How do I get to London St. Pancras?
By train/tube! East Midlands Trains, Southeastern and Thameslink arrive directly into St. Pancras, while King’s Cross is just next door, connecting people to Yorkshire and the North East. Euston Station is also a short walk away.
St Pancras is on the Northern, Victoria, Piccadilly, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines. Between these lines you have good access to London’s other main train stations including Waterloo, Victoria, Paddington and Liverpool Street.
The Eurostar will be booked in the morning, so you can expect a meeting time between approximately 7am and 9am depending on the tour. With that in mind, you may wish to book an additional night’s accommodation in London. We will confirm the meeting time in St Pancras at approximately 3 weeks prior to the holiday in your final trip documents.
What if we need to stay in London the night before our train tour departs?
Explore don’t book accommodation in London, but there are a wide range of hotels available around the St. Pancras area. You could treat yourself to a five-star stay at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, or stay in a small B&B in Bloomsbury – the choice is yours.
Where will I meet my Tour Leader?
Your Tour Leader will meet you upon arrival off the Eurostar at either Brussels or Paris. Any onward connecting trains will be taken all together.
Is there an option to upgrade?
We can offer Standard Premier or Business Premier ticket options on the Eurostar if you’d like to upgrade. Among other perks, these upgrades include more spacious seating and meals aboard the train. In other destinations you will be travelling generally by the standard class of the train, and we like to facilitate a group experience by keeping everyone together.
Can I extend my trip?
On our London to Kyiv and London to Istanbul trips, we offer extensions to Chernobyl and Cappadocia respectively. We have also date-matched the London to Athens trip with our Greek Caique cruise, giving you the chance to spend 11 days traversing Italy and Athens by train, before relaxing for 7 nights on a cruise around the Greek island of Evia. If you would simply like to extend your stay by a couple of nights at your final destination, we can also arrange this for you.
Do we travel as a group?
In general we purchase rail tickets as soon as they come available, which can be as early as 3-4 months prior to departure. In that case, there’s no guarantee that everyone will be seated together on trains, although we endeavour to ensure this where possible. This is easier in Eastern Europe and long-haul destinations where seating arrangements are much more flexible than in Western Europe.
What should I pack?
In general, packing is dictated by the weather of the areas that you are visiting. However, some general rules should be followed for rail journeys.
- Pack light. Some hotels will have laundry services that you can take advantage of. Transportation of your luggage, including on and off the train, into luggage racks and stowing on overnight trains, will be your responsibility so lightweight packing is ideal
- A power bank or portable charger is recommended on tours that have overnight journeys. These are really useful in case there aren’t enough plug sockets for everyone in your cabin
- Check the different adaptors needed if you’re travelling on a multi-country itinerary
- Wear comfortable clothes throughout. There is no reason to bring formal wear, and this will help you reduce packing.
What type of suitcase should I take?
As you’ll be taking care of your own luggage, including stowing it on the trains, it’s absolutely essential that you bring a small suitcase. If you’re travelling in a pair, bringing one small suitcase each is much easier than bringing one large one between you. A suitable suitcase size is approximately 61 centimetres (24 inches) in height. Suitcases with wheels are very handy for ease of transportation. Although our ideal size given might seem small, try not to pack for ‘what if’ scenarios, and really think about what you need to bring.