Eurostar

Introduction

The Eurostar is a quick and comfortable way to reach Paris or Lille, from where you can catch onward daytime or overnight trains to the ski slopes.

Check in is really easy, and only takes about ten minutes, which makes a pleasant change from airports.

You can take two suitcases on Eurostar (max length 85cm) and hand luggage, all free of charge. Or one suitcase and one pair of skis or snowboard (plus hand luggage), also all free of charge.

Seating

photo:Daniel Elkan Breakfast on board in Standard Premier

The seats on the Eurostar are comfortable in Standard Class but much more roomy in Standard Premier (Eurostar’s equivalent of First Class), where every seat is a table seat and you get a meal served too.

If you are booking Standard Class, request a table seat if you can. There are power sockets (UK and Continental) in all Standard Premier carriages, and in coaches 5 and 14 of the Standard Class carriages. The Eurostar Ski Train doesn't have wifi or internet on board yet. You can click here to view the seating plan. There's no wifi on Eurostar yet.

There is space to store skis and luggage in the overhead rack and space for larger cases at the ends of carriages.

Luggage and skis

There has been some confusion as to whether skis can be taken on ordinary Eurostars. The facts are: they can.

You can take two suitcases on Eurostar (max length 85cm) and hand luggage, all free of charge. Or one suitcase and one pair of skis or snowboard (plus hand luggage), also all free of charge..

There is space to store skis and luggage in the overhead rack and space for larger cases at the ends of carriages.

The confusion is caused by this page on Eurostar's site, which omits to say that a pair of skis can be taken in place of one of the two suitcases you are allowed. Rest assured that we have checked this with Eurostar many times and taken skis and snowboards onto Eurostar over 50 times.

Eurostar customer service has said in response to this confusion: "When travelling with a pair of ski’s on any Eurostar service other than the direct service to the French Alps, your ski’s will be counted as one medium sized suitcase. The luggage allowance on board Eurostar is two medium sized suitcases and one piece of hand luggage per person. Therefore, you be able to travel with one pair of ski’s and one suitcase."

We will ask Eurostar's web team to update the website to make this clearer to skiers. If ou would like to contact Eurostar's customer service department with any questions, click here.

Cafe bar

Eurostar trains have cafe-bars serving hot and cold drinks and snacks.

The food is decent and not outrageously priced, and it is quite a nice place to hang out, knowing you are going to, or coming from, a great time on the slopes.

But it is well worth noting that you can take food onto Eurostar. St Pancras station has loads of cafes and shops, including a Marks & Spencer, where you can fill up on food for the way.