Eurostar help

scorza · 29 Jun 2011 at 08:48

I'm trying to organise my summer holiday to France (near Poitiers) and with petrol prices the way they are I was thinking about going by train instead of driving - I'll be visiting my folks who have a car down there so I won't be limiting myself.

I'm wondering which station it's best to go from, choices are St. Pancras which would mean a ~90m train ride with a big suitcase, or Ebsfleet International, would cost £75 to park there for two weeks (and the considerable risk to my holiday that the M25 would be buggered on the day I was travelling). Anyone got any experience of travelling from Ebsfleet?

Also, how bad will the connection in Paris be? Got to get from Gare du Nord to Gare Montparnasse, which appears to be on the same metro line (4) but tbqh it sounds like a considerable hassle. I heard it was possible to change in Lille, but the Eurostar website doesn't come up with that as an option, so I guess I'd have to ring up.

shine · 29 Jun 2011 at 08:55

If it's a direct train to St. Pancras then I'd do that. Getting around St. Pancras with luggage is fairly easy but if I had to change or use the underground I'd probably take the option to drive.

uvarvu · 29 Jun 2011 at 09:50

If you're in West Sussex can't you get a train to St Pancras and change accordingly?

scorza · 29 Jun 2011 at 09:55

uvarvu said:
If you're in West Sussex can't you get a train to St Pancras and change accordingly?

Yeah, there's a train from Three Bridges that goes straight to St Pancras. No way am I doing that with a big suitcase in the morning rush hour though

KMpuggy · 29 Jun 2011 at 09:58

I live about a mile from ebbsfleet, you could park your car in my parking space and it will be safe and sound while your gone.

Hate · 29 Jun 2011 at 10:32

scorza said:
Yeah, there's a train from Three Bridges that goes straight to St Pancras. No way am I doing that with a big suitcase in the morning rush hour though

From my experience commuting the London to Brighton line, everyone else seems to... commuters and gatwick bound folk make a nice mix :/

scorza · 29 Jun 2011 at 10:45

Hate said:
From my experience commuting the London to Brighton line, everyone else seems to... commuters and gatwick bound folk make a nice mix :/

Yup - I've had to do that journey a few times, can't even get a seat at TBD, sometimes can't even get to stand by the doors

Myshra · 29 Jun 2011 at 11:09

Paris metro is really easy to get around from my experience. The terminals for buying tickets are multi language and simple but it might be easier just buying a Carnet (pack of 10 single journey tickets, usually comes plastic wrapped) if you're a family. Will very likely be cheaper too. You can get them from machines, the desks or like i did - the tabac just inside the metro station in gard de nord.

"Enterprising" people will try and sell you single tickets for like 5 euros in english hoping to pray on your unwillingness to say no / being afraid of the machine if my experience is anything to go by.