Background
After we visited the Loire Valley in France a friend and I were going to visit London. We booked the last train of the night leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 9:12 pm to London St. Pancras on Eurostar, as our train to Paris from the Loire Valley got back to a different station, Paris Austerlitz, around 7:32 pm. It was a tighter connection than I would have wanted, to leave a buffer for any delays, but it all worked out.
Our train was a 2-hour and 18-minute ride and the route from Paris to London is 305 miles. The Eurostar is said to travel through the Channel Tunnel at 100 mph and outside the tunnel it can reach speeds up to 186 miles per hour.
Pricing and Products
For our train which was the last of the night, if you were to book a one-way ticket a few months in advance it was going for $100 USD for Standard, $130 USD for Standard Premier, and $433 USD for Business Premier. If you book last minute, prices do generally increase quite a bit, and the day of pricing was $260 USD for Standard, $305 for Standard Premier, and $433 USD for Business Premier. So, it seems Business Premier doesn’t change in price.
Standard and Standard Premier both come with 2 pieces of luggage + 1 hand luggage. But, Standard Premier has more spacious seats (1-2 configuration, versus 2-2 in standard), as well as a light meal and drinks served to your seat.
Lastly, Business Premier has the same seating as Standard Premier, but 3 pieces of luggage + plus 1 hand luggage, Hot meals designed by Raymond Blanc, served with champagne at your seat, Dedicated fast-track ticket gates, and lounge access in London, Paris and Brussels and access to NS International lounges in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
If you were using a Eurail Pass like we were, seat reservations are required and there is an additional fee with Eurostar. With a first-class pass, you can reserve a Standard Premier seat for 40 EUR, or a Standard seat for 32 EUR. Since it was just 8 EUR more to do Standard Premier, we decided to do that. We were able to choose our seats online at booking, and we grabbed one with a table in between.
At the Paris Gare du Nord Station
The website says that ticket gates close 30 minutes before departure for Standard and Standard Premier Passengers, and 15 minutes for Premier Business Passengers.
Once we got to the station, we decided to grab some dinner at the Five Guys in the main part of the station. Unlike just hopping on a domestic train in France, you do need to go through border control and security when riding the Eurostar to London. So, we headed to the Eurostar ticket gates about 45 minutes before departure and scanned our tickets. Then, we cleared customs for France, and then the United Kingdom. After we went through an airport-style security check, but you could bring larger liquids, unlike the airport.
Past security, there are a few shops and food options, but not a ton. I’d recommend grabbing food from the main station itself, before getting to the secure area.
Boarding
We started boarding when they opened the gates, which was 20 minutes or so before the scheduled departure. Our seats were in Car #2, and Standard Premier is set up in a 2-1 configuration. We had the individual seats facing each other with a table in between which was nice.
There are a variety of seat configurations, with single seats without a table in the middle which is probably best for solo travellers, to standard two-seaters for couples, and then two seaters facing one another with a table which could be good for families.
Standard Premier Food Service
Shortly after we left Paris, the train attendants came down the aisle to offer a drink and meal.
During breakfast hours, the meal consists of a pastry, yogurt, and juice, with a cup of tea or coffee. For lunch and dinner, you’ll be served a choice between two light dishes plus a dessert, with a soft drink, wine or beer, plus tea or coffee.
Since our train had a dinner service, the menu included a choice between
- Responsibly sourced salmon, Burgundy lentil, leek and parsnip salad, lemon sauce.
- Leek, mushroom, and parmesan quiche, celeriac, carrot, and apple salad
And it came with a chocolate fondant for dessert.
I got the salmon and my travel companion got the quiche so we could sample both. We agreed the salmon was better. It wasn’t great, but definitely edible and not a bad snack for a train ride.
They then came by with tea, which was a nice touch to end the meal.
Wi-Fi and Power Outlets
The WiFi was quite spotty the whole train ride. It would come and go, but I suppose it was better than nothing. I wouldn’t expect to get any work done though, or be able to stream.
They had a power outlet located next to my seat, but no USB charging.
Lavatories
I used the lavatory once and it was located at the end of our car. It was relatively clean as far as trains go, and quite spacious, so no complaints here. There was an automatic faucet as well.
The Verdict
Overall, the Eurostar from Paris Gare du Nord to London St. Pancras was a solid ride. I liked the Standard Premier seating with a 2-1 configuration and enjoyed how they served a small meal.
Have you taken the Eurostar before from Paris to London? How was your experience? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
