Who we can help

Who we can help

If you’re unable to walk 200m without help, you’ll need to pre-book a space for a wheelchair user and ramp assistance at least 24 hours before you travel. If you’re unable to book, we’ll do our best to provide assistance on the day of travel. And don’t worry, your space will be close to accessible toilets.

To use one of these spaces a space, your wheelchair must:

• Be no more than 700mm (70cm) wide
• Be no more than 1200mm (120cm) long (including the footplate)
• Weigh a maximum of 300kg* (including the weight of the customer)

*Please note that at the German stations of Duisburg and Aachen, current ramp limitations restrict the maximum permitted wheelchair weight (including the person using it) to 250kg.

If you can walk 200m and get on and off the train without help, you can travel in a seat and store your foldable wheelchair or other mobility aid on the luggage racks.

If you need a station wheelchair and a ramp, please pre-book assistance at least 24 hours before you travel. If you don’t, you can ask for help on the day, but we may need to move you to a later train free of charge.


Booking your ticket

All of our wheelchair spaces are in Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier, so you’ll enjoy extra space as well as a meal and drinks served during the journey, all for our fixed wheelchair user fare. You can also take a companion with you at a discounted rate. See our wheelchair and companion fares.

If you are travelling on one of our direct routes you can book your ticket online. If you’d like to travel beyond Paris, Brussels, Lille, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or for more information about booking a wheelchair space, email us using this contact form (select accessible travel, then wheelchair travel from the drop-down menu).


Travelling with your own wheelchair

If you are a wheelchair user travelling in your own manual wheelchair without a companion and you need assistance boarding or getting off the train, we will always look to assist you in your own wheelchair.

In order to be able to do this we will need you to arrive with your wheelchair in a good state of repair and working normally.

By this we mean that the tyres are inflated, the brakes work, the footplate (if applicable) and the handlebars are stable and that there are no broken parts or items hanging at the back of the wheelchair.

Who we can help

You’ll have to pre-book a space for a wheelchair user and ramp assistance at least 24 hours before your journey. If you’re unable to book, we’ll do our best to provide assistance on the day you travel.

To use one of these spaces, your electric wheelchair or mobility scooter must:

• Be no more than 700mm (70cm) wide
• Be no more than 1200mm (120cm) long (including the footplate)
• Weigh a maximum of 300kg (including the weight of the customer)
• Have an anti-tip device
• Not use combustible fuels
• Not be charged on board or in our stations

For safety reasons, you cannot charge your electric wheelchair or mobility scooter while on board our trains or at any of our stations. Please ensure your electric mobility aid has enough battery charge for your entire journey before you set off.

We also have a few restrictions when it comes to powered scooters. Some powered scooters are only meant for road use and cannot be used on our trains, so we ask customers to carefully check the dimensions to ensure their mobility scooter will fit on board. If a mobility scooter exceeds the above dimensions, we will not be able to accept it on board.

As a precaution and to comply with Channel Tunnel requirements, mobility scooters and wheelchairs powered by combustion engines are not allowed on board. Only battery-operated mobility scooters are permitted to travel on board.


Booking your ticket

All of our wheelchair spaces are in Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier, so you’ll enjoy extra space as well as a meal and drinks served during the journey, all for our fixed wheelchair user fare. You can also take a companion with you at a discounted rate. See our wheelchair and companion fares.

If you are travelling on one of our direct routes you can book your ticket online. If you’d like to travel beyond Paris, Brussels, Lille, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or for more information about booking a wheelchair space, email us using this contact form (select accessible travel, then wheelchair travel from the drop-down menu).

If you’re travelling with a companion to help you during your trip, they can benefit from our discounted companion fares. They’ll sit with you on the train.

If you’re travelling with children, get in touch using this contact form (select Assistance, then Travelling with children) or call us on (+44) (0)3432 186 186 (select your language, then option 6) and we’ll make sure you all sit together.

If you have any questions about travelling with a companion, call us on the above number or use our contact form (select Assistance from the menu).

Travelling with a guide dog, assistance dog or assistance cat? To travel on Eurostar, assistance animals must meet certain requirements. Find out more about travelling with your guide and assistance animals.

We’ll guide you through the station, to the train and to arrivals at your destination.

