Eurostar and TGV - travel sickness?

[drspouse]

I live in the NW of England and when I travel to London on the Pendolino I cannot work on my laptop due to travel sickness (despite taking tablets).

I tend to catch an early train, eat breakfast/read book/phone (OK with smaller screen I think) and then work in a cafe till my meeting if it's lunchtime.

I'm due to go to a mid-France destination reached by Eurostar/TGV for a work meeting and I'm wondering whether it would be better or worse for me on those as far as working on the train goes?

If I catch the train I'll get out of a taxi early morning at the station, breakfast on the train, and basically stay on the train the whole way there, arriving early evening, city centre.

If I get the plane, I'll have the morning in the office and then afternoon will be taken up with short train ride/waiting for plane/plane journey with cramped seats, and taxi ride to hotel. I find I get little work done on that kind of journey.

But I won't get anything done if I'm going to feel ill!

Ime Pendolinos make everyone feel sick! A friend of mine, during his first pendolino journey, once hilariously tweeted "is pendolino italian for travel sickness?". I think of this every time i travel on a Pendolino...

The TGV is fine, very smooth. The old Eurostars likewise. The new Eurostars are a bit more sick-making, but nowhere near as bad as a Pendolino. I think I have i) felt a bit queasy on a new eurostar, ii) taken a travel sickness tablet and felt fine and iii) forgotten to take a travel sickness tablet and felt fine (three separate occasions...).

In summary, pendolino is the worst...

Well I've decided to risk it!

I think you've made the right decision!

It is possible to buy tickets on Eurostar.com from the UK starting point to the French destination (although not all stations are included in the offer). This makes the journey cheaper. It is also possible to change your seat on Eurostar, online, so if you want to face forwards you can make sure you are.

Can I ask where you're going (i love train travel...)?

The booking is in the hands of the work travel department, worryingly. I'd rather not say where as it's a large international event!

No problem, just nosy!

If you need to change stations in Paris, make sure they allow you enough time to do it in their bookings then!!!

Hope you have a good journey.

I've told them I'm changing in Lille!

Take stugeron, it's a travel sickness pill from the pharmacy counter.

It's fantastic. I love sailing but get appallling motion sickness and take it most times we go out.

I took it when I went on a pendolino train last year as I was worried and had no sypmtoms at all.

Good luck!

Good tip thanks! I've tried Kwells and they help a bit.