One of the best things about living in London is being able to take advantage of the Eurostar for a quick visit to France, Belgium or the Netherlands! I had to go to Brussels in Belgium for a meeting and I could do it in a day, it almost took me less time than it takes me on an average day to work just outside of London (if I get stuck in peak time traffic on the roads).
If you purchase your tickets in advance you can get a great deal, you have three fares to chose from Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. There isn’t always much difference between Standard and Standard Premier so it’s worth the light meal and snacks in the upgrade!
Arriving at King’s Cross St Pancreas in the early hours of the morning I was lucky enough to walk by another commuter playing on the piano.
It wasn’t too busy when I arrive with my e ticket so I scanned straight in. You are advised to arrive at least an hour before your train departs (30 minutes before boarding) which I will never forget as I missed my Eurostar home from Paris many years ago!
A short wait inside, the boarding platform was easy to find on the screens very similar to an airport layout, although it got very busy and it was hard to find a seat. Up the escalators to the train! Again easy to find my carriage as each one was clearly labelled with a letter.
Once on board I could relax and get some work done on my way to Brussels! Lots of overhead space to store luggage as well as compartments on each carriage. There was a Wifi connection but it did cut out a lot depending on which part of the route we were on, I decided to work offline. It took a while to find a power point (four of us passengers sitting on a small table with our laptops open taking turns to use the one socket, but we were in standard class on this particular journey).
Two hours and 20 minutes later I had arrived in Brussels – Midi station! Word of warning if you need to use the toilet at this station they are not free (as they are in London King’s Cross St Pancreas) you will need to pay two EUROS for a token! Just so you know.
My day trip was super easy and I don’t know why I don’t do it more often!
