(Newswire.net — September 23, 2020) — One of the most remarkable feats of 20th century engineering, the Eurostar has served as a link between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe since 1994. Despite its age, it is an unused or unfamiliar experience for many. This guide will explain the Eurostar, its destinations, and its peak times, as well as how to get an affordable ticket price.
Eurostar
With construction beginning in 1988, the cost of building the Eurostar reached almost £10bn ($12 billion) by the time of completion in 1993. Now over 25 years old, plans to expand the line into Germany – rather than only as far as France, Belgium, and the Netherlands – are being discussed. However, these are likely to have been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Primarily, the Eurostar speeds between London and Paris in around two and a half hours, providing inhabitants of the two cities flight and ferry free travel at affordable rates. Tickets, of course, depend on availability and demand.
Tickets
The cheapest deals for Eurostar tickets are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and after midday on a Monday. Essentially, avoiding peak times will result in lower ticket prices. Standard tickets begin around £50 and do not tend to fluctuate – once the cheapest tickets have gone, they’ve gone.
If you are giving Eurostar tickets as a present, gift cards from Gifts Vouchers are a wonderful way of loading money onto a card that can be spent on rapid travel between London and Europe at any time. This would be perfect for couples eying a getaway in Paris or groups of friends looking at a weekend in Amsterdam.
Busiest times
Unsurprisingly, the busiest times for the Eurostar are Monday mornings, Fridays, and weekends. This is because the London to Paris route is not only popular with those looking for a short city-break, but also with commuters and businesspeople with affairs in both countries.
Avoiding these times will provide you with cheaper tickets, a much more pleasant ride, and more guarantee of a seat.
Destinations
The direct destinations of the Eurostar service are London, Ebbsfleet, and Ashford in the United Kingdom, Brussels in Belgium, Rotterdam and Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Lille, Paris, and Disneyland Paris in France.
While more direct destinations are in the pipeline, the Eurostar is still popular with those traveling even further than the aforementioned locations, with connecting services reaching down to south-west France.
Activities
London, Paris, and Amsterdam are famously well-visited locations with a plethora of restaurants, activities, historic sights, and fascinating museums to choose from. The other locations, however, are a little less well-known.
Lille, a vibrant university city, is of incredible cultural importance as a gateway into Flemish Belgium, sitting just inside France on the border. Vieux Lille, the old town, is full of pedestrianized streets and even homes a zoo that offers free entry. Although this is quite small, there are around 450 animals.
If it is Rotterdam that you are sailing the rails towards, the marketplace at Markthal is bustling and artistic, packed with bars and small shops. There is also an enthralling world-leading maritime museum.