Stubborn Travel

There are plenty of Eurostar destinations on the map, from Paris and Amsterdam to Lille and Cologne

If you know me, you know I’m a bit of a fangirl for the Eurostar. I talk about it on my Instagram, I’ve written at length about the London to Paris route, and I bang on about it to whoever will listen. Seriously Eurostar, you’re not even going to send me a hoodie?

Anyway. A lot of people are familiar with the more popular Eurostar routes (London-Paris, Paris to Lille, Amsterdam to Brussels). But did you know that Eurostars regularly stop by Rotterdam, Liege and Cologne?

Especially with Eurostar’s recent acquisition of Thalys, the network has expanded to include more destinations than before. If you like train travel, this is for you.

What are the Eurostar destinations from the UK (London)?

From London’s St Pancras station, you can take a direct Eurostar train to:

• Paris (2 hrs 20)
• Brussels (1 hr 56)
• Amsterdam (3 hr 57)
• Lille (1 hr 25)
• Rotterdam (3 hr 16)

These destinations also connect to each other directly. For example, you can take a direct train from Paris to Amsterdam in 3 hrs 34, or a train from Lille to Brussels in 35 minutes.

With a change, the network expands. You can buy tickets on the Eurostar website to get you to Disneyland Paris, Cologne, Lyon, Avignon and Strasbourg.

Eurostar Destination Maps

Of course, sometimes it helps to just see the destinations on a map. The following maps (credit: Eurostar) show the direct routes from each destination.

Map key:

• The blue connected lines show direct trains.
• When blue lines are dotted, it means you have to change to get to the destination.
• When the lines are purple and dotted, it’s a connecting service, and seasonal.
• The red dotted lines means that the trains are with other carriers (although you should be able to buy the ticket via Eurostar.com).

Map: direct and indirect Eurostar destinations from London, UK

From London, you can now book trains to large parts of France, as well as Germany. However, if there is a change, I wonder whether it would pay to just book with the direct company operating the train. For example, to get from London to Aix-en-Provence, you’d take the Eurostar to Paris and then a SNCF train to Aix-en-Provence. I’d be more inclined to book the second part directly through SNCF (unless it’s cheaper through Eurostar).

Map: direct and indirect Eurostar destinations from France

France is now well connected to Germany via the Eurostar, with direct trains to Cologne, Dusseldorf and Dortmund (among others).

Map: direct and indirect Eurostar destinations from Belgium

From Belgium, I’d be very interested in trying the seasonal Brussels to Marseille train. Again, Brussels now connects to Germany as well as the prior routes to the Netherlands, London and Paris.

Map: direct and indirect Eurostar destinations from the Netherlands

Map: direct and indirect Eurostar destinations from Germany

You can check these out in more detail on Eurostar’s website.

Eurostar vs. Flying: which is better?

I’ve written quite a bit on Eurostar vs. flying in my summary of the London to Paris route. Overall, it really depends what’s important to you on your trip. When comparing the two, you’ll want to answer the following questions:

• Do you value comfort the most? Eurostar is probably more comfortable over all (unless you’re flying business).
• Do you value the greenest route? If so, Eurostar wins, as you save a lot in CO₂ emissions when you take the train instead of flying. For example, Eurostar London to Paris journey emits 2.4 kg of CO₂ versus 66 kg on a flight, making the train 96% lower in emissions.
• Do you value getting from A to B as quickly as possible? The two are often tied, but with Eurostar you usually travel from the centre of one city to another and bypass airports. Also, consider that Eurostar tends to have shorter passport control/security (unless you have some sort of priority pass at the airport). Because you do all the controls before the journey, once you arrive you are free to grab your bag and immediately enjoy your trip.
• Do you want to bring a big suitcase, luggage and/or liquids? Eurostar makes it quite easy with a generous baggage allowance.
• Do you like flexibility? Unless you buy a usually pricy airfare, Eurostar probably wins. With any Eurostar fare, you can change your tickets for free up to seven days before departure. You only need to pay the difference in fare, if there is one.
• Do you like being able to book last minute? In my experience, flying comes out considerably cheaper when booked within a week. The Eurostars can be very expensive if not booked with a bit notice. Flights too, but I’ve found the difference more drastic with the Eurostar.

For more on comparing the costs of Eurostar vs. flights, make sure to check out Is the Eurostar cheaper than flying?

Where will you go next?

So there you have it! A quick and dirty summary of the Eurostar’s newest destinations. If you’ve made it down here, I’d love to know in the comments:

• Have you taken the Eurostar before? What did you think?
• What Eurostar would you like to visit?
• Do you prefer trains or planes? Why?

If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments too!

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