Eurostar to Disneyland Paris: The Only Way to Travel!

On Monday, May 11th, it was time for us to begin our three-day visit to Disneyland Paris. We traveled from London to Disneyland Paris on the Eurostar Channel train. We rode a "Disney Express" which makes one round trip per day from St. Pancras International Rail Station to the station located at Disneyland Paris.

I can't praise our Disney Eurostar experience highly enough. The entire experience was so simple and elegant, I would never consider using anything but Eurostar if I were lucky enough to make another London-Disney trip in the future.

Upon arrival at St. Pancras, passengers go through airport-style security and luggage is x-rayed. After that, you pass through French border control and have your passport stamped acknowledging your arrival in France, which is rather fun considering you're still on British soil at that point!

From there it's on to the striking, clean-lined waiting room:


Boarding time! Escalators take passengers up to the designated platform.


The platform is immaculate. And as an aside, I adore the oversized clocks which are in so many British train stations:


The Eurostar logo on our train:


The train trip takes roughly three hours. We sat next to a lovely family and the grandfather of the group kindly pointed out various sites to us along the way. The ride on this high-speed train couldn't be smoother, gliding quietly along the tracks.

The Disney service is remarkable. During the train ride a Disney CM (Cast Member) delivers your park tickets and luggage check tags directly to your seat! The CM is also available to answer any questions.

Arrival at the Disney train station in Marne La Vallee - Chessy:


Passengers follow the signs to the Disney Express counter in the station...


...and then stand in line for one of the six Disney resort hotels, where in a matter of minutes your luggage is checked:


A shot of the interior of the station at Marne La Vallee - Chessy, with the Disney Express corner faintly visible in the background (click to enlarge):


The station, shown below, is probably less than a football field away from the gates of the two parks, Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios:


Passengers literally walk out of the station and straight into a park. Your luggage is waiting when you arrive at your hotel later in the day.

Although a London-Paris plane trip only takes an hour, by the time you deal with the airport, claiming checked luggage, and a shuttle to Disneyland (located roughly half an hour outside Paris), I can't imagine it's actually any faster than going by train, and plane travelers miss out on the great Disney service. The Eurostar experience was completely stress-free, other than making sure we got up in time to get to the train station that morning!

When it's time to return to London, the travel process is reversed. Your hotel sends your luggage to the train station while you spend the day enjoying a park, and when you arrive at the station for the evening train back to London, you claim your luggage at the Express window shortly before boarding the train. British border control agents stamp your passport while the train is en route to England.

Future posts will focus on Disney's two Paris parks and some of their unique features, as well as the Disney resort hotels.

Update: Disneyland Paris posts written to date: Disneyland Paris: Walt Disney Studios Park; Disneyland Paris Resort: Sequoia Lodge; Disneyland Paris: The. Best. Castle. Ever.