If you’d prefer to travel when there are fewer people, we recommend travelling:

• Monday to Thursday after 14:00
• Sunday before 14:00

We don’t recommend you travel:

• On bank holidays
• During school holidays
• During special events

If you'd like more information, please contact us at least 24 hours before you plan to travel and ask any questions.

If you have specific medical needs, talk to your doctor as we might not be the best way for you to travel.

If you'd like more information, please contact us at least 24 hours before you plan to travel and ask any questions.

We can also help:

• Pregnant women
• Older people
• Passengers with visual or auditory impairment
• Hearing impaired
• Passengers with communication impairment
• Passengers with learning disabilities
• Passengers with sensory, psychological or intellectual impairment
• Passengers whose mobility is impaired by temporary or long-term conditions

If you would like more information, please contact us at least 24 hours before you plan to travel and ask any questions.

If you:

• Can walk up the two steps to board our trains; and your mobility scooter or mobility aid can be folded/dismantled, we’ll ask you to transfer to a regular seat. Some models of scooters or mobility aids are not designed to be transported in an assembled state inside a moving vehicle and there is less risk of damage or accidents if you’re able to transfer into a regular seat.
• are unable to walk up the two steps to board our train, or your mobility scooter or mobility aid can’t be dismantled/folded, then we will book you in one of our designated wheelchair spaces. For safety reasons, all mobility aids, (manual or powered wheelchairs, mobility scooters and similar mobility aids) must be locked when on board to avoid them rolling during the journey.

Your manual wheelchair must:

• Be no more than 700mm (70cm) wide
• Be no more than 1200mm (120cm) long (including the footplate)
• Weigh a maximum of 300kg (including the weight of the customer)*
• Be in good working order

Your electric wheelchair or mobility scooter must:

• Be no more than 700mm (70cm) wide
• Be no more than 1200mm (120cm) long (including the footplate)
• Weigh a maximum of 300kg (including the weight of the customer)*
• Have an anti-tip device
• Combustion engine-powered wheelchairs are not allowed on board.
• Not be charged on board or in our stations

*Please note that Duisburg and Aachen stations have ramp limitations restricting the maximum permitted wheelchair weight (including the person using it) to 250kg.

For safety reasons, you can’t charge your electric wheelchair or mobility scooter on board our trains or at any of our stations. Please make sure your mobility aid has enough charge for your entire journey before you set off.

Some powered mobility scooters are only meant for road use and can’t be used on our trains. Please carefully check the dimensions to ensure your mobility scooter will fit on board. If a mobility scooter exceeds the above dimensions, we won’t be able to accept it.

Scooters and wheelchairs with combustion engines are also not allowed on board.

Fares for wheelchair users and companions

Our wheelchair spaces when travelling between France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany are in Eurostar Premier, but you’ll only pay for
a Standard ticket.

You’ll also be able to take a companion(s) with you at a discounted rate. Your companion(s) will pay a discounted companion fare and sit with you on the train. To be eligible, your companion(s) must accompany you for the whole journey.

You can book one companion fare in conjunction with a wheelchair user fare at eurostar.com. If you need additional companions, please contact our service centre to discuss your requirements and make a booking.

Companion fares are also available for companions accompanying non-wheelchair users who may need assistance during their journey. Please contact our service centre to discuss your requirements and book.

If you’re travelling with children, please contact us so that we can make sure you’re seated together where possible.

Other mobility aids that we accept onboard

These aids include:

• manual wheelchairs
• certain types of special needs pushchairs
• powered wheelchairs and powered mobility scooters
• Segway
• assistive walking devices such as walkers, rollators or trikes
• walking sticks, walking frames, canes and crutches
  

We accept certain special needs pushchairs in our wheelchair spaces where these pushchairs have been officially recognised as special needs pushchairs and the following criteria are met:

• They meet the dimensions and weight limits for our wheelchair spaces as listed above
• You have a certificate from the manufacturer or hospital to prove it’s a special needs wheelchair
• If your pushchair doesn’t meet these requirements and you’d still like to book a wheelchair space, please contact us.
• All mobility aids must be locked when on board to avoid them rolling during the journey. This applies if you have to stay seated in or on your aid during the journey.

We may be able to help you transport other items. Please discuss your requirements with us when you book assistance.

