We have standard bookings on Eurostar at 14.34. Given that we are not familiar with Gare du Nord station, and taking into account check in and security, how early should we aim to be at the station. Is the food on the train English or French and do you advise taking one%26#39;s own food on board.
Any help you can give will be much appreciated.
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Personally I like to get to St. Pancras and/or the Gard du Nord with an hour spare before travel. They say you need only be there 30 prior to departure, but I feel less rushed and worried knowing I have plenty of time to get through customs.
The check in and passport/bag checks are usually pretty quick, but on the odd occasion it has taken 20 minutes or so to get through (more back at Waterloo, however).
I have never eaten on the train, as there are lots of sandwich places a St. Pancras and from Paris we always bring on baguette, cheese and patisserie.
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I also try to allow at least an hour if I have a discounted ticket (1st or 2nd) or regular 2nd class ticket. The queue could be very long sometimes.
If you have full rate 1st class business tickets, you have a separate check-in area and 15/20 mins is enough there.
The food you get served in 1st class is similar as in planes. Not English, not French... I have never tried the food served at the bar.
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Thirty minutes should really be your minimum -- 15 would be cutting it fine indeed. Security is not so anal as in the airports; in my experience the real backup can be at the UK immigration desk if the inspector decides to take their time with a large family holding non-EU passports, for instance. If you%26#39;re in standard class, catering is the buffet car -- sandwiches, coffee, beer, basically, and high-priced given the captive clientele. Better to bring a fresh (and cheaper) sandwich of your own.
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we did this trip in June and were there about 45 minutes prior to departure.
The lines to check in were long and as we had australian passports it took that bit longer to get through.
Our departure was at 8am and there quite a lot of people.
as to eating. I am not sure how much you are planning to eat. it is only a 2 and half hour trip.
you definately cannot make a meal of anything that is sold.
there is a buffet car which does serve coffee, and snacks. but they are pricey. we bought coffee and paid in euros.
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Note that contrary to what is written on your ticket, they (meaning the turnstiles) will actually let you in even if you get in less than 30 mn prior to train departure. 14h34 should not be a busy train, so 45 mn ahead will give you plenty of time.
Regarding meals on board, as a Frenchman I would ask why anybody would want to eat in the middle of the afternoon, but I know that eating habits are different on the other side of the Channel! Come what may, food on board isn%26#39;t that horrid, but not cheap (not more expensive than concession stands at the station though), and queues are not uncommon at the bar/restaurant.
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We took one of the last Eurostars out of Waterloo in 2007 although I%26#39;m curious about St. Pancras. The traffic for a morning train and the lines were very long - we barely made the train.
We travelled 2nd class and bought bread, cheese, prosciutto, yogurt and wine at Sainsbury%26#39;s and picniked on the train, no one minded. We ate well, arrived rested and well fed at Gare du Nord and made sure we cleaned up all of the crumbs and garbage from our seats when we arrived.
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Our security took quite awhile. The train station is very easy to navigate (one of the easiest I think) but it took quite a bit of time to get through it all... and then to line up again to get on the train. Allow yourself some time so you aren%26#39;t stressed :) Perfect way to get to London.
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Thank you all for your advice which I%26#39;ve duly noted. If we arrive 1 hour ahead I assume we%26#39;ll be fine and not rushed. I apologise for giving the incorrect time for the train. It is in fact 1.01 p.m.
RendezVouzParis %26amp; Millie. I can quite understand why you are wondering why we would want to eat on a 2 1/2 hour journey in the afternoon. However RVP it%26#39;s not because we English have strange eating habits! When we arrive at St Pancras we have a quick transfer to another station to pick up another train (without restaurant)for a further 3+ hours travel time.
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Just a tip. The ladies toilet at St Pancras opposite the arrivals always has long queues. So if is required, use the ones at the other end of the station near the East Midlands platforms.
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Thanks Rail travellor I had in fact noticed the queue for the Ladies earlier in the year when I was in St Pancras. Very useful information.
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