Eurostar can be a really easy way to get across to France and Belgium but there’s one mistake passengers always make – and it can leave you waiting longer
With family in Belgium, Eurostar has always been one of the easiest ways for me to visit thanks to the direct trains between London and Brussels.
On a recent trip, I realised that over the years I’ve racked up over 50 Eurostar journeys. It often works out cheaper than flying for me; there are regular sales where you can snap up £39 tickets if you’re willing to get the early morning/late night trains, and sometimes there are even tempting deals to upgrade to the Eurostar Plus seats with perks including more legroom and a light meal.
I like to think that I’ve nearly perfected the art of a seamless Eurostar arrival for check-in (have your documents ready, gadgets out before you reach security screening, coffee and snacks bought to avoid the rush at the only Pret that’s available once you go through border control).
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However, there’s one mistake that I always see people making – and it can actually mean that they end up having to wait around longer for their train. While airlines often require you to arrive around two to three hours before a flight, that window is a lot smaller for Eurostar; and they won’t let you join the queue if you arrive too early.
Usually when you arrive at the Eurostar departures queues, there are staff members holding signs with the train numbers and departure times; if yours isn’t on that list, then it’s unlikely they will let you through. There are typically about two to three trains’ worth of passengers being allowed into the hall, and even that can leave it feeling crowded if there’s any sort of delay.
It means that often overly-eager passengers end up having to awkwardly hang around outside the queues to enter the Eurostar terminal, and I’ve seen people get frustrated that they’re basically just sat waiting to go and queue.
It’s not just in London; Brussels also operates a similar system meaning that if you arrive early, you won’t be allowed to enter the terminal until the check-in window opens for your train.
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Eurostar has some rough guidelines on its website here although always check your booking details as sometimes these can change depending on the months you’re travelling, or if there are any delays that affect your travel.
Typically, Eurostar recommends that you arrive 75 minutes before your departure time in London. For Paris, there’s a wider window of up to 90 minutes, while in Brussels it’s a lot shorter with arrival times of up to an hour before departure.
Of course there’s the flip side; the gates usually close about 30 minutes before departure so don’t leave it so late thinking you can just rock up 10 minutes beforehand and that they’ll let you fly past the security queues and border control etc. (I’ve seen people looking very stressed as they try to rush through security and leg it for their train).
I still find it an overall smoother and easier process than navigating through the airport – especially with the lack of 100ml liquid rules at Eurostar, and a much more relaxed approach to the luggage you bring with you!
