Travelling to Disneyland Paris on the Eurostar

With U.K. lifting restrictions on travel to and from France, getting to Disneyland Paris is possible once again via Eurostar service. I traveled to the Resort via central Paris (direct service to Disneyland Paris will resume August 2). Here’s a breakdown of my experience!

(Note: I paid for my own trip)

At the Station

St. Pancras is easily accessible via tube. All measures applicable on the tube network apply here: mandatory masks throughout the space, social distancing signage and capacity limitations.

The station has free masks available if needed (unlike Disneyland Paris), hand sanitizer, plenty of signage and floor markers.

Eurostar Check In

A socially distanced queue is available and stretched the length of the concourse. With only 3 trains running on my travel day, it was empty and I was able to just walk up to the check in gates.

More signage and guidance is everywhere around the security entrance. The security experience hasn’t really changes apart from some social distancing markers – just dump all your belongings in the trays.

Your seat will likely be changed due to safety measures. If that is the case you will automatically get a yellow slip when you scan your ticket.

The next step is passport control. After another socially distanced queue, the agent will take your passport through a plexiglass box (or the usual glass booth on the French authorities side).

Many seats in the departure lounge are marked as unavailable in order to space travelers out. While that was fine with just my train scheduled to depart, things will get interesting when more trains start running. I expect it won’t be any easier to find seats compared to « normal times ».

Boarding can be a bit crowded as people can’t help themselves from running to the gate, it doesn’t last long however so step back if you don’t feel comfortable with the process.

On Board

Trains are filled to what feels about 1/3 to 1/2 capacity. Each group is assigned a block of seats so if you’re travelling solo, no one will be seating next to you. I also had no one in the row in front of me.

Eurostar crews don’t walk through the train anymore and there is no food service on board to minimize passenger movements – so make sure to pack food and drinks (you can remove your mask to eat but must wear it at all times otherwise).

I did not see any hand sanitizer on board so pack plenty, and maybe disinfecting wipes (although the tables and high touch points are cleaned after each trip).

Gare du Nord transfer and RER

Once in Paris, it’s time to enter the RER network. I was most nervous about that part as it’s full of Parisian commuters – I was right. Paris numbers were better than the U.K. and so it has reopened earlier. Travelers are more used to get on trains and the platforms and trains get very busy. Everyone is wearing a mask, however.

My trip to Marne-la-Vallée was pretty uneventful but I assume it depends on what time of day you travel (try to avoid rush hour if possible). Once direct Eurostar service resumes on August 2, things will be a bit simpler. You can also switch trains at Lille to continue to Disneyland Paris via TGV and avoid the RER entirely, which may be easier if you are nervous about travelling.

My trip was overall fine except the Gare du Nord transfer to Châtelet RER. It was a bit « weird » to be travelling again but it didn’t feel unsafe. I hope this is useful if you plan on booking a Eurostar train to the Magic soon!

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Actively involved in the Disneyland Paris Community since 2014, Ben is a founding member of DLPReport and focuses on our Twitter account, the Podcast in English and the group’s relationship with Disney.
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