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Eurostar is the high-speed passenger train from London to Paris & Brussels via the Channel Tunnel.  It's run by a consortium of French railways (SNCF), Belgian railways (SNCB) and Eurostar UK Ltd.  It started running in 1994.  Don't confuse Eurostar with EuroTunnel, the company which owns the Channel Tunnel (sometimes called the 'Chunnel'), and whose car-carrying trains shuttle cars, lorries and coaches from one side of the Channel to the other.  Eurostar does not carry cars, just passengers.  London to Paris by Eurostar is 495 km, about 307 miles.  This page will explain everything you need to know about travelling with Eurostar.

On this page:  Times, fares, buying tickets   Checking in   On board Eurostar   About the journey

On other pages:  Taking bikes  Taking dogs   Luggage    General train travel to Europe info

Eurostar train times:  www.eurostar.com

Eurostar trains run from central London (St Pancras Station) to central Paris (Gare du Nord) every hour or so, 7 days a week except for Christmas Day.  Eurostar runs London to Brussels slightly less frequently, usually calling at Lille in northern France.  London to Paris takes as little as 2 hours 15 minutes, London to Brussels just 1 hours 51 minutes, now that the whole of the UK 186mph high speed line is open.  Only 20 minutes of the Eurostar journey is actually spent passing through the Channel Tunnel, the rest is passing through south London and the countryside of Kent and northern France.

Eurostar fares:  www.eurostar.com

Eurostar fares start at £59 return from London to either Paris or Brussels in 2nd class, or £149 return in 1st class.  Eurostar fares increase as the cheaper seats are sold, so book early, and don't try and buy a ticket on the day of travel unless you have to.  The cheap fares are non-changeable, non-refundable.  You can check fares & times at www.eurostar.com or using the online booking form above.

Eurostar fares:	2nd class		1st class			* = See this advice on one-way Eurostar fares. What does 'From' £59 mean..?  Eurostar prices work like airline fares.  Book early on an off-peak train and it may be £59, but book a popular date or time or book closer to the day of travel, and it may be £69, £79, £89, £99...  The fares shown without a 'from' do not increase like this, and are what you'll pay as long as there are seats available. Eurostar seat numbering plan Map of Paris showing Gare du Nord
	One-way	Return	One-way	Return
Adult	*	From £59	*	From £149
Child 4-11	£25	£50	£50	£100
Child 0-3	Free, if not occupying its own seat
Youth 12-25	From £40	From £49	-	-
Senior (over 60)	*	From £59	-	-
Railpass holder	£50	£100	£90	£180
Wheelchair user	£25	£50	£25	£50

	On board Eurostar...
	A Eurostar at London St Pancras...
	Eurostar first class...
	Eurostar standard class...
	Eurostar's café-bars in cars 6 & 13 serve hot & cold drinks, sandwiches & snacks...
	In first class, Eurostar passengers are served a hot airline-style meal with wine and/or champagne, included in the fare...

One-way fares on Eurostar...

There has always been a problem with one-way fares on Eurostar.  If you ask for a one-way journey you will normally only be offered an expensive business-orientated fully-flexible one-way ticket for £155, even when a £59 return ticket is available on the same train!  However, as of October 2007, Eurostar have at long last introduced an affordable £44 one-way fare, at least on a trial basis for journeys between January and May 2008, which can be bought online at www.eurostar.com or www.raileurope.co.uk.  If you can't find this £44 fare, the time-honoured method of travelling affordably one-way on Eurostar is to buy a return ticket and throw away the return portion after using the outward part.  There are no practical problems in doing this, everybody does it.  Unofficially, at least, Eurostar appear to realise that they will be getting more revenue than they would have done had you been forced to use coach, air or traditional train+ferry for an affordable one-way leisure trip.  In fact, Eurostar or other European rail agency staff often suggest buying a return for a one-way journey themselves.  See this advice on buying one-way Eurostar tickets.

Open-jaw journeys (e.g. out London-Paris, back Brussels-London)...

There are also no fares for 'open jaw' journeys out to one capital, back from the other, a shame as these would be useful for circular journeys or travel to (for example) Germany or Austria where some connections are best via Paris, others via Brussels.  You should either plan to travel out and back via the same city, or follow the advice above to buy two one-way tickets.

