TICKET GATES

You’ll need your ticket and your passport or identity card. If you’re travelling with children they’ll each need their own passport, even babies.

Top tip - use your European biometric passport at our ePassport gates. 

If you’re 18 or older, follow the ‘European biometric passport’ signs to use your biometric passport at our ePassport gates. If you decide to travel with your national ID card instead, you’ll have to go to one of our manual passport booths. These booths usually have longer queues so you’ll need more time to get through to the departure lounge. 

You don’t need to check in your luggage as long as you’re within your allowance and are able to carry it yourself.

Get your tickets before you leave home

Save them on your smartphone, in the Eurostar app or print them at home so you’re ready to go through the ticket gates.

Top tip – for the best way to stay informed, add your booking reference to the Eurostar app and we’ll keep you updated with the live status of you train on your day of travel.

When to arrive

Ticket gates close 30 minutes before departure (10 minutes for Business Premier passengers/Carte Blanche holders), if you’re late the train can’t wait. Please see your ticket for your recommended arrival time, during busy periods if we need you to arrive any earlier we’ll send you an sms 48hrs before departure. 

 

Standard and Standard Premier  On most routes	Business Premier On most routes
Please arrive at the station 45-60 minutes before departure.  This'll give you enough time to go through the ticket gates, security and passport control. The ticket gates close 30 minutes before departure and if you're late, the train can't wait.	Your ticket gate closes 10 minutes before departure (20 minutes before departure in Amsterdam and Rotterdam Centraal). If you're late, the train can't wait.

 

Groups	Eurostar Assist	Wheelchair users who haven't requested Eurostar Assist - any travel class
		Non-Carte Blanche members	Carte Blanche members
Please arrive 90 minutes before departure.	Please arrive 75 minutes before departure and go to the Eurostar Assist meeting point.    We'll handle everything from there.	Please arrive 45-60 minutes before departure.  This'll give you enough time to go through the ticket gates, security and passport control. The ticket gates close 30 minutes before departure and if you're late, the train can't wait.	Your ticket gate closes 30 minutes before departure.  If you're late, the train can't wait.

 

If you arrive after the ticket gates or checks close, we reserve the right to not allow you to board your train. If you’ve arrived before your train’s departure time, you can ask at the ticket office for a seat on the next available train. If there’s space, we’ll rebook your ticket and you’ll need to pay a £44 fee.

All travellers for ski trains

Arrive 1 hour before departure.

Everybody needs to scan their ticket so we know who’s coming on board. When you arrive at the ticket gates, simply scan the barcode on your paper ticket or on your mobile. If you have any problems, just ask one of our team for help.

You need to scan each ticket individually – even the kids’. If you don’t scan your ticket, there’s a chance your seat will be given to someone else.

Some tickets, valid on Eurostar but issued by other carriers, may not have a barcode so you'll need to speak to a member of our team.

If you don't have a seat number on your ticket, speak to a member of our team and we’ll let you know how and when you'll be given a seat.

If you’re travelling from the Netherlands, please scan the barcode on your ticket at the NS ticket gates. Then head to the Eurostar departure building on platform 15b in Amsterdam and platform 2 in Rotterdam. Our team will check your tickets there.

If you’re travelling from Marne la Vallée, our team will scan your tickets.

If you’re travelling from Lyon, Avignon and Marseille, simply board the train - our team will check your tickets at the door. You’ll get off the train and go through security and passport control at Lille Europe.
 

If your European passport has an electronic chip in it, you can scan it at the ePassport gate, rather than using the passport control booth.

These are for EU and EEA citizens who are over 18 and have a valid electronic passport.

Look for this symbol on the front of your European passport.

1. Put the photo page of your passport face down on the glass and wait for the gate to read the chip. When the green light shows on the screen, the first gates will open so you can step forward.
2. Stand on the footprints, look at the camera and wait for the facial recognition camera to scan you.
3. If the scan matches your passport photo, the second gate will open and you can walk right into our departure lounge.

1. Walk through the first gate.
2. Put the photo page of your passport face down on the glass, look at the camera and wait for the gate to read your passport and the facial recognition camera to scan you.
3. If the scan matches your passport photo, the second gate will open and you can walk right into our departure lounge.