Intriguing twitter find…The Station Sessions

Posted 7 hours ago:
“The Station Sessions, Live from St. Pancras International - Every Thursday 6.30pm - 7.30pm…Juan Zelada and the Momeraths this week!”

Posted 10:43, July 6th:
“Do you want to get invovled in the Station Sessions? Are you a new musician? Want to be part of the team? Email: gideon@syllabusmusic.com”

The Station Sessions, St Pancras

Check out Syllabus Music for more details. Further news on the Station Sessions can also be found on NME and in more detail here with a BBC News video here.

Whilst the headline figures of good growth on Eurostar traffic and revenue are impressive, they do hide a slightly different story. Up until the Channel Tunnel fire of September 11th, figures were up 21% year-on-year. Post that, revenue and passengers have been largely flat. Most concerning for Eurostar will be the reduction in full-fare business travellers who are either now buying cheaper ticket types or …dare one say it - choosing to fly instead.

As well as the general economic malaise, a consequence of the Channel Tunnel disruption is that journey times have increased (albeit to pre-St Pancras opening delays). These increased travel times could be dissuading business travellers from using Eurostar. Whilst Eurostar are stating that there has not yet been a drop off in UK leisure travellers, it remains to be seen whether this continues.

Our experience is that prior to January, sales were considerably up year-on-year, but have slowed since. Although particular destinations such as Disneyland Paris have remained buoyant. As always, it’s just important to look beyond the headlines.

On the 19th December  (or close to), Eurostar are expecting to carry their 10 millionth passenger who have used High Speed 1 since the launch it’s lauch in November 2007 .  I’m not sure what surprises will be in store for the lucky travellers but sure that there will be a party like atmosphere at St Pancras International . Of course there still a chance to be the lucky one….

As well as boasting a brand new international terminal with top class facilities, there’s now even more to see and do at St Pancras while waiting for your Eurostar train. A collection of photos, some dating back to Victorian times, are currently being displayed to celebrate 140 years of the Press Association and St Pancras itself. Images include those from the 1908 Olympics as well as more up to date images…worth getting there that little bit early. The exhibition runs until the 26th September.

Here’s the first in a series of regular blogs on how to get the best out of a trip to Europe’s magical Kingdom.

The UK provides the biggest number of non-French visitors to the Parks with approximately an equal volume travelling by air, driving themselves, and those arriving by Eurostar.

From experience, and because it’s the most convenient, I usually travel by Eurostar. The journey is just over 2 ½ hours and the station (Marne Le Vallee) is right at the entrance to the parks (with lovely yellow, regular buses just outside to take you to your hotels). This way you can make the most of your time there.

Book as far ahead as possible – there is only one direct service a day departing from St Pancras (with a scheduled stop at Ashford) and returning from Disney at about 19:30. This service does book very early, especially at peak times weekends, school holidays and when Disney run one of their promotions. Eurostar are very much in line with the low cost airlines, in that the earlier you book, the better the deal you are likely to get.

Travel via Lille – Another way to arrive by rail is to use the ‘indirect service‘. This means taking Eurostar to Lille (as well as being able to travel from St Pancras or Ashford, you can travel from Eurostar’s new station at Ebbsfleet near Bluewater Shopping centre) and then hop onto a fast SNCF train taking you direct to Disney. There are numerous connections and a half hour ‘transit’ time is enough. Sounds like a hassle, but I have travelled this way twice and my wife has done it with my two young sons by herself. It’s made easier by having lifts from the platforms to the station concourse and also having a train plan on the platforms so you wait exactly in place for your carriage. If you are travelling back from Disney via Lille you’ll go through passport control and security at Lille. Again, it’s no hassle.

A Guide to Disneyland Paris, image courtesy padrian2, Flickr

Final tip is to consider using the service known as Disney Express. With this (only available on the direct Eurostar service), your bags are taken from the train to your hotel, allowing you to go directly to the parks when the train arrives at about 12:30. Your luggage is then waiting for you to take to your room when you check in at your chosen hotel. On the way back, you check out in the morning of departure and then head off to the parks, collecting your luggage at the station ready for your journey home. This works especially well if you have a lot of baggage or if you are just taking a short break to Disneyland Paris - either one or two nights. The service costs £12 cost per adult and no charge for children…

Look out for our self drive and flying tips, coming soon.