The high speed Eurostar Trains to and from London, Paris and Brussels travel under the English Channel through the Chunnel. The $15 billion tunnel, one of Europe's biggest infrastructure projects ever, was officially opened by President Mitterrand of France and HRH Queen Elizabeth II of England I in 1994. The trip from London to Paris takes about 2.5 hours with only 20 minutes of the journey actually taking place in the tunnel. The rest of the time you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of France or Belgium as you travel on your way to Paris and Brussels. At the end of 2007, it is expected it will take only 2 hours and 15 minutes to get to Paris from London and with connecting services links to over 100 destinations across Europe the Eurostar is a fantastic way to travel.
There are two classes of seating, with First Class divided into Business Premiere
and Leisure Select and the Standard Class. Standard Class includes comfortable
seating and on board buffet bars offering a large selection of hot and cold
snacks and drinks for sale.
Business Premier amenities begin in the Terminal, before you board and include
a dedicated Business Ticket Desk and check in area; access to Le Salon, the
Eurostar Executive Lounge and free internet access in the Business Lounges.
Both Business Premiere and Leisure Selects on board amenities include spacious
reclining seats with generous legroom and an individual slide out table or
a fixed table shared with another passenger. Complimentary newspapers are
available and depending on the time you are traveling, there are high quality
meals/refreshments served at the seat.
Breakfast is served until 11:00 am with a choice of hot or cold continental
breakfast; Lunch is served from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and includes a three-course
meal; there is an afternoon meal on the train departing between 2:00 to 4:30
pm; and, Dinner is served from 4:30 pm and includes a three-course meal with
a choice of two main dishes.
There is a special Disney Train for children traveling from London or Paris
to Disneyland Paris on Eurostar’s dedicated daily service. An exciting
kid's pack is handed out at the Disney Express Counter in the terminals. The
pack consists of a re-useable drawstring bag, 2 magazines, a pack of colored
felt-tip pens and a game for lots of fun on board.
Baggage limits for Eurostar are two pieces per traveler. When traveling Eurostar
bags don’t need to be checked in. Just take the bags straight onto the
train where there are overhead baggage racks and storage space at the end
of each car.
All Eurostar trains and terminal are designated as no smoking areas.