening hours. It is removed outside of opening hours… I was surprised that it was removed!
If you want to see the photo spot on Platform 9 3/4, please be careful about the time! Unfortunately, I was not able to see it because I went there early in the morning…
How do I board the Eurostar?
Meeting time at St Pancras Station
We recommend arriving at St. Pancras Station at least an hour to an hour and a half before departure! Be careful, as the gates close 30 minutes before departure!
Although you’ll be traveling by train, it might be best to think of it like an airport. You’ll need to go through immigration procedures when crossing the border. It’s a bit dangerous to think of it like traveling by Shinkansen in Japan, where you can just pass through the ticket gates a few minutes before departure.
In St. Pancras station, there are Eurostar signs everywhere, so you won’t have any trouble finding the departure area. When you arrive at the departure area, line up!
Depending on the time of day, you may have to line up for quite a while, so be careful.
Show your ticket
Just hold your ticket over the gate and enter! I showed the mobile ticket I bought from Omio and was able to enter without any problems. There’s nothing to worry about or difficult about as you just have to show your ticket!
Baggage check
There is a baggage check just like on an airplane!!!
The procedure is the same as baggage checks at airports, where you put all your luggage on a tray and have it checked through the baggage inspection machine. I felt that the atmosphere was a little more relaxed than at an airport!
UK Immigration / French Immigration
Immigration and immigration are the same as when boarding an airplane.
Immigration from the UK was an automated process where you just had to scan your passport with a machine, so it wasn’t particularly difficult! However, it was a bit disappointing that they didn’t stamp your passport… Recently, more and more countries don’t stamp your passports.
Next up was immigration. Immigration to France (within the Schengen area) is a type of inspection where there is a person at the counter and you show your passport (manned counter).
I was able to enter France (within the Schengen area) without being asked about the purpose of my visit! I got an immigration stamp here! lol
There was quite a long line, but I was able to enter the waiting room about 30 minutes after checking in.
Waiting in the waiting room
There is a waiting room where you can wait until the gate opens.
In the waiting area, there is a cafe that sells drinks and snacks, so I got the impression that many people were eating breakfast while waiting. The number of chairs is limited, so I recommend securing a seat early.
Take the escalator up to the second floor where the platform is. The gates do not open until 20 minutes before departure. Even if you can’t hear the announcements, you’ll notice because people will be moving all at once!
Board the Eurostar
Finally, I got to ride the Eurostar that I had always wanted to ride!!!
Your seat number is written on your ticket, so head to the cart that has the number on it.
The Eurostar logo is also cool and nice.
Inside the Eurostar train
The seats are spacious and there is plenty of leg room. Free Wi-Fi and power outlets are also available, so you can make the most of your travel time. However, for some reason, I couldn’t charge my phone properly at my seat…
The scenery from the train window is beautiful, and you can enjoy watching the scenery change from the suburbs of London to the French countryside.
In Japan, you can’t cross a border by train, so it feels strange. It was a valuable experience!
Arrived in Paris, the city of flowers!
After a comfortable 2 hour and 15 minute journey, we arrived at Gare du Nord!
The immigration formalities for France are completed in London, so when you get off the train you can enter France right away. There are no formalities, let alone a ticket gate, so it feels strange how quickly you enter the country.
By the way, the time difference between London and Paris is one hour (Paris is one hour ahead), so although the ride takes just a little over two hours, by the time you arrive in Paris three hours have passed.
If you take the metro from Gare du Nord, you can easily access tourist spots such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants around the station, so you can enjoy the atmosphere of Paris as soon as you arrive.
Summary: Let’s get on the Eurostar!
The Eurostar is a comfortable means of transportation connecting London and Paris. It’s easier than flying, and one of its attractions is that you can enjoy the European scenery from the train window. Crossing borders by train is also a rare experience!!!
Please consider using the Eurostar on your next trip to Europe.
I hope this article will be of some help to those who are thinking about using the Eurostar or traveling to Europe ♪