How to buy tickets:  www.eurostar.com

If you're only going from London to Paris or Brussels, the easiest and cheapest way to book is online direct with Eurostar, at www.eurostar.com or using the online booking form above.  Tickets will be sent to any UK address, or you can choose to pick up tickets at the station before departure (this is a useful option if you don't live in Europe).  You can also book by calling Eurostar on 0870 5 186 186 (call +870 5 186 186 from outside the UK).  Eurostar bookings now open 120 days (4 months) before departure.

If you're going beyond Paris or Brussels...

If you are going beyond Paris or Brussels, for example from London to the south of France, Spain or Italy, you should book your Eurostar ticket and your onwards train tickets together, either through a specialist ticketing agency or online as explained on the relevant seat61 webpage.  See the Train travel to Europe page for more information about how and where to book train tickets to Europe.  Changing trains and stations in Paris by metro or taxi.  Changing trains in Brussels.

Buying UK train tickets to connect with Eurostar...

Through tickets to Paris, Lille or Brussels are now available from 68 key UK towns and cities, click here to see the UK stations with through tickets to Paris & Brussels, check prices & book online.  Alternatively, you can buy your UK train tickets to London separately from your Eurostar ticket. There are special fares from almost all stations in England, Scotland and Wales to a destination called 'London International CIV' to connect with Eurostar. These fares generally have no time restrictions, so you can travel in the Monday-Friday peaks at an affordable fare. 

Advice on buying UK train tickets to connect with Eurostar.

Useful telephone numbers:

• Lost Property (UK)  020 7928 0660

• Lost Property (Paris)  00 33 155 31 58 40

• Lost Property (Brussels)  00 32 2 224 88 62

• Group travel:  0870 6000 777

• Eurostar customer relations:  020 7928 5163 - e-mail new.comments@eurostar.co.uk

• Eurostar arrival information & passenger assistance:  020 7928 0660

Direct Eurostars to Avignon (summer) & French Alps (winter)...

Eurostar runs a direct service from London to Avignon on summer Saturdays, and to the French Alps on Friday nights & Saturdays in the winter skiing season.  See the London to France page or www.eurostar.com for details.

Faster & more reliable than flying...

In 2007, 91.5% of Eurostars arrived on time or within 15 minutes, compared with just 68.8% of competing flights.  In the first quarter of 2008, this increased even further, to 93.6% of Eurostar trains arriving on time or within 15 minutes.  From central London to central Paris, Eurostar is faster than flying, as well as more comfortable and convenient.  Not surprisingly, Eurostar has now captured over 70% of the London-Paris market from the airlines.  Remember that you can check all European train times at http://bahn.hafas.de.

The environmentally sound way to travel...

Eurostar has commissioned independent research estimating that a trip from London to Paris on a Eurostar train emits 11Kg of CO2 per passenger, more than ten times less than the 122Kg per passenger emitted by a London-Paris flight.  In addition, planes emit the CO2 directly into the upper atmosphere, where it does 2.5 times the damage of the same CO2 emitted at ground level.  Another good reason for treating yourself to a train journey!  Eurostar has committed itself to reducing its emissions by 25% by 2012, and from 2007, they will offset all their emissions free of charge to passengers, making Eurostar travel carbon neutral.  See www.eurostar.com/environment for more information.

Eurostar now leaves from St Pancras, since 14 November 2007...

The final section of the UK high speed line opened on 14 November 2007, and Eurostar now uses the new St Pancras International Station as its London terminal, no longer leaving from Waterloo.  The London-Paris journey time will be cut to just 2 hours 15 minutes, city centre to city centre. 

Click here for a .PDF format timetable for the new Eurostar service from November 2007 to July 2008.

	St Pancras station:  Its Victorian Gothic facade has been a London landmark for 140 years...
	Lower level concourse:  You enter St Pancras from the Underground or off the street onto the lower level concourse.  In this photo, the Eurostar ticket office is on the left, the check-in for Eurostar departures is in a passageway along and to the right...
	Upper level concourse:  Go up one level for great views of the station, and for Europe's longest Champagne Bar, just visible on the left alongside the Eurostar.
	Ticket collection?  If you need to pick up your Eurostar tickets at the station, you simply put your credit card into these machines and enter your booking reference...
	Check-in for Eurostar:  You check in just off the main lower level concourse, by putting your Eurostar ticket into these automatic ticket gates.  Immediately after the gates is an easy X-ray security check then passport control...
	Departure lounge:  Once through check-in and the security and passport checks, you're in the departure lounge....
	Departure lounge:  The lounge has an information desk and comfortable seating.  There's also a 'laptop bar' with stools, desk, and power-points to recharge your laptop, mobile or camera...
	Boarding:  A boarding announcement is made around 15 minutes before departure, and you head up the travelator to the platforms above to board your Eurostar...

