The independent guide to crossing the English Channel by rail — and travelling onward across Europe. Route information, station walkthroughs, and practical trip-planning for the high-speed trains that run through the Channel Tunnel, the vehicle shuttles, rail passes, and the European network they connect to.
Independent editorial coverage of the Channel Tunnel, the services that use it, and the European rail network you can reach through it. No booking engine, no upsells — just clearly written guides for travellers who want to understand the options before they travel.
Detailed walkthroughs of every passenger route through the Channel Tunnel — timings, frequencies, rolling stock, border-control procedure, and what to expect at each end.
Step-by-step explainers of St Pancras check-in, security, immigration, on-board classes, and luggage rules — written for people who've never done it before.
Onward connections from Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam into the wider European rail network — night trains, Interrail passes, TGV, ICE, and high-speed routes across the continent.
City centre to city centre, under the sea, with no airport involved. Click through for the full guide to each route.
It's easier than any flight you've ever taken. Here's what to expect.
Show up 60–90 minutes before departure. It's right next to King's Cross — easy from anywhere in London via the Tube.
Scan your ticket, go through UK exit and French entry border control, then a quick security screen. About 20 minutes total.
Settle into your seat — Standard, Standard Premier, or Business Premier. There's a bar car, power outlets, and free Wi-Fi.
Step off at Gare du Nord, already through immigration. You're in central Paris. Grab the Métro, a taxi, or just walk.
Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam are just the start. From the Tunnel terminals, the European rail network opens up — high-speed to the Mediterranean, night trains to the Alps, and a continent you can cross without ever boarding a plane.
One pass, unlimited train travel across 33 European countries. How the passes work, which one suits which trip, and how to combine a pass with a Channel Tunnel ticket.
Interrail guide →Nightjet to Vienna, snow trains to the Alps, the revived European sleeper network. Where they go, what the cabins are like, and how to book.
Night train routes →TGV to Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, and the south. SNCF connections from Gare du Nord and the cross-Paris transfer to Gare de Lyon.
Paris onward →ICE to Frankfurt and Cologne, high-speed services to the Netherlands and Germany, and the gateway to Eastern Europe by rail.
Brussels onward →For anyone taking a car, van, or motorbike through the Tunnel — Getlink's LeShuttle service, how it differs from the passenger trains, and what to expect at Folkestone and Coquelles.
LeShuttle guide →Virgin Trains Europe has been cleared to run Tunnel services from 2029, the first competition to the current operator in over three decades. What's coming, when, and what it means for fares and routes.
Read the latest →Practical, factual guides to planning a trip through the Tunnel and across Europe by rail.