Eurostar
is the train that puts its foot down, racing through
the green fields of Kent and Flanders at 300 km per hour. It's as though
the English Channel (remember that?) doesn't even exist.
At that speed, London to Paris takes just 2 hours 15 minutes, to
Brussels 1 hour 50 minutes, while the city of Lille is only 1 hour 20
minutes away. Never mind a weekend break – that’s close enough for
lunch. On the subject of which... we have some suggestions!
Paris
Step out of Gare du Nord and feel the
magic. Whether for romance à deux, for culture or for wild fun, Paris is
perfect.
Grands magasins Printemps and Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann
make shopping easy and fun, with the world’s largest beauty departments,
stylish eateries and extras like massages and free catwalk shows.
For a full-blown celebration, it’s still hard to beat a glamorous night
out at a classic feathers-and-sequins grand cabaret like the
Lido on the
Boulevard des Champs Elysées (dinner and show from €140). Then, of
course, there are some of the world's most famous sights and
attractions, from the sky-high Eiffel Tower to a bateau mouche along the
Seine.
Among numerous other things to see this
year are the exhibitions 'Edvard Munch ou l'Anti-Cri', at the
Pinacotèque de Paris (19 February 2010
to 18 July 2010 ), and 'Yves Saint-Laurent, 40 ans de création' at the
Petit Palais (11 March 2010 to 29 August 2010), on the cultural and
aesthetic influence of the great fashion designer.
Sit down to eat:
Le Grand Véfour (€€€) One of the great names, a romantic 18th-century restaurant in
the gardens of the Palais Royal, noted for exquisite period décor and
haute cuisine.
Deux Magots (€) A Left Bank
'literary' landmark for 100 years, and still a popular
café-restaurant serving snacks and meals at surprisingly moderate
prices.
Les Ambassadeurs (€€€) Inside the
palatial Hotel Crillon overlooking place de la Concorde, the height of
opulent luxury and haute-cuisine.
Le Cinq (€€€) Inside the luxurious
Hotel Georges V off the Champs-Elysées, this exceptionally elegant
restaurant has a brilliant new chef - Eric Briffard.
Brasserie Flo (€) Hidden away
in a picturesque alley, this immaculately preserved 19th-century
brasserie serves good hearty classic dishes at modest prices.
Up to 17 departures daily. Fares from £59 return. Short breaks from £84.
Ultra-modern Euralille station is ten minutes’ walk from the city
centre’s three impressive squares, which make a huge traffic-free space
surrounded by gloriously elaborate Baroque buildings.
The cobbled lanes of Vieux Lille (Old Lille) are lined with 17th century houses, chic
boutiques, food specialists and affordable "estaminets" (Flemish brasseries): try
waterzooi fish stew and flamiche, a tasty tart made with powerful
Maroilles cheese.
Lille has great shopping, with a vast
lack-for-nothing mall, the Centre Euralille, close to the Eurostar
station and just 5 minutes from Place de Gaulle. The largest Galeries
Lafayette outside Paris is on Lille's Rue de Bethune.
The city has good street markets,
too. Biggest and best of the city's weekly markets is in the district of
Wazemmes every Sunday morning, with flowers, food, antiques, bric-a-brac
and more. A highlight of the Lille year is the Grande Braderie de Lille,
gigantic second-hand market held in early September - a cross between a
jumble sale and a huge party it fills the city centre streets and
squares. From 21 November to 24 December, a
glittering traditional Christmas Market fills Place Rihour with gifts
and treats.
Sit down to eat:
Le Sebastopol (€€€) A top
name for classic French dining, with Art Deco dining room and acclaimed
seasonal menus that are worth every penny.
Patisserie
Méert (€€) A
famously elegant city-centre restaurant and salon de thé specialising in light savoury dishes and
superb waffles, crepes and cakes.
L'Ecume de Mers (€) For delicious
fish and seafood with affordable daily menus, a favourite with locals.
'T Rijsel (no
website; address is 25
rue de Gand) (€) A traditional, atmospheric estaminet with a huge choice
of local beers and several classic Flemish dishes. "Rijsel" is the
Flemish name of Lille.
L'Huitrière (€€€) Next to Grand
Place, the most 'gastronomic' of Lille’s top-end restaurants has a
beautiful Art Deco tiled interior, and delicious shellfish.
Up to 10 departures daily. Fares from £59 return. Short breaks from £93.