The new St Pancras International station opened on 14 November 2007, and from this date Eurostar no longer leaves from Waterloo.  St Pancras isn't a mere airport terminal for trains, it's a spectacularly-restored piece of history that will take your breath away... 

St Pancras station facilities...

St Pancras International station has been designed as a destination in its own right, with shops of all kinds, newsagents & cafes.  As well as public toilets, other facilities include:

• Europe's longest champagne bar:  Before checking-in, you can raise a toast to your journey at Europe's longest champagne bar, 96 metres long and on the upper level underneath the magnificent glass-and-steel trainshed.  It's level with and alongside the Eurostar platforms, separated from departing Eurostars by no more than a glass screen.

• Left luggage:  Run by the Excess Baggage Company, you can deposit items here for £6.50 per 24 hours or part thereof.  Open 06:00-22:00 Monday-Saturday, 07:00-22:00 Sunday.  Bags are X-rayed before deposit.

• Eurostar & domestic ticket offices:  The Eurostar ticket office is on the lower level on the left as you enter from the street or Underground.  The domestic ticket office is at the far end of the lower level shopping lane, along with the left luggage and toilets.

• Eurostar departures:  The row of check-in gates is in a wide passageway to the right, off the main shopping lane.

• You can learn more about St Pancras facilities, and shopping opportunities, at www.stpancras.com.

About St Pancras...

St Pancras was opened by the Midland Railway in 1868, as the London terminal for their trains heading north from London to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby & Sheffield.  Trains to these destinations still leave from St Pancras, though they're now relegated to new platforms 1-4 outside the old trainshed.  If you've time, walk outside onto the street to gaze at the ornate Victorian Gothic station building, designed by Sir Gilbert Scott and built 1868-1876.  This was the old Midland Hotel, closed in 1935, derelict for many years, but now being restored and returned to its intended purpose, as a stylish modern hotel.  A true London landmark...

But the most awe-inspiring sight is inside the station.  It's the spectacular glass-and-steel trainshed, designed by engineer William Henry Barlow and completed in 1868.  243 feet wide, 689 feet long and 100 feet high, when it was opened it created the largest enclosed space in the world.  The trainshed has been totally renovated and returned to its original sky-blue.  The original station clock has been found in a Nottinghamshire garden, faithfully reproduced by its original manufacturers, Dent, and put in its place of honour at the apex of the trainshed.  Under the clock stands a 9 metre high statue of two lovers embracing, titles 'The Meeting Place', by sculptor Paul Day.

You can learn more about St Pancras station and its history at www.stpancras.com.

30-minute check-in...

You must check in for Eurostar at least 30 minutes before departure (10 minutes for full-fare first class passengers, 60 minutes for the direct trains to the Alps or Avignon).  The check-in gates at St Pancras are in a passageway just off the lower concourse, one level down from the Eurostar trains themselves.  Check-in normally opens just over an hour before departure, and you check in by putting your ticket into the automatic ticket gates at the entrance to the departure lounge.  Alternatively, there are staffed check-in kiosks.  If for any reason you want to change your allocated seat (for example, to make sure you're facing forward), ask at one of these kiosks on check-in.  Make sure all your bags are labelled with your name.  Immediately after passing through the check-in gates there is an airline-style security check with X-ray and metal detectors, but this is both quicker and easier than airport security.  You'll be inside the departure lounge in a few minutes.  Eurostar website check-in information.

Inside the Eurostar terminal...

Once inside the departure lounge, there is a café, bar, shop, toilets, and a Eurostar information desk.  The information desk can provide you with Eurostar information, a free map of Paris, a 'carnet' of 10 Paris metro tickets or Paris visitor metro passes.  The six Eurostar platforms at St Pancras (platforms 5-10) are directly above the departure lounge, and an announcement will be made when your Eurostar is ready for boarding, usually about 15 minutes before departure.  There are two gently-sloping moving walkways up to each platform, plus a lift.  If your reservation is in cars 1-5, you use one walkway, if your reservation is in cars 6-18 you use the other.

1st & 2nd class...

