As part of a business trip to Paris, I chose to take the Eurostar to avoid immigration problems at Heathrow.
As a reminder, here is the itinerary followed:
Arrival at station and immigration formalities
To avoid the traffic, I arrive at Gare du Nord by public transport, namely the RER B.
Once out of the Île-de-France control line, I take the escalator to the Eurostar terminal.
An initial check of identity papers and documents relating to the health crisis is carried out by a Eurostar agent. The latter tells me that my antigen test may not work, as it was carried out more than 72 hours before the Eurostar departure.
I tell him that government websites don’t say 72 hours, but three days, and that I’ve always done so, and it’s never been a problem. She says I can give it a try, so I head for the Eurostar ticket machines.
French immigration control will pose no problem, but British immigration control will be more problematic. The agency doesn’t check much, but it does check the antigen test, and tells me it’s 72 hours from now on.
No government website confirms this, nor has it been updated during the day. So I guess it depends on the agent and the customer, a bit like Russian roulette.
Lounge
With two hours to kill before my departure, I make my way to the Eurostar Business Premier lounge, located on the mezzanine floor of the departure area.
I can access this lounge with my American Express Platinum card (note that this does not apply to co-branded cards).
So I settle into my usual place, the big table in the middle, and pour myself a glass of white wine and some snacks. I’ll wait until the departure of the train.
Boarding
An announcement is made in the lounge, and I wait a few minutes before boarding. As usual, my ticket is checked in front of the train, and I’m directed to my seat.
Cabin and welcome
No surprise, this is the new, very recent Eurostar equipment, not very comfortable in Standard Premier and Business Premier. I’ll be a solo seat for this trip.
Service and catering
Even though today is Wednesday, synonymous with reduced service since the COVID crisis, normal service will be provided on this train.
A meal tray is handed out a few minutes after our departure, and everything is very decent. I won’t be choosing the vegetarian option with this Chicken Tika Massala, served with potatoes.
Dessert will be pretty average, with this cherry-flavored brownie, but that’s because I don’t like chocolate-fruit combinations. I’ll pair it with a decent white wine.
Arrival and disembarkation
We arrive at St. Pancras a few minutes ahead of schedule. As I had booked Standard Premier, all the cars were at the end of the train, so I had to walk up the entire platform.
No Borderforce checks on arrival, no doubt due to the British government’s announcements over the past few days.
Bottom line
A great experience, with acceptable value for money.
Articles similaires
Eurostar Standard Premier, London St. Pancras – Paris Nord, Siemens E320
Air France Business Class, London LHR – Paris CDG, Airbus A318 : Non-existent service again
Air France Business, London Heathrow – Paris Charles-de-Gaulle: No service, what a disgrace!
Air France Business, Paris Charles-de-Gaulle – London Heathrow, Airbus A320 : The bullshit continues!
