eursostar St. Pancras

[BooFestiveTulip]

Just curious about check-in times for the Eurostar - I know online it says to allow at least 90 minutes. But going for just the day, just a handbag for luggage - anyone with experience of checking in successfully in under that time guideline?

It can vary - we last travelled on the Friday evening at half term in February, very busy but we were through in about 30 minutes. A random Tuesday in October going to Brussels for work and I was through in 15 minutes. Other times it’s taken about an hour. We usually aim to be there an hour before. Having a handbag only won’t make much difference as everyone goes through the same queue and all bags/luggage go through the same scanners.

Thanks, I'm looking to book for a Tuesday morning but earliest I can get there for my preferred train time is an 1/1.15 hrs

The queues can be horrendous. You queue for security and then both U.K. and French passport control. At times it can definitely take 1.5 hours. Obviously depends when you’re travelling but I find the only real quiet time is very early in the morning or late at night. (I used to commute to Paris for work on Eurostar - so frequently that the passport control guys knew me on sight 😂)

Your amount of luggage isn’t going to make any difference — suitcases or handbags all go through the same scanners, as a pp said. The issue is queues, which can be huge and slow- moving. You can’t predict. Can you travel to London the night before?

Watching the thread with interest as I am in the same situation.

We are booked to travel on a Wednesday lunch time in July - my assumption was that midweek might be less popular, was I wrong @HundredMilesAnHour ?

We are currently booked to arrive at London Paddington at 11:34 and depart on the Eurostar at 13:01 which will give us about an hour to check in depending on how quickly the tube gets us from paddington to St Pancras. We could easily get to Paddington an hour earlier as our tickets are flexible - would you recommend that?

Absolutely get to Paddington earlier.

Urgh, so potentially I could be screwed!

Absolutely earliest I can get there by train from home is 06.45 - am hoping to book onto the 08.01 departure, just to go for an indulgent day trip. I think departing any later in the morning wouldn't be worth it.

Absolutely go an hour earlier.

Is that getting to St Pancras for 6.45 or another London station? If it's King's X or St P by 6.45 that would be ok. A little tense but not impossible.

Getting into St.P by 6.45

I'd probably risk that.

came to say it can take ages because the facilities are tiny compared to the amount of passengers going through. I hate hate hate the St Pancras side. No where near enough seating and it’s like a stuffy cattle pen. It annoys me because I don’t think the Eurostar is cheap either!! If I didn’t have a toddler in tow I’d seriously consider Eurostar plus or whatever they call it, just to avoid the holding pen that is the St Pancras terminal.

The busyness is usually due to two trains departing around the same time (within half an hour of each other).

It says on your ticket what time you should arrive at St P (the ones I've seen recently have said 75 mins before departure, although I have also known them contact me the day before suggesting I arrive sooner, as if that weren't too late for me to change my connecting trains!).

I worry more about my English train being delayed rather than the Eurostar queues being too long - I've seen the queue start right back by the main doors to St Pancras and still got through with time to spare.

If you arrive any earlier than 90 mins before your train they don't let you join the queue anyway!!!

If you get there late for any reason, speak to staff, they will let you jump the queue. I've never had to do this myself, but I have seen people do it.

It is also possible to buy a CIV ticket to London International (you need to ask for this at the station when you buy the ticket and you cannot buy it online (or you can, but you need to know how!)). This gives you international conditions of travel, so you can travel on the next service if you miss the train you are booked on. I suspect they would let you do this anyway, if there was a seat, but CIV guarantees it. I always have an onward European train booked, so really don't want to miss my Eurostar so I'm always very conservative about the train I book to London.

And PPs are correct, everyone joins the same queues so hand bag only will make no difference.

Is there a fast track option for those willing to pay for it?

None.

The point about two departures in a short space of time is true in my experience. From what I have seen, on occasions when it is getting near to a departure, they will call for anyone for that departure and bring them forward. Although some people cannot be on time almost as an illness, there will be some delayed because of connections to St Pancras.

Priority lanes are available only if you have a Business Premier ticket (or have top frequent traveller status with Eurostar).

We used to do 30 mins before departure and it was fine, but since Brext I would allow at least an hour and we tend to get the very early mornig trains.

Also Gare du Nord has been a bit of a binfire recently so allow enough time coming back. We have done one hour between arriving at Gare de Lyon and departure from Gare du Nord, it's doable but not for the faint hearted.

Ah now we have paid the extra for Eurostar Plus - does that make a difference to our Check In experience?

Our tickets say "Please arrive at a kiosk in the station at the time indicated above. Arrive early enough, not just before the ticket gates close" but there is no specific check in time above, just the departure time at 13:01 and the information that check-in closes 30 minutes before departure.

Plus makes zero difference to your check-in experience. You only get priority lane & lounge access with Premier.

Much bigger seats with Plus though so it’s worth it once you finally get onboard.

I have been looking at booking a holiday using Eurostar as I don’t really like flying. I would probable leave home the day before and stay at a hotel overnight to avoid worrying about delays getting to London.

I was wondering if anyone can recommend a convenient hotel? I have limited mobility so if it was not very local ( ie adjoining the station) I’d have to get a taxi there. I’m not too bothered about price, I will be on my own and can afford to treat myself on holidays.

Also, I really cannot stand in a queue and use medical assistance at an airport so I’m hoping there is a similar scheme at St Pancreas - has anyone any experience? I’m happy to pay for a Premium ticket if it would speed up the checking process and get me a more comfortable seat on the train.

I am not sure if using Eurostar is feasible for me as a disabled, single traveller!

Stay at the St Pancras hotel if price isn’t an issue. Lovely Victorian interiors, nice staff, fabulous Booking Hall for food, Gilbert Scott bar, and all you need to do is take the lift down from the Booking Hall exit to the concourse. Some rooms actually have a view onto Eurostar, which used to enthrall DS when he was little. The Great Northern Hotel, just across the street, is also lovely.

There's a Premier Inn right over the road.

If you book busines class it will be faster, if you can afford the extra few hundred it'll get you through much faster. I go every now and again for work on business

Yes, have stayed here for this reason. You can get there in under 5 minutes.

@Ihateslugs , Eurostar has a passenger assistance programme and it is brilliant. They whizz you through everything. We used it last year as I travelled with my DC who is autistic (so different needs from you) and I was really impressed. You do need to prebook it, especially on the French side - I wouldn’t fancy your chances there without prebooking.

They may be able to find you a seat at St Pancras after check in if you tell them you have mobility issues as there is very limited seating. At Gare du Nord, we were in a small separate waiting room with attached loos. It was a godsend as there was an IT problem which had taken down the entire Eurostar (U.K. Borders) and we were delayed for a few hours and the queues were horrendous; they then bumped us onto an earlier train so we weren’t as late getting back.