I am back with another train review. This will be a short one. I don’t usually share train reviews but figure that this will be worth a brief write-up since it is one of the most iconic high-speed trains in Europe and one of the more special ways to travel over the English Channel. While this is not the flagship route between London and Paris, the train products will remain the same. They operate a couple of other routes as well around Europe. One of them being the Amsterdam to Brussels route. While it is slightly more expensive than the usual Intercity trains, this is faster and non-stop. That fits perfectly into my plans without any extra hassle.

Eurostar Standard Class

The Eurostar comes in 3 different classes. Eurostar Standard, Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier. The standard is the most basic one while the premier is the most luxurious one that comes with a meal and lounge access. Some of the benefits of the premier class are only available for the signature London route.

I just got the standard ticket since it is a simple and rather short journey. There are also the two of us and we would nicely fit into one side of the train without others. Despite it being the cheapest cabin onboard the Eurostar, the seats are still in a  2-2 configuration. They are comparable to second-class cabins on other European High-Speed trains. Here are some pictures of the seats.

There is ample space for your baggage. You can find space on the ends of each cabin and in the middle as well. Overhead compartments fit cabin-size luggage well. One bad aspect about the Eurostar is that you can’t choose the seats when travelling between Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany. They are assigned. I always prefer to select at the ends to monitor my bags. Each passenger is allowed to bring up to 2 bags (up to 85cm long on our routes to and from London or 75cm on all other routes), a small daypack or handbag and there are no weight limits. In reality, no one checks, you can bring them along if you can handle them.

Toilets are fairly standard.

Another perk of the Eurostar over the usual IC will be the availability of wifi and power outlets.

No meals or drinks are included in Standard Class, you can order from the menu. You can find the menu and prices here.

Conclusion

It is a fairly standard train ride in Europe. Prices are pretty fair when you book ahead. I paid 35 Euros for this ride. I appreciate having a non-stop ride to my destination especially when I have this much baggage. It is nice to finally try the Eurostar. I would love to try the cross-border route between London and Europe next time and will be able to share the boarding and immigration process. It would be one of my travel goals to cross the English Channel on the Eurostar.