Eurostar has 2nd class (also known in the UK as 'standard class') and two types of 1st class, 'Business Premier' with flexible tickets, access to executive lounges and a 10 minute minimum check-in, and 'Leisure select' with much cheaper fares but no flexibility, a 30-minute minimum check-in and no access to lounges.  The seating in both types of 1st class is identical, with meals included.  Eurostar is completely non-smoking.  All Eurostars were completely refurbished with a new interior design between autumn 2004 and autumn 2005.

Food & drink on Eurostar...

In 1st class (both Business Premier & Leisure Select) the fare includes an excellent hot airline-style 3-course meal and complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, all served at your seat.  All passengers have access to two bar cars, located in cars 6 & 13, serving tea, coffee, hot chocolate, beer, wine, spirits, sandwiches, crisps and a few hot snacks.  The bar accepts credit cards as well as cash.  You can eat and drink in the bar area (standing space only, there are no seats) or take your purchases back to your seat.  Feel free to take your own food and drink if you like, even your own bottle of wine, there are no rules against this on trains..!

Eurostar seating plan:  Eurostar seating plan with seat numbers

All seats on Eurostar must be reserved in advance.  The Eurostar website has a seating plan with no seat numbers on it (yes, really!), but you can find a proper seating plan with seat numbers at www.raileurope.co.uk/trade (if this link doesn't work try another one, www.eurorailways.com/brochure/premier/eurostar_seatplan.pdf).  This plan shows which seats face forwards, which line up with a window, which are airline-style face-to-back and which are arranged in bays around a table.  You will then understand why this website is called The Man in Seat Sixty-One!  There's a seat 61 in coaches 7, 8 or 11, at a table for two facing seat 65.  If you prefer seats in a particular configuration or ones which face forwards or which actually  line up with the window so you can see out properly, you can specify which seat you would like when booking by phone (a phone booking fee may apply), but you can't specify a particular seat number when booking at www.eurostar.com (no booking fee), as this only offers limited options such as 'aisle' or 'window'.  If you take pot luck at www.eurostar.com and end up with seats that you don't like, for example they face backwards, then if the train isn't full you can ask to change your allocated seats at the staffed check-in kiosks on departure.  There is a virtual tour of Eurostar at www.eurostar.com.

Power points for laptops and mobiles...

There are UK and European power outlets (240/110 volts AC) for laptops and mobiles in all Eurostar 1st class cars and in 2nd class cars 5 & 14.  Other 2nd class cars do not have power outlets.

Luggage on Eurostar...

Unlike travelling by air, you don't check in your bags when travelling by Eurostar.  You keep them with you, placing small or medium size bags on the overhead luggage racks and large items on the racks for suitcases at the end of your coach.  Also unlike air travel, there's no weight limit, so you can pretty much take what you like.  Just remember that you will have to carry it..!  However, in theory there's a limit of two large items per passenger, plus a smaller bag.  Also remember that as of March 2007, all bags taken onto Eurostar must have a label showing your name and surname.  Eurostar offer a checked baggage service for extra large items, which costs extra, see the Eurostar website baggage information page for details.

Left luggage lockers in London, Paris & Brussels...

There are left luggage lockers at London St Pancras, Paris Nord and Brussels Midi.  Paris Gare du Nord has left luggage lockers ('consigne' in French) downstairs under the main concourse just off the end of the Eurostar platforms.  At the Gare du Nord and other stations in Paris, expect to have your bags X-rayed before entering the locker area.  In Paris, a small locker costs 4.50 euros, a back-pack or suitcase-sized locker around 7.50 euros for 24 hours, and a larger locker for two backpacks around 9.50 euros.  Brussels Midi station has both luggage lockers and a staffed left luggage facility near the Eurostar check-in and Thalys reception.  London St Pancras has a left luggage office run by the Excess Baggage Company, where you can deposit items here for £6.50 per 24 hours or part thereof.  Open 06:00-22:00 Monday-Saturday, 07:00-22:00 Sunday.  Bags are X-rayed before deposit.

Taking your bicycle on Eurostar...

Bicycles can be taken on Eurostar either as hand luggage in a zip-up bike bag (available from bike shops), with pedals and saddle removed and handlebars turned, or your bike can be sent as registered luggage for an extra fee of about £20 each way.  See the taking your bike section for more information.

Taking dogs & pets on Eurostar...

Unfortunately, you cannot take dogs or other pets on Eurostar, except for guide dogs.  To get round this (other than pretending to be blind, tricky if you have a Yorkshire terrier), you'll need to switch to train+ferry Between London and Paris.  See the taking your dog or pet section for more information.

Children & babies...

