Thread: Eurostar travel

I recently went to Brussels on the Eurostar, for you colonials that's a train that travels from London to Paris/Brussels via the channel tunnel. Being a train it never occured to me that a straight would be a problem and packed my usual wash/shave kit.

So I got to Kings Cross and as you go through to departures they've got the metal detectors and the chimps checking bags, etc. Bad news - I was expecting customs but not the security theatre.

Sure enough I put my bag through the machine and get pulled to the side so they can go through all my personal stuff without my permission, out comes my wash kit and then the chimp finds the Wapi.

So I'm pretty p*d off that I'm going to lose it but - hey a Wapi ain't that expensive! Anyway the chimp wanders over to the trainer with my Wapi and asks him if it's OK and blow me if he doesn't just nod.

That's it, I just thought it might be useful info if anyone else is going on Eurostar in the near future . . . your straights are safe

Thanks for posting this . I am planning to take my wife to europe by Eurostar Later in the year.Paul

I've taken pen knives, and even fireworks on the Eurostar.

How's the Eurostar service after the fire? Are they back on the original schedule?

That's pretty interesting -- I would have expected them to take it. I wonder if the fact that our Continental compadres have a more resilient straight razor culture (Italians, Germans, etc.) means they expect to see this sort of thing more often than not. And there's no option to put bags in the hold as it were, so... ?

Originally Posted by majurey

And there's no option to put bags in the hold as it were, so... ?

I think that's the key.

Short of firearms, and swords (probably) you can take anything on the Eurostar.

Like I say, penknives and fireworks (the french kind) were all good.

Originally Posted by majurey

That's pretty interesting -- I would have expected them to take it. I wonder if the fact that our Continental compadres have a more resilient straight razor culture (Italians, Germans, etc.) means they expect to see this sort of thing more often than not. And there's no option to put bags in the hold as it were, so... ?

I don't know about the Germans, but the Italians have very little razor culture left ... not resiliant here at all.

It would make me wonder whether this is a case of policy or a supervisor exercising sensible discretion.

If it's policy, and you can find and print out a copy, you could keep it in your razor case to whip out and wave under the noses of the security types at need.

Originally Posted by shuredgefan

It would make me wonder whether this is a case of policy or a supervisor exercising sensible discretion.

If it's policy, and you can find and print out a copy, you could keep it in your razor case to whip out and wave under the noses of the security types at need.

I'm almost certain it's just policy, honestly, the rules are not nearly as strict as planes because you simply take it all with you. It's not like a plane where you check it in and it goes in the hold, if they didn't let people take blades (in general) on then they would be turning away a hell of a lot of business.

Thanks. The thought had occurred to me that it may have been dodgy. Good to know I was wrong.