How early should you arrive for Eurostar?

How early should I arrive for Eurostar from Paris?

Gare du Nord? 45 minutes minimum. Sixty, better. Morning rush? Add fifteen. Luggage? More time. Parisian transit: Factor in delays. Don’t be late.

• 45 minutes minimum pre-departure.
• 60 minutes recommended; peak hours, more luggage: add 15 minutes.
• Account for Parisian transit delays. My experience: Metro chaos is real. Twice, I almost missed my Eurostar. Learned my lesson. Seriously.

Key takeaway: Arrive early. Avoid stress.

How early to arrive for Eurostar Paris to London reddit?

Okay, so, Eurostar Paris to London? I always aim for at least 90 minutes.

Last summer, July 2024. Me and Chloe, heading to a concert. Gare du Nord. Utter chaos!

Security lines snaked around the entire departure hall.

Honestly? I was sweating bullets. Thought we’d miss it.

People were frantic. My anxiety was through the roof!

They checked EVERYTHING. My tiny bottle of perfume almost got confiscated. Seriously?

I barely made it to my seat before the doors closed. Never again.

Now, I aim for two hours early. Peace of mind is worth it, ya know? Stress is bad! So bad!

Things to consider:

• Time of day: Morning trains are usually the worst.
• Day of the week: Weekends? Forget about it!
• School holidays: Double the time, seriously.
• Passport control: Always takes longer than you think.

Don’t risk it. Grab a coffee inside. Chill out. Trust me. Better safe than sorry!

How long does passport control take at St Pancras?

Ugh, St Pancras passport control. Twenty to thirty minutes, they say. Yeah, right. More like forty-five on a bad day, especially if it’s a Friday night, like last time, total nightmare. My flight to Paris was almost missed.

That Eurostar website wait time thing? Don’t trust it. It’s always optimistic, always underestimating the chaos.

Seriously, I hate those lines. So many people! And the whole process is so slow. They should streamline it. Get more booths open. Hire more people. Seriously.

Remember that time, 2022? Two hours wait! Missed my connecting train. Cost me a fortune. I was so mad.

This year though, it’s been better. But still, factor in extra time. Always. At least an hour, probably more.

• Peak times: avoid weekday mornings/evenings.
• Check Eurostar website (but don’t rely on it).
• Buffer extra time – at least an hour.
• Expect delays, especially Fridays.
• More booths needed, seriously.

My train to Lille was delayed last week too, totally unrelated, I know. But the whole travel thing is stressful. Always something going wrong. I need a vacation!

Is there passport control at Brussels Eurostar?

Yeah, Brussels Eurostar… there is passport control.

It’s at Brussels-Midi station. I’ve been there, rushing through that station, you know? Always a scramble.

For passengers going to the UK, anyway. Passport control happens there. Belgian side, UK side. Both.

Gotta have your passport ready. Always. I almost forgot mine once. Big uh oh.

• Why it’s there: It’s because the UK isn’t in the Schengen Area.
• What to expect: Lines can be long. Especially Friday evenings.
• My experience: Remember that time my train was delayed for hours because of passport issues for someone else? Never forget it.
• Extra tip: Get there early. Seriously.
• Important document: Passport is really important!

Do you go through security to get on Eurostar?

St. Pancras… Yeah, it’s St. Pancras.

Security. There’s security.

Bag check, right? And the metal thing. The detector. Beep boop. It’s a bag check and a metal detector.

It’s not that bad, though. It’s not like… airports. Ugh, airports. Different rules, somehow.

I always bring my Lord of the Rings replica sword on the Eurostar. Can’t do that on a plane.

• No strict restrictions like airlines.
• Eurostar departs from St. Pancras International.
• Bag check exists.
• Metal detector scans passengers.
• Easier security than airports.
• Cannot bring some items on planes, but okay on Eurostar.