Back from this express trip to Lille from London for an important business meeting.
# | Type | Review |
---|---|---|
1 | Train | Eurostar Business Premier, London St. Pancras to Lille Europe, Siemens E320 |
2 | Train | Eurostar Business Premier, Lille Europe to London St. Pancras, Siemens E320 |
Experience in the station
The Lille-Europe station was not really designed with Eurostar traffic in mind from the start. As a result, the queue for immigration and police checks stretches for several hundred meters throughout the station.
Fortunately, I stopped one of the agents in the station, who was very nice and made me cut the line, having a Business Premier ticket.
I cut the entire line and passed the formalities (French immigration, English immigration and security) in less than 5 minutes.
Lounge
Once these formalities are over, a heated boarding room allows you to wait in comfort.
The Business Premier/Carte Blanche area still exists, but services have been discontinued. Nevertheless, the station manager offers to make a small cup of coffee in his room and serves some snacks at the same time. Better than nothing.
Cabin and welcome
The reception is very courteous and warm and I am directed to my seat. I am told that I can sit wherever I want on the remaining seats.
Very quickly, a welcome drink (a glass of Piper-Heidseick champagne) is brought to me and I am asked to choose my meal. I will choose the cod again.
Service and catering
My tray arrives shortly before the entrance of the tunnel under the channel. Nothing to say, you already had my comments on the outward journey: but this time, there was cheese. Not good, but present.
The refills will be constant until the arrival.
Arrival and disembarkation
The impression of fluidity is identical to that of the outward journey, I am out in less than two minutes and catch an Uber that will take me home in 25 minutes.
Bottom line
A quality service, worthy of the fare paid.