Eurostar - Direct vs Indirect

by Jade Staff - 06:00:00

Shall I book the direct or indirect service to Disneyland Paris?

So you've decided you're going to Disneyland Paris. You know whether you want to stay Onsite vs Offsite and you've even started looking for a few good deals. Then you realise, how am I going to get there?!

Taking the Eurostar to Disneyland Paris is a breeze. You get on in the Uk and within a few hours, you are at the gates of Disneyland! So it's the perfect way to get to Disneyland Paris, but in case you are still undecided on whether to book direct or indirect (or maybe you just want to know what getting the Eurostar is like), I have created this list of the differences between the Direct Eurostar journey and the Indirect Eurostar Journey.

Simply put, it’s just a change at Lille, but let's go into that in a little more detail.

Direct

To Disneyland Paris

Arriving at the Eurostar station in the UK, 1 hour before your train

Go through passport control and security where your passport will be checked and yourself and your luggage will go through scanners.

In the waiting area, you can shop, use the toilet, grab a coffee or just sit and wait for your platform to be announced.

You get on the Eurostar and find your booked seat.

As you take your luggage with you, you store it in the luggage area at the end of the train (you are responsible for your luggage at all times).

There will be a few stops on your journey where others get on/off

Buffet cart is available.

Your final destination will be Marne Le Vallee (Disneyland Paris) where you will get off with your bags

You can walk straight out of the station to see the park gates (or the busses to the hotels).

Returning Home

Arrive at Marne Le Vallee station1 hour before your train.

You will go through security and passport control, BEWARE that they are often VERY busy and it is VERY overcrowded, this process takes a lot longer than it does in the UK and my train has often been held because of it.

You board your train finding your booked seat and storing your luggage away.

There is a buffet cart available on your journey - they do however often sell out of stuff so get there early. (The pizza is really good!)

Once in the UK, you get off the Eurostar and walk out of the station. Occasionally there will be random passport checks in operation (so don’t book your next train too close!)

Indirect

To Disneyland Paris

Arriving at the Eurostar station in the UK, 1 hour before your train

Go through passport control and security where your passport will be checked and yourself and your luggage will go through scanners.

In the waiting area, you can shop, use the toilet, grab a coffee or just sit and wait for your platform to be announced.

You get on the Eurostar and find your booked seat.

As you take your luggage with you, you store it in the luggage area at the end of the train (you are responsible for your luggage at all times).

If you are getting on at St Pancras, there will be a few stops before France.

Once in France you will get off at either Lille (or Lille Europe depending on your ticket)

You will take a look at your train number off your ticket and check it against the screen to work out which platform you are on. This is as simple as just finding another platform (for us it was the one next to where we came in and they announced it as we pulled up)

Once you are on the platform, you need to find out where your carriage will stop (Check your tickets for your carriage number and match it with the sign on the wall).

You get on your train, store your luggage and take your seats

Your final destination will be Marne Le Vallee (Disneyland Paris) where you will get off with your bags

You can walk straight out of the station to see the park gates (or the busses to the hotels).

Returning Home

Check your ticket and match your train number with the screen to find your platform.

Once on your platform, find where you train carriage is (by checking your seat numbers against the board) and wait for your train to arrive

You do not go through security at Marne Le Vallee

Once your train arrives, find your assigned seats and store your luggage

Once at Lille (or Lille Europe, depending on your ticket) you can check the screens to find your platform (like you did in Marne Le Vallee)

On the way to the platform, you will go through Security and passport control.

Once on the platform, you need to stamp your ticket in the yellow machines (YOU MUST DO THIS TO VALIDATE YOUR JOURNEY OR YOU COULD BE FINED!)

Find out where you need to stand like you did before

Get on the train, grab your seats, use the buffet bar if you want to and store your luggage. .

Once in the UK, you get off the Eurostar and walk out of the station. Occasionally there will be random passport checks in operation (so don’t book your next train too close!)

*Another note to remember is that in Marne Le Vallee and Lille/Lille Europe stations the toilets need to be paid for. Save yourself a bit of cash (or an accident if you don’t have change!) and make sure you take little ones before you get off your train. Lille Europe station and Kings Cross St Pancras have free toilets once you go through security and passport control.

If you are a more visual person like me and just want to see someone else doing the change, then you will love these fantastic vlogs by Fairy Godmother. They helped me feel so much more relaxed before my first time. So please head over to her channel and subscribe!