The glamorous images of train travel, from wood-carved carriages to gently puffing steam engines, now generally belong to a historic age. While I had no illusions that travelling on the Eurostar in Standard Premier class would transport me back in time, I was interested to see if the upgrade would be a vastly different experience from that in Standard class.
When it was planning-time for my sister’s visit, it was always a given that we would make a trip to Paris, one of her favourite cities. I’m a big fan of taking the train where possible, partly because my New Zealand Island-dwelling upbringing leaves me amazed any time I can travel by land to a different country. I also love not dealing with all the hassle of getting out to an airport with the Eurostar leaving from super-central St. Pancras. When booking our tickets for early on a Thursday morning, I noticed that upgrading to Standard Premier would cost £15 each – it included breakfast which I calculated could cost most of this anyway if we had it at the station, so I decided to give it a go.
Zoe and I looking very excited to be a) matching and b) on the Eurostar on the way to Paris!
Seats
The biggest pro of the Standard Premier for me was undoubtedly the spacious seats – as you can see there was tons of legroom and space around my seat. We had big tray tables, head-rests, and plenty of room to snuggle into the perfect position. Zoe even went back to sleep for a bit! Note for the train buffs: the difference in seating space between Standard and Premier is produced by having a 2-1 configuration, instead of the 2-2 seats across the carriage in standard.
Food
Lactose-free (?) on the left, normal on the right
I ordered a lactose-free meal and Zoe had a normal one. The only difference was that I got fruit instead of yoghurt, which I found slightly odd given one of the meal components was a croissant – traditionally made with lashings of butter. The meal was sufficient and pretty much the same as you’d get on a plane – nothing special. We got as much water and coffee as we wanted, as well as a juice with the food.
Other
There were free magazines available to take away, which is a nice touch. The carriage was quieter than a standard, a logical effect of having only three-quarters of the people.
Next stop Paris!
Was Standard Premier worth it?
For £15 extra it was definitely worth experiencing Standard Premier. I would do it again, although I don’t think I would pay more than that for a journey so quick – while the extra leg room is great, for me it’s not an absolute necessity. If they offered good wifi or meal options then I’d look at it again for sure.
Have you travelled on the Eurostar? How did you rate it?
I loved seeing all the great posts based on our ‘Unexpected Destinations’ prompt last week – and all the other awesome travel stories! I particularly enjoyed Meredith of Ponder the Irrelevant’s spur-of-the-moment decision to visit the eerie and beautiful Salton Sea near Coachella Valley. Her photographs give a great sense of the place and I loved the outlines of its history and possible future. Fascinating post! Also a special mention to Rachel’s fascinating perspective on life in another language – something I have little experience of beyond attempting to communicate my basic holiday wants and needs and so found really interesting.
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