It can be embarrassing (Eurostar)

Member Name: trixiemagic

Product:	Eurostar
Date:	28/01/01 (106 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hassle free, aerophobics

Disadvantages: No use, if you live in Glasgow

Here you are speeding along, when suddenly everything goes dark. Twenty minuets later you emerge into the light, all seems normal at first, then you here some French voices asking 'Why are we going so slowly. Has the train broken down?', 'no' one says 'this is how fast trains go in Great Britain’.

Ok, that didn't really happen to me but it is true. I have made about 20 trips on the ES, to both Brussels and Paris. I have to say that each one has been a pleasure.

I have used all 3 classes, I must have missed the difference between Premium First and First, but work was paying and I slept most of the way (I can never sleep on planes). Standard class is comfortable the best thing is that you always get a seat, not like in the UK. Besides a bit of decoration and you have to buy your own food there is little difference, except cost.

Food in the first class is always nice, lots of fancy dishes (set dish each journey + veg option), though if you like to eat more than a supermodel, grab a burger king at Waterloo before you depart. You buy your own food in standard class, menus are ok but again you sometime wish they would just keep it simple. They will except both currencies and sell alcohol, I don’t remember the prices of food however I did not feel like I had been ‘fleeced’ in the BR sense of the word

Journey time from Waterloo to Paris and Brussels is about 3 hours, half is on the UK side. If you look at the map you see that it does not add up. You can see a lot of construction work going on UK side, this is for the new a Hi-Speed line to Paddington, which could knock another 40min of the journey time. Surprisingly I here they are ahead of schedule building it.

You get a lot of people talking on mobile phones, I have noticed on these trains people seem to shout down them louder than usual, it could be that the train is quieter than the UK trains and they have not real
ised. Keep saying pardon to them, as if you thought they were talking to you.

Point schemes is good, I don't remember the exact, amounts about but they soon add up. I have had a few free trips.

It is not as fun as Flying, it is much easier though.

Summary: