TRAVEL NEWS
TRAVEL NEWS
Driving to Ashford international? – important road diversion update (May until July 2019)
From 13 May until the end of July 2019, access to Ashford International and the adjacent car parks will only be via a signed diversion route (see map below).
There will be no access from Romney Marsh Road (A2042).
The diversion will be in place via Orbital Park Roundabout so please allow extra time for your journey.
For more information, please contact enquiries@ashfordexpansion.co.uk.
Ashford International Stops until 31 August 2019
We’re introducing an amended timetable at Ashford International until 31 August 2019
The timetables for services due to stop at Ashford are published below.
Ashford Timetable Changes 26 May - 31 August 2019
All the affected trains will instead have a replacement stop in Ebbsfleet International.
If you are travelling on one of these services, you'll need to disembark at Ebbsfleet or London St Pancras and have your Eurostar ticket stamped by a member of staff to travel for free with a Southeastern service to Ashford (see below).
Please note:
All direct Eurostar services to/from Disneyland Paris, Lyon, Avignon and Marseille will continue to stop at Ashford as normal.
These timetables are applicable on all dates; however, some services may be occasionally subject to changes at short notice. If this happens, we will contact you before travel.
Getting to Ashford when your train has been affected
If your train is no longer stopping at Ashford, you can either :
• Disembark at Ebbsfleet and have your Eurostar ticket stamped by a member of staff in order to validate it for the Southeastern journey back to Ashford(your Eurostar ticket will NOT be accepted by Southeastern staff without validation from Eurostar)
• Disembark at Ebbsfleet, purchase your own ticket back to Ashford and claim the cost back for this from our Traveller Care team.
• Change your journey for an alternative time and/or date of travel free of charge subject to availability. This can be done in person at our ticket offices or by contacting your original point of sale - please consult the timetable above to view alternative Eurostar services to and from Ashford.
• Cancel your journey and obtain a full refund from your original point of sale
Please note you will only be able to have your ticket stamped if your train is affected by these changes (see detailed list above). If you are travelling to/from Ebbsfleet on a train which is not on this list, you will not be entitled to free travel on Southeastern.
Southeastern High Speed services
The journey time between Ashford and Ebbsfleet, is just 20 minutes but please allow time to make the transfer. Check the Southeastern timetables for the best connecting service between Ashford, Ebbsfleet and London St Pancras.
Car parking
If you have pre-booked car parking at Ashford International station that you no longer need, please email hs1parkinghelp@empark.com with the details of your on-line booking for Ashford and the reason for cancellation and it will be cancelled and refunded.
If your journey is part of a return trip, you can check the revised timetable above to see if the train on your outbound journey also stops at Ebbsfleet. Your Eurostar tickets from Ashford will be accepted at Ebbsfleet if this is more convenient for you to board there. Should you need to re-organise your parking arrangements, please visit www.ebbsfleetintl.co.uk/parking to make a new car parking booking at Ebbsfleet International.
Travelling between Disneyland Paris and Ebbsfleet International?
We've now stopped selling tickets from Ebbsfleet International on our direct train to Disneyland ® Paris on:
- Monday 29 July 2019
- Sunday 11 August 2019
- Monday 12 August 2019
- Saturday 17 Aug 2019
We've also stopped selling tickets to Ebbsfleet International on our direct train from Disneyland ® Paris back to the UK on:
- Wednesday 14 August 2019
- Saturday 17 August 2019
- Wednesday 28 August 2019
- Friday 25 October 2019
- Wednesday 27 November 2019
This is to stop our departures lounge and arrivals area getting too full but you can still travel to London or Ashford.
If you haven’t booked yet
There are still seats available. You’ll just need to buy tickets from London St Pancras International or Ashford International and board or leave the train at one of those stations.
If you’ve already booked tickets from/to Ebbsfleet International
Don't worry, the train will still stop at Ebbsfleet as normal but it might be worth allowing a little extra time, since it'll be busy.
Ashford International Station Closed on 24 November 2019
No Eurostar trains will be stopping at Ashford International on Sunday 24 November 2019 as the station will be closed all day for planned engineering works.
If you usually travel on Eurostar 9032 (to Paris), 9074 (to Lille and Disneyland Paris), 9152 (to Lille and Brussels), 9025 or 9067 (from Paris), 9149 (from Brussels and Lille) or 9057 (from Disneyland Paris), you'll need to board or leave them at London St Pancras or Ebbsfleet International station that day.