Unlike airlines, children under 4 go free on Eurostar, and a special child fare applies to children from 4 to 11 inclusive.  Children 12 & over travel at the adult fare.  All children under 12 must travel accompanied by an adult, and unaccompanied children from 12 to 16 require a consent form signed by their parent or guardian.  See www.eurostar.com for more details.  If you're travelling with young children in 2nd class, ask for a family area seat - this is at the end of the train in cars 1 and 18, with seats around tables where children can play (see the Eurostar seating plan).  Eurostar has baby-changing facilities in cars 1 & 18, at each end of the long 18-car Eurostar train.  These are 2nd class cars, a long walk from the 1st class in the centre of the train, especially when carrying a gently dripping baby!  The baby changing rooms have sink, soap, changing table and disposable changing table covers.  Bar car staff will heat baby bottles if asked.  There are more tips for travelling with babies and children in the Travelling with children section.

Travellers with disabilities on Eurostar...

Eurostar can provide assistance to passengers with special needs travelling from London to Paris, Lille or Brussels.  If you are confined to a wheelchair, there are wheelchair spaces and wheelchair-friendly toilets on each Eurostar train.  There are also special fares for people travelling in wheelchairs and a travelling companion.  For more information, see www.eurostar.com.

Departure from St Pancras...

The train manager makes his announcement that the Eurostar is about to leave, the door alarm sounds and the doors then hiss shut.  As you settle into your seat, the brakes hiss off and your Eurostar gently eases itself out of the magnificent arched trainshed of St Pancras International Station.  At this stage, the train is heading north, but almost immediately it makes a sharp right-hand turn past the huge steel gasometers that have been a familiar sight behind Kings Cross/St Pancras for years and which are now, believe it or not, listed structures.  Within a minute or two the Eurostar enters a covered bridge across the tracks leading out of adjacent Kings Cross station, which becomes a long tunnel under east London taking the Eurostar east and south.

...East London & the Dartford Crossing...

About 5 minutes after leaving St Pancras, you'll see a glimpse of daylight and the platforms of Stratford International station, due to open in time for the London Olympics in 2012.  Around 8 minutes after leaving St Pancras, the Eurostar finally emerges from the tunnel and starts crossing the wastelands of east London, past warehouses and run-down housing estates.  Just 10-12 minutes from St Pancras you'll see the impressive Queen Elizabeth II suspension bridge on the right, which carries the M25 London orbital motorway across the River Thames at the Dartford Crossing.  The Eurostar now plunges back into a short tunnel for its own crossing of the Thames, emerging the other side in the county of Kent.  Some Eurostars now call at Ebbsfleet station in north Kent, near the M25 motorway.

...the Medway Viaduct...

Eurostar is now running at its full service speed of 186mph (300 km/h), with traffic on the adjacent London-Dover M2 motorway almost standing still in comparison.  Just 15-20 minutes after leaving London, the train crosses the most dramatic structure on the new high-speed line, the viaduct high over the River Medway.  To the left of the train as it crosses the viaduct, you'll see small boats moored on the riverbanks far below you.  To the left of the train, over the top of the adjacent M2 motorway bridge, you can see Rochester Cathedral and Rochester Castle in the distance.

...across rural Kent...

Now at last you're in green and pleasant rural Kent, with villages nestling at the foot of the chalky hills to the left.  A few Eurostars still call at Ashford International station, a major railway junction in east kent, but most Eurostars now 'fly' over the town on a high flyover, with the station below you, the town centre to the left and the old Southern Railway Ashford works to your right.

...into the Channel Tunnel...

	Arrival at Paris Gare du Nord.  Eurostar arrives at and departs from platforms 3-6.  For Eurostar departures, follow the Eurostar signs up the steps or escalator to the first floor check-in and departure lounge.
	The magnificent façade of the Gare du Nord.

Just 35 minutes from St Pancras, the fields and hedgerows of east Kent give way to the roadways and check-in lanes of the Folkestone EuroTunnel terminal.  This is where cars and lorries are put on the EuroTunnel car-carrying shuttle trains to go through the tunnel to France.  Your Eurostar passes through the middle of the terminal non-stop, and the train manager announces that you are about to enter the Channel Tunnel.  Passing through the Channel Tunnel takes just 20 minutes, and is something of an anti-climax.  The Channel Tunnel (sometimes called the "Chunnel") is just like any other rail tunnel, only a bit longer.  As a precaution, the yellow fire safety doors between each pair of coaches are closed during the tunnel transit, but you can still pass through freely if you want.