Brussels
From Gare du Midi, walk to the old Ilot Sacré district with its
boutiques and bars, or the wonderful main square, Grand’ Place, a
masterpiece of Flemish opulence. Around its edges café tables stand
under the gaze of glorious guild halls with fluttering medieval flags.
The city is famous for first-class beer (hundreds of varieties),
top-quality chocolates, strong coffee, and copious fine food. But think
art and design, too. From Bruegel to Magritte to present-day comic
strips, from beautifully preserved Art Nouveau interiors to brilliant
new designers, Brussels excels.
The major ceremonial event in the Brussels' calendar is the Ommegang (29
June - 1 July in 2010), a royal display of pageantry and colour focused
on Grand' Place.
In winter, the city is in high spirits for its Winter Wonderland (end
November – end December). Shop windows are beautifully
decorated, and Place Marché aux Poissons becomes a huge outdoor ice
rink, with a big wheel, old fashioned carrousel and brasseries with
heated terraces.
Sit down to eat:
L’Ecailler du Palais Royal (€€€) Sample imaginative, elegant
seafood dishes at this stylish gastronomic restaurant in the smart Sablon area of town.
Le Lion St Géry (€) Convivial city-centre
dining with a touch of originality, specialising in beef and
lamb, with exceptional value fixed-price menus – especially at lunch
time.
Le Sea Grill (€€€) Part of the
Royal Hotel, this is a top name in the city for fine French dining, with
the emphasis firmly on seafood.
Chez Léon (€) It looks touristy, but this long-established brasserie gets
the seal of approval from locals, too, especially for classic mussels
and fries.
Taverne du Passage (€€) Authentic
classic Art Deco brasserie inside the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert –
one of Europe’s oldest shopping arcades. Traditional French-Belgian fare
in generous portions.
Belga Queen (€) Stylish brasserie catering to a chic crowd, but with modestly priced set
menus. Proudly Belgian gastronomy.
Up to 10 departures daily. Fares from £59 return. Short breaks from £94.
Eurostar also run
services direct from London to Disneyland Paris (usually
daily).
A winter
service for skiers runs direct to Bourg St Maurice in the French
Alps (Friday evenings and Saturday mornings from mid-December to mid-April).
And in summer, you can
stay on a Eurostar all the way to Avignon,
in southern France (10 July to 11 September in 2010).
Eurostar, a
development from French Railways' Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV), is
a city-to-city rail service using the Channel Tunnel.
Although Eurostar services started in 1994, the
train remains one of the more exciting travel and transport
developments of recent times.
Eurostar is a private company run jointly by three
partners, the Belgian and French national railways and a British
company called Eurostar (UK) Ltd. However, French Railways (SNCF)
own a 35 per cent share of the British company.
At first, Eurostar astonished the world with London-Paris
journey times of only 3 hours. At that time, the high-speed part
of the journey was only in France. In 2007, with the opening of a
high-speed line in the UK, the journey time was cut to just 2
hours 15 minutes.
On 14 November 2007, Eurostar's London terminus moved from
Waterloo International, on the south bank of the Thames, to St Pancras
International, which is on the north side of the city centre.
To book, phone Eurostar or click on Eurostar's website:
Tel. 08432 186 186
www.eurostar.com
Eurostar's booking
office opening hours:
8am to 7pm Monday to Friday
9am to 5pm Saturday
9am to 5pm Sunday & UK Bank Holidays
All prices quoted above were provided by Eurostar.
Get the feel
A journey on
Eurostar is immeasurably more enjoyable than any alternative
means of transport to Paris or Brussels, which is why the train
now takes most of the traffic from London to these cities. Seats are comfortable.
There is more leg-room than on a plane. You can walk around
freely. There is food available on board, including
airline-style packed meals. Announcements on board are in three
languages, English, French and Flemish. The sense of speed is
thrilling, with countryside views streaking past the windows.
Eurostar
stops en route
Most Eurostar trains
run direct between London and Paris or Brussels, with or without
a stop at Lille, but some stop at these other purpose-built Eurostar
stations en route... Fréthun Calais, close to
the Cité Europe shopping complex 3km S of Calais. Ebbsfleet International, just off junction 2 of the M25
near Dartford crossing and Bluewater shopping centre in north
Kent. Ashford International station, the former Eurostar stop in Kent,
is still in use occasionally but being phased out.
Journey times to Paris from Ebbsfleet are 10 minutes less than from St Pancras.
- Check in times:
30 minutes in Standard Class.
10 minutes in
Business Class.
- Time zone:
GMT/BST in London.
GMT/BST + 1 hour in all other cities.
- Money:
Euro.
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