'pariswat - you call it what you like, and be damned. '

eheheh

first class vs second : a question of choice. I don't remember about Eurostar, been awhile, but on Thalys for example I actually prefer second than first.

To go to London, I take the 'machin' on rails that goes under the water. With my car, so at least we are among ourselves. Just remember not to use the battery....

And who really calls San Francisco "Frisco"? Wasn't that a 1950s thing? We've called it San Fran when we've not called it something derogatory.

PalenQ - Oh, how little you know about me - I've used both options for Eurostar, several times over.

Frankly, a little extra leg room, a cold plate of airplane food and half a bottle of cheap wine wasn't worth it for me. It's only a 2H20 trip - I'd much rather enjoy my own bottle of decent wine and a sandwich, and prefer to stay disconnected, read and relax, instead of pounding a keyboard during the trip.

But that's just me.

OK - fuzz - two people can experience the same thing and think very differently - to me there is a big difference to you very little - I always go 2nd class because of cost but have gone first class a few times for the experience - being rather tall I find 2nd class seats have not much leg room and often lots of empty seats vs a packed second class - but note what I said - if the price is not much different go first class and sometimes with the fare structure of discounted tickets first class can be not much more - my meals have been much better than airline fare.

Again both are right in our perceptions and the more viewpoints the better.

I'm getting to know you better and in your short sojourn here so far have always seemed to give excellent advice - but again IME to say there is very little difference between classes on Chunnel trains is just not my take - and again I usually go 2nd class because I'm on a low low budget - if I were paying $200-300 a night for hotels as many do and $100/day for restaurants as many do then I'd not scrimp on train travel even for a few hour ride.

Weird thing - on everything but train travel folks here do not do the cheapest hotels or restaurants etc but with trains even a penny cheaper is recommended. Weird to me - for the trip of a lifetime splurge a bit and go first class - luggage for one thing is easier to stow.

But again that is my take and I should respect your take as well - again more views the better for anyone making an educated choice - it just seems on Fodors only the cheapest is recommended for rail and there is no mention of first class and its possible benefits.

Weird!

Just remember not to use the battery....>

I'm clueless about this, please splain! Merci au revoir!

Everyone to his taste PQ

People spend their money on things they choose. no prob with that.

This reminded me, first day to buy my ticket for the spring, 1 way, 2 cl, $63 US. Not bad. "Premier" might have been nice but at $156, I'll pick up a sandwich & coffee at the station.

Depending on the time of year one travels from Paris to London, this will make an enormous difference in whether or not the 1st class wagons are jam-packed and will provide the blissful experience one hopes for.

During the yearly sales, for example, I would absolutely avoid first class, because people bringing back multiple suitcases full of expensive merchandise are afraid to stow them in the luggage racks for fear that they will "go missing", and instead insist on keeping them in the aisles, under the tables, on the seats...

During holidays and important matches, when the 2nd class seats are all sold out, the 1st class ambiance degenerates very quickly and isn't worth bothering with, in my experience.

It may interest some people to know that Eurostar is upgrading its 'fleet', with new trains coming into service in 'late' 2015. The trains look really good from the outside :) and there is free wi-fi for the whole journey.
I would reiterate the recommendation to book only through Eurostar.com for tickets.
I use the Eurostar at a dozen times a year and I wouldn't bother with First Class for such a short journey. Just avoid Coach #1 as this is often the 'family' coach, complete with screaming infants and squabbling youngsters.

PQ,
When traveling with my own car on the train, I did the mistake of letting everyone use electrical equipment plugged into the battery sockets.

The car did start and left the train, but we stopped very soon after and my battery was completely drained...
Luckily I always have cables and somebody helped me restart the car.

Blanche de Bruges

That is the kind of adivec I like !

Same applies to Thalys : you have between coaches 6 and 7 two compartments of 8 seats separated from the rest of the train.

They are the last seats to be attributed so are often less crowded. Very confortable.

That's where I travel 99% of the time, regardless of where I've been given a seat.

Seriously, that Chunnel.com site rings alarm bells. The design is weird and it has links to swimming or flying the "Chunnel". I suspect that it is a trap for the naive

I usually don't bother with first class on the Eurostar. But sometimes if you're last minute, the price difference is not that much, so we book first. You have more space and a meal and drinks, but also the lounge at the station. At St Pancras it's nice to be able to get some drinks and newspapers. The waiting area is often very full.

Neither the Eurostar nor the Eurotunnel websites (for the shuttle, the car service) mention the word Chunnel.

Yes Swim the Chunnel as MissPrism points out on that site - well it is free anyway but that use of the Chunnel is really weird.

It's the sort of website that makes you think your paint is out of date

didn't know paint went bad - glossy paint that is?

Yes a site where I could not find out anything about who I was booking thru - I'd always use the official site - www.eurostar.com for sure - lowest possible fares, no booking fee - e-tickets.

Buying Eurostar tix 5-6-month out (for early May) you can get a RT ticket for $105...which is a great price IMHO.

ssander

ssander - that price could be even better come May if the dollar turns the other way - one reason to buy early too if you think currency rates may change - you are guaranteed a great fare which could be even better by then (but which if you waited until later may not even be available.)