Eurostar Return Journey

[Ware Bears]

Advice please from anyone who has travelled on Eurostar from Waterloo!

I see the Eurostar gets into Waterloo at 20.28. Is it always on time? I gather passport control/customs is at Waterloo. Is this usually quite a painless process?

I'm looking to sort out our train tickets from home/Waterloo and it works out at just over £40 for all of us provided I book both train journeys. If I leave the return journey open it will push the price up to nearly £90.

The train to Bournemouth will also leave from Waterloo. Does anyone who has already travelled on the Eurostar think it is quite feasible to disembark Eurostar, go through passport control/customs, get to the Bournemouth platform, allow time for visiting conveniences (there's bound to be one of us who needs the toilet! LOL ) and then catch the 21.35 train? There is also one at 21.05 but I think it would be far too ambitious to think we could possibly catch that one.

Look forward to any advice

 

[diberry]

Hi Elaine! We've travelled home on the Eurostar each time and apart from once when we were late leaving (a problem with a passenger I believe) we've always been on time arriving. Passport control is a formality - very quick.
The thing that takes the longest time is queueing up for a taxi to take us across to St Pancras but that obviously won't affect you - you'll have loads of time!

 

[dlpSteve]

We've only been delayed once - that was because of an unclaimed bag, we were at a standstill for 30 minutes inside the tunnel!

We travel back to Exeter by Coach and always book the 11.30pm coach back, however we are usually at Victoria in time to get on the 9.30-10.00pm coach.

 

[uksaint]

Elaine, we were on the Eurostar last thursday. It was 15 mins late into Waterloo supposedly due to the slowness of passengers disembarking at Ashford. Despite this we still made the 21.05 with about 4 mins to spare. It was a bit of a rush with two kids in tow, but there was no-one at passport control at Waterloo so it was a walkthrough. Just make sure you are at the doors ready to get off the Eurostar as soon as it pulls into Waterloo, otherwise you could get stuck behind other passengers sorting themselves out.

Just one other note, the 21.05 was busy. So you might prefer to get the 21.35 if you can get there in good time and secure seats together.

Andy

 

[Miffy2003]

Eurostar tends to be better at time keeping than British Rail I believe Elaine

We were late back by 25 minutes last time and had to get from Waterloo to Paddington but made our train with time to spare. I would have thought an hour and 5 mins would give you enough time.

 

[Ware Bears]

Thanks guys, the 21.35 it is then!!!