Eurostar had an excellent promotion in December, giving me an excuse for a weekend getaway to Brussels (which, to be frank, doesn’t have much to offer) and the chance to try out Eurostar’s Plus class.
Eurostar has three cabin classes, originally called Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier which I believe inspired the naming of China’s high-speed trains. A while ago they simplified the system and the three classes are now called Standard, Plus and Premier. My return ticket in Plus set me back £127.
Here’s a breakdown of their differences:
- Seating style – in Standard, it’s a 2+2 layout, but in Plus and Premier, you get a 1+2 setup, which means more space (there’s no difference between Plus and Premier)
- Catering – one simple cold meal is provided in Plus, which is upgraded to a full gourmet experience in Premier
- Ground service: Premier customers have access to a fast track security lane and the Premier lounge
I took China’s high-speed train a couple of times last year and couldn’t help comparing it to Eurostar. From what I understand there’s no priority boarding even for Premier passengers, whereas in China a concierge will escort you from the the lounge to the train.
When boarding the Premier and Plus carriages, a member of staff will greet you and inspect your ticket. Let’s have a look at the cabin and seats:
There are duo seats on one side and quad seats on the other. Some seats are face-to-face with a table in between, whereas others are like the ones you get on a plane, with one seat behind another. There is a tray table and foot rest installed on the seat back.
I think most people will intuitively prefer the face-to-face seats, which was my choice for both journeys, but here’s a word of caution: if your opposite seat is occupied, you might struggle to stretch your legs.
The head cushion is way too high and wide (I’m 6 feet tall) and totally unnecessary. These are hard-shell seats, which means they recline forward to a moderate degree (see picture below).
A charging socket, UK or EU standard, is available at each seat. I vaguely remember you can see the type of socket on Eurostar’s seat map when choosing seat.
The table can be expanded to a pretty large surface, enough for me to watch YouTube and eat at the same time.
And my meal is served: bread, salad and cake. Soft drinks, wine and beer are all complimentary.
I had chicken on the way out and fish on the way back. I’m not a salad fan, so I don’t have much to say about that.
There’s Wi-Fi onboard but it uses the cellular network, so it’s unreliable and completely gone when we enter the tunnel.
Given that Eurostar journeys are only between two and three hours long, travelling in Standard is totally fine although I do find Plus is lot quieter and you can’t ignore the extra space and comfort. The price difference is often quite small as well which further tilts the balances.
Premier, on the other hand, is usually much more expensive with limited add-ons, and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have a lot of cash to spare.
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