Permissible Carry-on Luggage on the Eurostar

I%26#39;ve come across a number of TA members mentioning that they are concerned about what items are permissible in luggage carried onto the Eurostar. Since I%26#39;ll be traveling from London to Paris in two weeks, I thought I would check and let everyone know what I found out. This is from the %26quot;Frequently Asked Questions%26quot; page on Eurostar%26#39;s website:

Can I still take all my luggage on board?

Yes, Eurostar travellers are required to keep their luggage with them at all times both prior to and during their journey. There have been no specific changes to items that can and cannot be carried on board our trains. Full details of items that cannot be carried on board are listed on www.eurostar.com in our published Conditions of carriage.

Is there anything that will be banned on board?

There is no change to the list of current articles. Click here to view the list of what you are not allowed to take.

As you can see, it doesn%26#39;t seem like liquid and gel items are being banned since the only prohibited items listed are non-registered weapons, explosives, etc. Since I don%26#39;t live in London, however, if any of you have heard anything different on your local news stations, please let me know. I know I%26#39;m not alone when I say that I%26#39;d hate to have my perfumes, lotions, etc. taken out of my bag at the station!

Thanks!

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Everything is carry on luggage on Eurostar, there is no other way.

The only prohibited items are weapons and explosives. This is normal.

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Well to the weapon list you might want to add tweezer, little cissors and some razors but otherwise no specific restrictions.

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yup - they are capable of being weapons too......I wouldnt have thought that tweezers were an issue though.......

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well, they were taken from my ex when she boarded once, they can be a little bit funny sometimes...

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I%26#39;ve never had anything taken from me when boarding the Eurostar. I usally carry dangerous items like tweezers, nail clippers and (gasp) a corkscrew. Never a problem. I%26#39;ve taken 3 round trips so far this year and have another one planned in a couple of weeks. I%26#39;ll report back if I have any trouble with my luggage.

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Regarding Eurostar- Does anyone have info on check-in and passport control? Also Customs checkin in Paris.

I have checked every site (and books) I can find and even the Eurostar site does not tell you anything.

When I used it several years ago it was just a day trip and I really don%26#39;t remember much as I was at the station at 7 AM.

also can you take food on the train? Wish I could afford 1st class but I plan on eating at my favorite rest at least twice and tht will take a good chunk of the budget

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You don%26#39;t go thru customs since you are staying in the EU, there in justa a passport/ID card control on departure

You can find all infos about check in on the Eurostar website eurostar.com/UK/…travel_information.jsp (clic on %26#39;check in)

You can bring food on board (that%26#39;s what most people do)

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this is the info from the Eurostar site:

To check in, all you have to do is insert your ticket into the machine (which will hold onto it exactly long enough for you to start to panic, just a little bit) and then walk through the gate with your baggage. Easy. If you need help, our staff are always around, and we’ll be glad to check you in ourselves.

There is nothing that mentions anything about passport/customs or what you can take between countries.

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It is absolutely normal not to have anything about customs since there are NO CUSTOMS - YOU ARE STAYING IN THE EU

and for the rest

if you continue to read tthe text you quoted

%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;%26lt; Baggage

There isn’t a separate check-in for baggage at Eurostar (as long as you haven’t got more than two bags or cases and one piece of hand luggage)

When To Check In

This depends mainly on what ticket you have. Unless you’ve been advised otherwise, please check-in at least a 30 minutes before your scheduled departure. Below are the full details, just bear in mind that if in doubt, arrive with time to spare.

And have a croissant.

Minimum time before departure Applicable travellers

At least 10 minutes Holders of Business Premier tickets and Eurostar carte blanche

At least 20 minutes Eurostar Frequent Traveller members

At least 30 minutes Standard, Leisure Select and all other ticket types

At least 45 minutes If you have special travel needs (e.g. you’re a wheelchair user) or will need help getting to the train. Please approach a member of staff for assistance. See special travel needs for more information

At least 1 hour All travellers for Avigon or ski service %26lt;%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

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Sorry norween2 there are customs using Eurostar, and in recent years these have become more stringent.

When the service was first started passport control was done by the French on both sides, and this was fairly laid back. Luggage of all types is x-rayed and you half to walk though metal detectors.

Since 9/11 passport control on both sides of the channel is both UK and French (so you have your passport etc checked twice), luggage is still x-rayed. But... there are no restrictions on what you take other than the usual stuff that others have mentioned. I used to always take my Swiss army knife and it was never commented on, after 7/7 I thought maybe this was not a good idea so stopped. I still take the Swiss army credit card style knife in my wallet, and again this has never been commented on or removed. Similarly my partner always takes her manicure kit (scissors, tweezers, files etc etc) and this too has never been removed.

The regulations about liquids etc only applies in the UK at airports so things should be fine, though I am willing to be corrected here as I haven%26#39;t used Eurostar since April this year.

Now, what is a problem with luggage on Eurostar are travellers openly flouting the regulations. The company has specific rules about the size and number of items as luggage storage is restricted to the end of each carriage for suitcases etc and overhead racks for small (a word that to me most Eurostar passengers don%26#39;t seem to know the meaning of!) hand luggage and coats.

I did complain once to one of the staff about the amount of luggage that one group brought on to the train, and was told that they had %26#39;paid extra%26#39; (oh yeah, and who ever does that!)

So often when travelling why do you come up against people who can%26#39;t follow simple rules and regulations? Do they imagine that they are so important that they are exempt? That %26#39;no one will mind%26#39;? (Be assured we do) or do they just not care?