Travelling to the Netherlands – planned engineering works
Over the next few months, some services will be altered on our new route to and from Amsterdam:
Friday 20 to Sunday 22 September, Monday 30 September, Saturday 5 to Sunday 6 October, Thursday 31 October and Friday 8 November, Saturday 16 to Sunday 17 November and Saturday 14 December 2019
We’re not selling any tickets between Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam until the timetable for these dates has been confirmed.
Friday 1 November to Monday 4 November and Saturday 9 to Tuesday 12 November 2019
No Eurostar services will run to or from the Netherlands from 1 to 3 November and from 9 to 11 November due to re-signalling works in Brussels.
The 9119 07:48 departure from Amsterdam to Brussels won’t run on Monday 4 November and Tuesday 12 November.
Travelling within the Netherlands?
Please click the link below to check for any changes to train times or planned works which may affect your trip:
No travel from Ebbsfleet to France and Belgium on 18 to 19 October, 25 to 26 October, 2 to 3 November 2019, 18 to 21 December 2019 and 1 to 2 January 2020
The French border control authorities will not be present at the Ebbsfleet International station on:
- Friday 18 October 2019
- Saturday 19 October 2019
- Friday 25 October 2019
- Saturday 26 October 2019
- Saturday 2 November 2019
- Sunday 3 November 2019
- Wednesday 18 December 2019
- Thursday 19 December 2019
- Friday 20 December 2019
- Saturday 21 December 2019
- Wednesday 1 January 2020
- Thursday 2 January 2020
As a consequence, our services from the UK to France and Belgium will not be able to stop at this station.
Please click here to see the list of trains affected on each day.
All Eurostar services running from Paris, Brussels and Marne la Vallée (Disneyland® Paris) back to the UK on these dates will continue to stop at Ebbsfleet as normal.
We'll be getting in touch with any passengers who've already booked tickets to travel from Ebbsfleet on any of these days to help with alternative travel arrangements.
If you haven't booked your journey yet, you'll need to buy your tickets to travel from London St Pancras or Ashford International and depart from these stations instead.
Engineering Works in Brussels from 1 to 3 November and from 9 to 11 November 2019
Due to planned re-signalling works at Brussels Midi, we’re not yet selling any tickets to or from Belgium or the Netherlands on these dates.
Once our timetables during these works have been confirmed and tickets are available to book, we'll announce the details here and, on our Twitter page.
Timetables for connecting services to the Netherlands and Germany via Thalys and Inter City Express (ICE) on these dates are also likely to be subject to change.
Please check directly with these operators for more details.
Eurotunnel Engineering Works on 15-18 November 2019
It’s now possible to check train times and book journeys on trains running between the UK, France and Belgium from 18:00 on Friday evening until 07:00 on Monday morning.
We’ll be running a normal timetable because the planned electric cable installation works in the Channel Tunnel have been postponed.
Brexit and Eurostar services
Will there be changes to Eurostar’s service after Brexit?
We expect to maintain services on the existing basis, timetable and terms and conditions following Brexit. We are working closely with our station partners, Governments and border authorities on both sides of the Channel to ensure that robust plans are in place for us to continue to operate in either a deal or 'no-deal' scenario.
Will I need a visa to travel between the UK and the EU after Brexit?
The EU has agreed to give British citizens visa-free travel to member states, even in a no-deal scenario, for trips up to 90 days. The UK had previously confirmed that EU citizens will be able to make short-term visits to the UK without a visa.
Can I still travel with my EEA ID card after Brexit?
The UK government has confirmed that EU identity cards would remain valid for travel to the UK initially. Although there will be no immediate change, this cannot be guaranteed after the introduction of a new immigration system from 1 January 2021. Find out more.
Will there be any changes to the travel documents I need after Brexit?
Should the UK leave the EU without a deal, passports will be required to have six months validity from the date of arrival at your destination. The government has created an online tool to check if a passport needs to be renewed before travel.
The full range of UK government advice about travel after Brexit can be found here.
Ashford International Station Closure Dates –December 2019 to February 2020
Major engineering works will be carried out at Ashford International over Christmas and early in 2020 and so no Eurostar services will stop there on:
- Sunday 15 December 2019
- Tuesday 24 December 2019
- Thursday 26 December 2019
- Friday 27 December 2019
- Saturday 28 December 2019
- Sunday 29 December 2019
- Saturday 4 January 2020
- Sunday 5 January 2020
- Saturday 22 February 2020
- Sunday 23 February 2020
If you’re travelling on any of these dates, you’ll need to board or leave your train in London St Pancras or Ebbsfleet International.