Frank

What's the difference between 1st and 2nd class? There is about a $50. difference in one way fare. Is it worth it?

JOAN DOYLE

Dear Frank: Comfortwise you may get a bit more padding on the seats and you can have a meal in the diner. Personally I'd never go any other way than 2nd class. How uncomfortable can you possibly get in three hours? Go and enjoy. Joan

Frank

Dear Jane: I'm more concerned about the meal in 1sr class. I can't imagine the meal being worth $50.

kam

Riding on the Eurostar is part of your holiday!! Just like renting a hotel room or choosing a restaurant. I would consider how many times you are going to do it and splurge on first class!! Actually I've heard there's quite a bit of difference! I also agree, because I'm on them so much, that I'd never take anything but 2nd class around the UK, but the Eurostar is different! <BR>

kam

The Eurostar has its own web site---check for the differences. I believe that alcoholic beverages are included with the meal in first class, but find the web site. <BR>

Meg

We decided to go first class because we figured this was something we may never do again. Champagne and wine were served and we have a choice of our meal - prawns or chicken, I think. A raspberry something or other and Godiva chocolates for dessert. We had plenty of room and had nice roomy chairs that faced each other with a small table between. I'm glad we took the splurge.

hank

i've taken it 2nd class and it is much like riding on a plane, except you have to order and pay for the food. it was plenty comfortable and the $50 i saved extended my trip my a night.

doc

Hello: <BR> My wife and I made the Chunnel trip from Paris to London about two weeks ago. We went first class and really enjoyed the trip. The seats were very comfortable and even reclined. The food and service was excellent. Eurostar has noticed that about 1 poeple in 6 get nauseated on this high speed train. I would not want to experience this in anything less than a really comfortable environment. It could make the difference between mild nausea and full blow, projectile vomiting. <BR> A further note of warning. Once the train gets into Waterloo Station. Get a luggage cart (available on the landing), load your luggage as quickly as possible and try to beat the rush to immigration. We took our time and stood in line on a steep incline for a hour and a half. This might even be another good reason to take first class---the first class coaches are at the front of the train.

Jim

I tend to go with the 2nd class choice which is what we did going from Paris to London recently. However, the 2nd class seats don't recline, so if you want to sleep, take 1st class. Also, when they say arrive 20 minutes before departure, they mean it. Based on what we saw, if you arrive at the last minute at Gare du Nord, you will definitely miss the train. You have to go past a French police post, a machine that takes your tickets, and walk a fair ways to the train. If you show up late, they won't let you go through the ticket machine and instead will send you to make a reservation on another train. The train is very fast in France, but on the other side on the channel in England the train slows down considerably. <BR>

Marion

We have just returned from a trip to Europe and we travelled back to London on the Eurostar. We travelled first class and I can say that we did not consider it was worth the extra. The alcohol is free and so is the meal. However, the meal was like airline food - served in the same small containers and both my husband and I decline this "freebee". The seats are quite comfortable but no all seats face each other. If you are unlucky enough to get the other type of seat, this is the same concept as the airline, i.e. the fold down tray contained in the seat in front of you. We have never travelled this route 2nd class so do not have an opinion of the differences. However, if you think you will have an "Orient Express" experience by travelling 1st class - think again. Good Luck!

greg

We just took the Eurostar 1st class. The seats were 2 and 1 in a row in the first (it looked like 2 and 2 in the second.) We travelled on the Britrail pass day combined with children travel free promotion so we paid only $139 for the first class for adults only, so the 1st class came very cheap for us. The food was included and served at the seats. Yes, the food was served on the tray but at least for us we had never eaten airplane food this good. The rest of the car were all business people. Each 1st class car has 3 sets of 4 seats facing each other and 3 sets of 2 seats facing each other. The business people were familiar with this arrangement and they occupied 2 sets of these semi-private facing seats at front and back of our car. No one was using the middle facing seats. Unfortunately we did not know about this and ended up getting 2 rows each facing backwards. The logistics was pretty strict. At about 2 hrs before the departures, the display indicated we proceed to the waiting lounge after going thru the metal detectors. The lounge at Waterloo holds about two train loads so this was the way to control the number of people. At EXACTLY 20min before the departure, we were allowed to proceed to the train. I noticed large number of people at the escalator waiting for this 20 minutes announcement. We thought this was strange since all the seats were reserved. We only guessed that perhaps 2nd class passengers had to compete for the luggage space? Someone else who knew what was going on may be able to answer. The exchange inside the waiting lounge areas gave SLIGHTLY better rate than outside the lounge at Waterloo. <BR> <BR>

Gary Liptrot

I took the Eurostar last May for the first time and <BR>I travel to Europe twice a year. Most for pleasure <BR>but once I had a three month business trip. <BR> <BR>What I have learned is that 1st class on Europe <BR>trains is WELL worth the price. <BR> <BR>The main advantage I have found in first class is <BR>that it is never as crowed as 2nd. The last thing <BR>I want to do is struggle to find luggage space or <BR>spend the next three hours with my luggage as a seat <BR>mate. Yes, the food is not what you would get at the <BR>RITZ, but as another responder had stated; "I never <BR>had airline food that good". <BR> <BR>For the price I paid, #139; I got on the train at <BR>Waterloo Station in London, got off after 3 of the <BR>most relaxing and yet exciting hours of my trip; <BR>then I was in Paris. <BR> <BR>It is not something you are going to do very often <BR>so why not insure your comfort and go for the extra <BR>$50. It is a small price to pay to not be crowded <BR>and stuck in a rail car with crowds and excessive <BR>noise. <BR> <BR>Enjoy and RELAX. <BR> <BR>[email protected] <BR>

Elizabeth

I've traveled both 1st and 2nd class and both are fine. If you have the money, go first class. The food was not great though.

Peter Goodman

We have travelled 1st and 2nd class - it's a question of ambiance - 1st class lounge with coffee, pastriesand reading material is very nice - a pampered meal ("think high quality airline food") - 2nd class is likje coach airline travel, 1st class is business class ... there's an hour time difference- take the earliest train and it's only 2 1/2 hrs!!!