Fares for wheelchair users and companions

Our wheelchair spaces when travelling between France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany are in Eurostar Premier, but you’ll only pay for a Standard ticket.

You’ll also be able to take a companion(s) with you at a discounted rate. Your companion(s) will pay a discounted companion fare and sit with you on the train. To be eligible, your companion(s) must accompany you for the whole journey.

You can book one companion fare in conjunction with a wheelchair user fare at eurostar.com. If you need additional companions, please contact our service centre to discuss your requirements and make a booking.

Companion fares are also available for companions accompanying non-wheelchair users who may need assistance during their journey. Please contact our service centre to discuss your requirements and book.

If you’re travelling with children, please contact us so that we can make sure you’re seated together where possible.

If you need the support of another person while travelling, you can bring a companion. Our onboard teams are unable to provide such support during your journey.

If you’re a wheelchair user who requires the support of another person, you can travel with up to two companions. If the wheelchair user is travelling with one companion, this person will be allocated the seat next to one of our wheelchair spaces. If the wheelchair user is travelling with two companions, the second companion will be allocated the nearest available seat to one of our wheelchair spaces.

If you’re not a wheelchair user but still need assistance during your journey, please contact us to discuss your needs.

Fares for wheelchair users and companions

Our wheelchair spaces when travelling between France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany are in Eurostar Premier, but you’ll only pay for a Standard ticket.

You’ll also be able to take a companion(s) with you at a discounted rate. Your companion(s) will pay a discounted companion fare and sit with you on the train. To be eligible, your companion(s) must accompany you for the whole journey.

You can book one companion fare in conjunction with a wheelchair user fare at eurostar.com. If you need additional companions, please contact our service centre to discuss your requirements and make a booking.

Companion fares are also available for companions accompanying non-wheelchair users who may need assistance during their journey. Please contact our service centre to discuss your requirements and book.

If you’re travelling with children, please contact us so that we can make sure you’re seated together where possible.

Guide and assistance dogs and assistance cats travel with their owners as an auxiliary aid are allowed on our trains.

When travelling between France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, you don’t need to provide any documentation for your guide dog, assistance dog, or assistance cat.They can travel for free and don’t need a ticket.

You just need to tell the train manager that your guide or assistance animal is on board. Let them know as they walk through the train so they know where you’re sat.

Your dog or cat must remain secured (i.e. on a lead, in a harness or be in a secure and suitable carrier) while at the station and on the train.

Travelling to the UK with guide and assistance dogs/cats If you wish to travel to the UK with a guide or assistance dog or cat, strict regulations are in place. All guide dogs, assistance dogs and assistance cats entering the UK must have a ticket for travel, certain documentation and vaccinations, and complete a pre-approval form at least 24 hours before travel. Please see eurostar.com for full details.

Dangerous dogs

Please be aware that, even if they are registered guide/assistance dogs, any dogs:

• on the UK list of banned dog breeds
• In categories 1 & 2 of the French list of dangerous dogs will not be allowed to travel on any of our trains.

We’ll guide you through the station, to the train and to arrivals at your destination.

If you’d prefer to travel when there are fewer people, we recommend travelling:

• Monday to Thursday after 14:00
• Sunday before 14:00

We don’t recommend you travel:

• On bank holidays
• During school holidays
• During special events

If you'd like more information, please contact us at least 24 hours before you plan to travel and ask any questions.

If you have specific medical needs, talk to your doctor as we might not be the best way for you to travel.

If you'd like more information, please contact us at least 24 hours before you plan to travel and ask any questions.

Medical equipment

If you need to bring any medical equipment with you, please discuss this with our team when making your assistance booking.

If you’re travelling with diabetes devices, oxygen cylinders, or prescribed medication, please let us know. In some cases, you may need a note or a prescription from your doctor. You might need to stow some equipment in a dedicated luggage compartment if there is one on your train.

If you need to plug equipment in on board, please be aware that we can’t guarantee an electrical supply for the whole journey. If you rely on equipment which needs constant electrical power, we’d recommend that you don’t travel.

• Customers with visual impairments
• Customers with auditory impairments
• Customers with non-visible disabilities that may not be immediately apparent to other people
• Customers with communication impairments
• Customers with sensory, psychological, or intellectual impairments
• Customers whose mobility is impaired by temporary or long-term conditions
• Pregnant women
• Older people