Train travel question - Eurostar arriving at St Pancras and next train leaving from Kcross

[LadyPenelope]

Not travelled on trains in years, so don't know what to expect.

Will be going to Paris for Easter Weekend and then on way back will take Eurostar from Paris to St Pancras. Train is due to arrive at 12.30, and then want to take a 1322 train from Kings Cross.

Is this way too optimistic? As I'm travelling with 2 kids, will be great just to cross the road and get on the next train, but have no idea if Eurostar usually runs on time.

Also, if I miss the connection because Eurostar late, will they let me on later train from Kings Cross, or will I be stuck?

Appreciate anyone's thoughts on best way to do it. As I'm writing this, thinking perhaps I should allow longer in London and go for the 1422... Hmmmm....

[StillSquiffy]

Eurostar nearly always on time. If it's late it will be because of a fault that will make it hours and hours late.

I'd personally have no qualms with booking the 13.22, but there's no harm n booking later. There's a couple of reasonable coffee shops in St Pancras and some shopping.

[MrsHoarder]

Have you got a through ticket or a ticket from "London International"? If so then you will definitely be fine because you are on the train as a through trip and the train manager should just ring Eurostar to confirm your train really was delayed.

What sort of ticket are you looking at getting on the Kings X train? Only "advance" tickets limit you to a single train, otherwise you can get on the next train anyway (but without your reserved seats).

Basically you will probably be fine but you might want to take this into account.

Finally, if you haven't bought your tickets yet and it looks like the total for the trip to/from Kings X (ie non-Eurostar) will be more than about £70, have you considered a Family railcard?

[nannyl]

kings cross / st pancreas are very very very close buy, so unless your euro star is very very late you should have no trouble making it

[wannabestressfree]

They are pretty much over the road from each other........ you will be fine

[LadyPenelope]

Thanks all - really helpful.

MrsHoarder - what is "advance" ticket vs other ticket? Sounds like to be safe I should get a ticket so that I can get the next train if Eurostar is delayed ... I was looking online (think site was thetrainline. ) and didn't see different ticket options. I was planning on buying on line - is that an advance ticket. Wanted to be able to book seats.

Thanks for the advice - can't tell you how helpful it is - live overseas and although I used to know London and UK well 15 years ago, it's all a bit hazy now, and somethings have changed soooo much!

[QED]

Where are you travelling to from kings cross? If its fairly near by then there wouldnt be any difference in ticket cost and you can't reserve seats anyway (those would be first capital connect). If east coast then do reserve a seat.

St pancras and kings cross are v close to each other :) And Kings Cross station may even have been renovated by the time you travel - has been going on for years!

[PastGrace]

Domestic train tickets are advance, off peak, and peak. Peak ones are very expensive, off peak and advance are normally similar-ish in price but the advance ones are cheaper and, as said above, only to be used for the specific train.

On the eurostar website you can select your UK destination station (under destination next to the "popular" tab is "UK" - then select where you are going). As MrsH said this means that if your train is delayed they are supposed to help get you on a different train.

I've used the eurostar a lot in the past few years. My Paris-London ones are often about five minutes late, and has once been delayed by several hours (two Christmases ago, when all the snow-chaos happened). Going the other way I've been delayed once by 57 minutes (after 60 you get a free ticket as compensation, grrr) and the train manager (bilingual so no worries for anyone there) walked through and was calling hotels/taxis/train companies to arrange for a later collection so that people wouldn't be stuck on arrival.

And yes, the stations are literally over the road from each other, so even with giant suitcases it will be about five minutes between the two, probably even quicker.

[MrsHoarder]

When you click on one of the trainline prices, it will tell you what the ticket type is. It will be something like "Off peak return" or "Advance single". If the word advance is in the ticket name then this ticket is only valid on one train, most other tickets will be valid on both the trains you have mentioned. Any ticket booked online should give you the option of reserving seats as well, but these are only binding if you have an advance ticket, otherwise if you fail to meet the connection you will just not have reserved seats but can still get on the train and find unoccupied ones.

If you go to the Eurostar website then you can book "through tickets" to your UK destination station (only mainline stations though, so York but not Cattal for example). These are in theory better prices for the journey, and as long as you get on the Eurostar at the beginning of your journey, if there is a delay then your tickets stay valid even if you miss your booked train.

[MrsHoarder]

x-posted!!

[PastGrace]

Oooh, I remembered more things

1. have you booked your Eurostar yet? You can choose your seats (and it shows you the train's direction of travel). If you can, book into coaches 1-5. It means you have to walk down the platform at Paris, but is better because these 5 coaches (plus business class) go through a separate door in Paris so it's (slightly) less of a scrum to get down to the platform. It also means you are at the right end when you arrive in London which is good because
   
2. you can spend 5 minutes walking the length of the train. That's fine normally, but if you had 10 minutes to make your connection before you have to wait another hour for the next train (for example) then it's very frustrating.
   
3. This is my Top Tip. When you get into St Pancras you get off the Eurostar and go down some travelators, through customs and out of some doors to the bit where people wait to meet their friends/family. To get out onto the Euston Road or to the Underground station you turn left. You can get to King's Cross that way, but it is MUCH quicker if you turn right (towards domestic trains). Not very far down the concourse there is a right turning for Eurostar check in (just after Marks and Spencer's). Turn there, and go out of the big doors straight ahead (with a Paul patisserie on the right) and King's Cross is just across the road. As QED said the renovations should be finished by then, which will make it even easier, but currently you can then get into King's Cross by platform 11 Exit 4 on this map. It's not much shorter than going onto the Euston road (although it is a bit), but there are fewer people to battle past.
   
   Sorry, I have Eurostar travel down to a fine art and get a bit excited about it.

[mummytime]

Also Trainline charge you a booking fee, your local rail company (maybe Eurostar) and the national rail office don't, and they all offer the same tickets.

[LadyPenelope]

You are all brilliant :). Thank you so much.

Got the tickets today - front 5 coach as PastGrace suggested - thanks for that tip.

Have gone for 1322 train, - off peak ticket and reserved seats. If we miss it we an go on next one. And bought it on East coast site.

I would never have figured all that out without you girls :o

Now off to post request for recommendation for hotel in Paris!