The Eurostar train from London to continental Europe takes around 2 hours, but it’s the check in process compared to the airports that’s a real winner. Let’s say you’re about to take the London Paris Train. Before your trip even gets you close to the Channel Tunnel, you’ll arrive at St Pancras International, the London station, where you can go directly to the ticket offices in this recently renovated beautiful old Victorian train station. Or, to save time, you can use the e-ticket machines near the check-in barriers. You can either scan your ticket, or insert it into the machine. Eurostar members of staff are always available and on hand to help you if you have any trouble with the e-ticket machine, and the staff will be more than happy to perform the check-in process for you. However, if you have more than two pieces of luggage (not counting your one piece of hand luggage), then you’ll also have to go through a separate baggage check-in.
There’s no need to check in at the station any more than ninety minutes before you train departs. Plus, at the very latest, you can still check in just thirty minutes before your scheduled departure time. Shorter queues, speeding ticketing and easy baggage handling mean your check in experience will be smooth and swift, and surely beats the airport check in times hands down. In fact the whole Eurostar check in experience is way more preferable to using the busy London airports.