If you, like me, prefer the pleasant atmosphere of a train to a sometimes claustrophobic  aircraft, then you will surely appreciate the benefits of the Eurostar when travelling to and from the UK, Belgium and France.

There are many advantages to using this form of transport between the three countries – no luggage restrictions is what shoppers go for; simpler security checks is my personal favourite but being able to get on-board while you are still in the city centre is top of my list.

Here is a quick set of tips to help you at London’s St Pancras station. (If you want information about Brussels Gare Du Midi, check out my handy tips.

Arriving in London

1. While still on the train, make sure you’re on the left hand side of the carriage and peer out of the window for an amazing view of the lovely St Pancras station as you approach.
2. After leaving the train, almost all travellers take one of the escalators situated in the middle of the platform.  If you are in a hurry, skip this queue and keep walking to the front of the platform where another less-used escalator will help.
3. The ticket office for the underground (or the Tube as they call it) is almost always busy.  Get out of the station and cross the road to King’s Cross station for smaller queues.  Better still, buy your Oyster travel cards on board the train before arriving.
4. Once you exit passport control (which is rarely manned), turn right if you intend to catch another train to a British destination.  If you want to catch the tube, turn left.
5. The first cash machines that you will find upon disembarking are after passport control too. You won’t need British pounds before this point though.

Leaving London

The Eurostar Travel Centre is on the main concourse.  If you’re early, stop here and see if your ticket lets you hop on to an earlier train.

• There are many shops in the terminal catering to travellers’ needs.  Check-in takes 30 minutes so spend all your available time wandering around here as the choice of shops is limited after check-in.
• There are no rubbish bins anywhere in the station due to security restrictions.  If you do have some rubbish, keep it in hand until you are on the train, or else ask the food shops if they have a rubbish bin handy.
• The main concourse is pretty large and since the station also has trains leaving for other, English, destinations, it is easy to get lost and end up in the wrong part of the terminal.  If you can see signs for English departures and arrivals, you’re too far away.
• After passport control, there is free wi-fi and a long bench with charging stations for laptop users.

More information is available on the Eurostar website.

Happy travels!