...welcome to northern France...

The Eurostar emerges into France at up to 100 mph, and you'll see the French terminal for the car-carrying trains away to your left.  If you look to the horizon on the left, you can just see the distinctive clock tower of Calais town hall.  A handful of Eurostars call at Calais-Fréthun, a few miles from Calais town centre, but others just start accelerating onto the French high speed line.  Unlike conventional railways, the high speed line follows the contours of the land more like a motorway, and you will feel the Eurostar rising onto the hills and settling into the dips.  The area of Northern France crossed by Eurostar is largely flat farmland, dotted with villages built around ancient stone churches.  The variety of church spires you can see is remarkable!

The Eurostar may call at Lille or simply pass through on the centre tracks.  The line to Brussels and the line to Paris diverge just after Lille Europe station.

...bonjour Paris..!

The high speed line to Paris ends just short of Paris Gare du Nord, and the Eurostar passes seamlessly onto a short stretch of conventional line to complete its journey into Paris Gare du Nord, the historic terminus where the traditional boat trains from Calais or Boulogne used to arrive.  The Gare du Nord is also the station for trains to Brussels, Amsterdam, and Germany, and you will see red and silver 'Thalys' trains arriving and departing from these places.

On arrival at the Gare du Nord, you walk straight off the end of the Eurostar platform onto the main concourse, and either out into the streets of Paris, or turn left and head downstairs to the metro.  The taxi rank is outside the station to the right.

Changing trains & stations in Paris:  See the Paris metro page...

In Paris, Eurostar arrives at the Gare du Nord, and your connecting train will probably leave from one of the other Paris stations.  The Gare de 'Est is a 10-minute walk from the Gare du Nord, but to get to any of the other Paris stations you'll need to take the metro or RER (Express Metro) across Paris.  See the guide to changing trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi.

Changing trains in Brussels:  See the Europe page

In Brussels, all long-distance trains including Eurostar use Brussels Midi station (Brussel Zuid in Flemish), so changing trains is easy.  These recommended times are the minimum.  Left luggage lockers and a staffed left luggage office are available at Brussels Midi (24 hours).

Recommended connection times in Brussels...
The minimum connection times shown here are the minimum amount of time you should allow between the scheduled arrival of your train in Brussels and the scheduled departure time of your connecting train from Brussels.
Travelling FROM London	If you're connecting in Brussels with a local or non-reserved InterCity train, where missing it simply means catching the next one:	25 minutes.
	If you're connecting in Brussels with a Thalys or ICE train, where you have a train-specific ticket and reservation:	25 minutes, but preferably a bit more - if you miss it because the Eurostar is late they should let you catch the next one, as long as seats are available.
	If you're connecting in Brussels with a long-distance sleeper train which you cannot afford to miss:	60 minutes, preferably 90 minutes.
Travelling TO London	Any connection in Brussels	40 minutes minimum, which includes the compulsory 30-minute Eurostar check-in time.  if you miss the Eurostar because your train is late the Eurostar staff should let you catch the next one, as long as seats are available.

London-Paris by train+ferry:  See the London to France page...

You can still take train+ferry+train from London to Paris if you wish.  It takes 9 hours, but can be cheaper if you need to travel at short notice or want to see the White Cliffs of Dover on the way.  You can substitute train+ferry+train for Eurostar London-Paris in any of the journeys routed via Paris shown on this website, but you'll need to buy separate train and ferry tickets.  Times, fares and information for London-Paris by train+ferry+train are on the France page.

Northern England & Scotland to mainland Europe...

ScotRail sell inclusive tickets for the Caledonian Sleeper + Eurostar, see www.firstscotrail.com.  Don't forget the ferry options:  Edinburgh (Rosyth) to Zeebrugge with www.superfast.com (3 sailings weekly, overnight) for onward trains to Brussels and Paris (see http://bahn.hafas.de for train times).  www.DFDS.co.uk sail from Newcastle to IJmuiden (the port of Amsterdam) overnight, and www.poferries.com sail from Hull to Rotterdam, for trains to Amsterdam, Antwerp or Brussels.

The Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe, plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873 and costing £13.50, it's essential for any serious traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.  You can buy the latest monthly edition online at www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery, or buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change).  Or buy the independent traveller's edition from Amazon.co.uk:  Winter 2007/8 edition (December 2007 to June 2008) or Summer 2008 edition (June to December 2008). 

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at www.amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery).  See an extract from the map.

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