I am British, and never fly within Europe if I can help it. Why should I when the trains are so great? The trains are a good value, and quicker, less stress, comfortable, and you see the countryside. Buying a point-to-point ticket is often a better price than buying a pass (unless your itinerary is really train intensive).
Over 115 million passengers have used Eurostar for travel from London to Europe so far. It travels at 186 mph, 750 seats on each train. British Rail was broken up and sold to 25 different companies; I usually use Virgin to go from London to the West Coast and Scotland.
I just stayed in the most spectacular and unique hotel I have ever been to, the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London. The hotel opens right onto the station which has a wide range of shops, (even Fortnam and Mason) eateries, sculpture and art displays. It was built in l856, has wonderful Gothic Victorian architecture, thick walls, 22ft high ceilings and windows, 12 foot wide corridors, gorgeous comfortable lobby under a glass domed roof where having afternoon tea is a must. The hotel will escort you and your luggage right onto the train. There is a plaza between St. Pancras and Kings Cross Stations, providing service to York, up the East Coast and onto Edinburgh. Have a look at Platform 9 ¾ where the children queue up to get their photo taken hanging onto Harry Potter’s scarf and luggage cart as it disappears thru the wall. The whole neighborhood has upgraded significantly since Eurostar started service there. I use Euston Station, only a block away, when I go to visit family in the North West, and Scotland, which is covered by Virgin Rail.
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Eurostar travels to Paris in 2 hours and 15 minutes, and from there, one can take a train for example to Tours in the Loire Valley in 59 minutes or Reims in Champagne in 45 minutes, go to Lyon for a gourmet lunch in just 2 hours. Eurostar also has service to Brussels in 2 hours and from there one can travel to Amsterdam in 1 hour 30 minutes, Bruges in under one hour, or Cologne in 1 hr 50 minutes. If you were flying London to Paris, it will take you 5 hours. London’s Heathrow airport security line is a pain in the umper.(British slang for rear end)
St. Pancras station has the longest Champagne Bar in Europe, connects you to six underground lines and mainline trains. Free wifi is available throughout the station. There are 16 daily services to Paris, 9 to Brussels, 9 to Lille, 4 to Calais and one to Disneyland Paris, in 2 hours 35 minutes.
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Eurostar offers three classes of service: Business, Standard Premier and Standard.
Business: fine dining at your seat, new menus by Michelin chef Raymond Blanc, champagne, tea, coffee, choice of wine, beer or soft drink, newspapers and magazines, power sockets, “Fast Track”, with a ten minute check in, and even a taxi booking service is provided.
Standard Premier: non flexible or semi-flexible with fee, 30 minute check in, drinks and a “light bite” choice at your seat.
Standard: non flexible or semi flexible with fee, 30 minute check in, on board bar buffet (food not included), power in coaches 5 and 14 only.
With petrol at the equivalent of 11 dollars a gallon, I use a train instead of renting a car.
Go rail, stay at St. Pancras Renaissance.
Maureen Jones is president of All Horizons Travel at 160 Main Street. Members of her staff are experts in business travel, cruises, and all types of leisure.