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Miley Cyrus Takes The Train

October 31, 2008 at 8:45 AM | 0 Comments

Trouble must be trickling upward for a change: Pop star Miley Cyrus was spotted arriving at St Pancras Station in London to catch the Eurostar to Paris. Wait... a train?

Ticket sales on European lines probably haven't soared the way they have in the US, because they haven't entirely caught the cold other economies did when the American stock market sneezed. But you don't see Vanessa Hudgens on a train. Is Hannah Montana afraid of flying?

Related Stories:
· Miley Cyrus Much Easier To Find Than Waldo [Jaunted]
· Dangerous Movie Set Travel: Extras In Peril At "Hannah Montana" Shoot [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Celebrity-Gossip.net]

Channel Tunnel Still Closed, Eurostar Acknowledges Problem

September 12, 2008 at 3:00 PM | 0 Comments

As news swept the wires Thursday that the Channel Tunnel was closed because of a fire, visitors to Eurostar's website remained in the dark about any trouble at all. One would-be passenger who checked online before heading to the station told the BBC:

[The website] just said delays are expected but it didn't say anything about canceled services, so we came today and it's not happening. We are going to see if we can get a bus to Dover and a ferry to Calais.

Now, though, the train line has prominently posted updates about the situation--and the fact that the Chunnel will remain closed at least until Saturday.

But because investigators are still trying to sort out exactly what happened, Eurostar says it has no way of knowing when service will recommence. The company is advising ticket holders to look into other options if they want to travel between England and France this weekend.

Related Stories:
· Updates on the Situation and Refund Info [Official Site]
· Weekend Hit by Tunnel Disruption [BBC]
· Channel Tunnel Fire Shuts Down UK-France Trains [Jaunted]

Channel Tunnel Fire Shuts Down UK-France Trains

September 11, 2008 at 12:40 PM | 0 Comments

Your trains can't save you now, Europe! A fire has closed the Channel Tunnel to all traffic, and more than 30 people escaped the blaze through a separate service tunnel. A load of phenol was at the heart of the incident, though it's not known yet what sparked the fire.

All train service through the Chunnel has been suspended until Friday. The UK-France rail link handles 50 departures daily, so the effect on travelers isn't slight.

As far as we can tell, even the Eurostar website hasn't been updated with the news--or tips on what ticket-holding passengers should do, though a spokesman tells The Guardian:

Our priority is to find alternative means of travel for those passengers who are stranded.

Related Stories:
· Eurostar [Official Site]
· Channel Tunnel Evacuated after Fire [Guardian]
· Channel Tunnel Rail Services Suspended [Reuters]
· Train Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: lazytom]

Strike One for Train Travel in Europe

May 20, 2008 at 9:00 AM | 1 Comment

Just when we were thinking we would skip all those cheap flights and take trains across Europe instead, the rail workers have started going on strike.

Today, getting from Britain to Belgium and beyond by train will be impossible as Belgian rail workers strike for 24 hours--putting Eurostar services through the Channel Tunnel out of action. From Wednesday night, French rail workers are having their turn, and although this probably won't affect Eurostar routes, any other trains around France on Thursday and Friday are likely to be delayed or canceled.

The Belgian workers are striking because they want more pay; in France, airline workers are likely to join in, too, and they're worried about pension reforms. We're just worried about your travel plans.

Related Stories:
· European Strike Hits Travelers [BBC]
· Strikes Coverage [Jaunted]
· Train Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: lazytom]

Tourism Board Travel: Faster Trains, Looser Wallets?

November 27, 2007 at 9:30 AM | 0 Comments

Rail Europe, the marketing and sales arm in the United States for the Eurostar train, is touting an even faster high-speed rail. Trains now take about two hours to make the trek between Paris and London, the company announced with much fanfare.

Of course, hyping the speedy new service has one goal: To encourage Americans to travel in Europe regardless of the lousy exchange rate. The new service started Nov. 14, in conjunction with the opening of the remodeled St. Pancras Station in London.

Rail Europe has also created a cartoony new website, getalittleparis, explaining the reasons one might want to glide between cities on a Eurostar train. True, an American might pay triple for a beer in London and double for a glass of wine in Paris, but she can spend the 20 minutes saved on the train panhandling for hostel money.

Related Stories:
· Selling Americans On A Speedy Rail [NY Times]
· Rail Europe [Official Site]
· Tourism Board Travel [Jaunted]

[Photo: Thomas Cooke]

Speeding Train Crosses Europe Faster

September 28, 2007 at 9:30 AM | 1 Comment

In the continuing contest between airplanes and trains in Europe, the Eurostar line has set a new record for the fastest journey between Brussels and St. Pancras Station in London. Cutting a good twenty minutes off the previous record, the Belgium to Britain journey took just one hour and 43 minutes.

When the new regular service begins on November 19, the scheduled time for the non-stop trip will be one hour and 51 minutes; half of the trips will stop at the new Ebbsfleet station but will still be way faster than the old version. If we weren't so obsessed with getting the best deal on Europe's low cost carriers, we might almost think that this fast new train route was a good thing for travelers.

Related Stories:
· Eurostar Breaks Record [NewsShopper]
· Newsflash: Trains Arrive On Time! [Jaunted]
· Europe Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Marxpix]

Walk Around London If Your Eurostar Is Late

May 21, 2007 at 10:13 AM | 0 Comments

When the Eurostar moves its London-end terminal to St Pancras in November, we hope it'll keep up its recent marvelous punctuality record. But if you are stuck at St Pancras station, just follow some tips from the UK Times to take yourself on a tour of some of the architectural highlights of the new station and its surrounds.

Or if you're really keen on swotting up on some London architecture, especially the newer stuff, sign up for a walking tour with local architect Tim Bruce-Dick. He takes people on a weekly Wednesday evening walk throughout the summer, starting at a different tube station each week. Now you just need to know when your train will be late and you can book a tour to pass the time.

[Photo: StartAgain]

Related Stories:
· Newsflash: Trains Arrive On Time! [Jaunted]
· The Revival of St Pancras [Times UK]
· London Walks with Tim Bruce-Dick [Official Site]

Newsflash: Trains Arrive On Time!

May 16, 2007 at 9:01 AM | 0 Comments


In the ongoing war between budget airlines and good ol' train travel, the Eurostar train line is busily pumping out its own good PR. Eurostar trains generally travel between London and Paris, with a few trips to Brussels, Euro Disney and the south of France. They reckon they're fast, convenient, and recently, punctual.

Yep, punctuality is the big Eurostar news of the week. Between May 7 and May 13, 98.5% of trains arrived on time (or early!). And the big news: on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday last week, 100% of the Eurostar trains were punctual. Eurostar is quick to point out that performance like this "easily outstrips airlines." Add to that the assumption that the carbon footprint is smaller and it almost seems logical to take the train. Except when you see an airfare for just a couple of pounds.

[Photo: lazytom]

Related Stories:
· Eurostar Records Best Ever Punctuality [Flightmapping]
· One or One and a Half Tickets, Sir? [Jaunted]

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