Travelling from South Wales to St Pancras

jaibaby

Grumpelstiltskin wrote: »

You do realise you have to check in for Eurostar a good time in advance?. You can't just turn up 15 minutes before the train is due to go.

No, another thing we were not told.

This is a case where you should have researched all of this before booking.

All well and good for someone booking themselves. I had a call 30 minutes before to say he was booking it and needed my details. As he is the one paying for it, I didn't have much say in it all.

And it's not as if we are going tomorrow. It's 15 weeks away, hence why I'm trying to sort it straight away!

I have stated I have never done this before. There's not much information anywhere I have looked - I can't even find the exact time the Eurostar returns from DLP!

Grumpelstiltskin

I hope you have all got valid passports, if not you need to apply for one NOW, in view of all the Passport Office problems.

jaibaby

Grumpelstiltskin wrote: »

I hope you have all got valid passports, if not you need to apply for one NOW, in view of all the Passport Office problems.

Yes - they are all done

silvercar

You need to check in 30 minutes before your Eurostar train is timetabled to leave. Failure to do so and the gates will shut and they won't let you board and you will watch your Eurostar depart without you!

maman

silvercar wrote: »

You need to check in 30 minutes before your Eurostar train is timetabled to leave. Failure to do so and the gates will shut and they won't let you board and you will watch your Eurostar depart without you!

That's going to be particularly important for you as, I believe, only one train a day runs directly to Disney.


I think if I were you I'd take train to Paddington and then 2 cabs. As you have never been to London and the tube can be packed and then you have to see the LOs on and off plus luggage, it could prove a nightmare!


Or as others have suggested, you could book into a hotel. You'd get a room in a Travelodge I walking distance of the station for about £70 (so £140 should cover your group). You could go up to London the day before, see the sights and extend your break then you'd be 100% certain of catching the train.

Doshwaster

I'd also go down the night before. Even if it is going to be more expensive it will be a lot less stressful than trying to get from S Wales in London for 9am in the morning, especially with a bunch of kids. All it would take is a delay on the train and the whole trip would be in chaos.

notanewuser

The return train leaves DLP at about 6pm, getting you into London for around 7:45pm. Then you've got to get back to Paddington and onto another train back home.

I lived in London for many many years and there was no way we were going to do that journey with 1 3 year old and 2 adults! For 2 days in DLP (which is nowhere near enough). Can you alter this trip at all to make it more workable?

martindow

maman wrote: »

That's going to be particularly important for you as, I believe, only one train a day runs directly to Disney.

CIV covers all connections across Europe. When you buy UK tickets to connect with Eurostar they book you seats on a train with an adequate connection time. Missing the Disney train would not be the end of the world as they could put you on a Eurostar to Lille and onward via a TGV to Marne la Vallee/ Disney.

I think I would stick to the tube as it's only 15 minutes on Hammersmith and City or Circle Line with very frequent trains accessed from the bridge. I don't think CIV would cover a taxi ride which could well take longer than 15 minutes - Euston Road can get very congested. CIV would cover the tube journey. There are now lifts at Paddington and Kings Cross/St Pancras tube stations and the new trains have aircon so are fine even when crowded.

Rail trips with several connections can be stressful but knowing that with the correct tickets you are not going to be stranded takes a lot of pressure off.

jaibaby

Thanks everyone, after a very long talk with FIL I have managed to persuade him to travel up the night before. I managed to find a hotel for us all at a cost of £140 including breakfast so at least the kids will be well slept and fed!

Our only problem is now coming home - the last train from London to Newport leaves at 9pm ish, have a feeling we may miss it

dzug1

jaibaby wrote: »

Thanks everyone, after a very long talk with FIL I have managed to persuade him to travel up the night before. I managed to find a hotel for us all at a cost of £140 including breakfast so at least the kids will be well slept and fed!

Our only problem is now coming home - the last train from London to Newport leaves at 9pm ish, have a feeling we may miss it

In the week at least the last train is a lot later than that - 2330