Eurostar - Mainland Europe to Britain by Train

 

Eurostar is the high speed rail service linking London and Ashford (in Kent), with Paris, Brussels, Lille, Avignon, Calis, Disneyland and the French Alps. Travelling at speeds of up to 186 mph, the trains effortlessly take passengers between these destinations and beyond. To make booking easier, links have been made with other UK rail operators including Great North Eastern Railway, First Scotrail and First Great Western for through ticketing, while on the other side of the channel Eurostar connects with

Eurostar in Kent, picture © AOTC

European trains to over 100 destinations in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Another useful tip for potential travellers is that Eurostar tickets automatically allow transfer to and from any Belgian station at no extra cost!

In 1994 Eurostar started operating between the cities with a fleet of 27 high speed trains designed especially for the route. Using the new Channel Tunnel for the crossing to the continent, these trains have since that time changed the way people reach mainland Europe. Latest figures for the combined air/rail route between London and Paris show that Eurostar has 66% of the total market share. The second largest competitor, British Airways, is left trailing with just 13% of the market share. Clearly the attractions of a high-speed train are winning over the travelling public. The benefits of Eurostar include fast journey times (competitive with air travel), spacious comfortable trains, no baggage reclaim, fast check ins, city centre terminals and quality service.

 

To find out about other UK rail services, use the links on the left.