 Poster: A snowHead
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A couple of years ago you could take yours skis on any Eurostar train along with a mini pin of beer and several bottles of wine along with corkscrews and any cutlery you needed for your on board picnic.
Recently, reading their website, the security restrictions seem to have gone up to airline standard (can you really hijack a train?) and there are now baggage restrictions hindering carrying skis and banning various items from your luggage.
Has anyone got any recent experience of just how fussy Eurostar security has got - both on 'ski trains' and normal scheduled trains?
Regarding items that would be prohibited in airline hand luggage it's not as if you have a hold luggage alternative on Eurostar.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Used it at half term and had no problems.
We had a 'double' wheelie ski bag with 4 pairs of skis in it. I went to cars 9/10 were the baggage hold is and suggested the bag might be better in there. They said I should clear it with the Train Manager so he knew it was in there. I mentioned it to him and he said, "Of course!".
I would say though, I get the feeling that they are possibly, generally slightly less laissez faire about big bags than they used to be.
Yes, security is a little more pantomimesque (ze terrorist, he is BEHIND YOU!) but on the whole, they are still wayyyyyy better than the airlines/airports. 40 mins check in officially, 30 mins normally, 20 mins if you're in a hurry 
If you like, I will perform another test on their services soon. Friday do U?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Used it half a dozen times in last few months (though not with skiing clobber). Security is way less hassle than airports. No nonsense with liquids, removing belt and shoes, etc.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Admin, are you catching the overnight train to BSM on Friday by any chance?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Pete Horn, I've used it three times this season (well, 2.5, as the outward leg of my first trip was cancelled  ), all on the normal scheduled train to/from Paris. No problems so far. Was worried about the published size limitations on the bags you are allowed to carry and emailed them about skis. Reply was that skis count as a medium suitcase (despite them being longer than the 85cm or whatever the limit is), so count as one of your two allowed pieces of luggage. There are no spaces for them in the luggage areas at the end of the carriage, but they fit quite comfortably on the overhead shelves - so provided you're not last in the carriage you're OK.
Security checks a bit less hassle than airports, and queues not generally too bad. Last Sunday at Paris GdN there was someone whose bag was being rifled through and they had a bag of limes sent through the X-ray a second time  , but other than that the security staff all seem pretty bored. Bit of a pain of course that you don't get shot of your heavy bags at any time, so you're continually carting them around the station with you. The main issue for back-country skiers at present seems to be the ongoing argument about carrying ice-axes (which are explicitly prohibited), and the BMC/Eagles seem to be following up on that one, but with little succeess so far. My penknife (Leatherman) is just on the limit for length of blade that can be carried, but had no problems with that. They've not worried about icescrews either (probably don't recognise them). I've not tried taking any other cutlery/corkscrews.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Pete Horn, no unfortunately: late morning to Paris to pick up the direct train to Bern (CH) 
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| GrahamN wrote: |
| The main issue for back-country skiers at present seems to be the ongoing argument about carrying ice-axes (which are explicitly prohibited), and the BMC/Eagles seem to be following up on that one, but with little succeess so far. |
i don't know how much of a problem this actually is. i'm half tempted to try burying an axe somewhere in my bag and seeing whether anyone actually cares
the bod that MBC/ESC have been corresponding with seems to think that not allowing axes is a vital requirement in order to safeguard your security which is pretty risible if you bother to think about the situation
anyway, i'll be flying for the trips where i need an ice axe so maybe euro$tar should reflect on that 
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Travelled back from Paris to London on Eurostar having spent two years living in Paris recently. Had so much stuff (including a double ski bag) that I need two, fully-laden trolleys to get all myself to the train. Check-in staff didn't even bat an eyelid despite the two bag limit published on the back of my ticket. The guys on the train even helped me collapse the shelves in the luggage store area so I could prop my skis up. Just wish airlines were the same...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Several years ago I got pulled over by security in Brussles because they couldn't work out what I had in my Jaket pocket, they showed me the xray pics and I wasn't certain, when we looked it turns out it was teh mini heel crampon things for my walking boots, I'd needed them teh night before to negotiate very icy platforms and had unthinkingly just stuffed them in my pocket once on the train and forgotten about them, security thought maybe they were handcuffs because teh two were overlapping each other and teh xray was thus a bit confusing, they seemed to be more intrested in teh fact that it was something new rather than my using them as an offensive weapon, I suspect they would have been fine if in fact it had actually been handcuffs, they certainly were very relaxed even allowing me to see the image from teh xray machine which airporst are highly unlikely to do
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I emailed E* specifically on this point as the way I read their website skis wouldn't be permitted except on special ski trains, the alternative being to send them separately:
| Quote: |
Each passenger can take up to 2 medium-sized items (85cm at their maximum length) with them on board, plus 1 small item of hand luggage. What’s more, provided none of your items are longer than 85cm at their longest length, there aren’t any weight restrictions. Of course, we do still need to make sure there is enough room for everybody’s bags, so if you bring more than the allowance mentioned above, you may need to pay an excess luggage charge of £25 per item ......
.... Anything larger than 85cm at its maximum length will need to be transported by our registered baggage service ...
..... Ski train luggage? Find out more about your luggage allowance on our ski trains..... |
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I got back a very pleasant response reassuring me
| Quote: |
When travelling with a pair of ski’s on any Eurostar service other than the direct service to the French Alps, your ski’s will be counted as one medium sized suitcase. The luggage allowance on board Eurostar is two medium sized suitcases and one piece of hand luggage per person. Therefore, you be able to travel with one pair of ski’s and one suitcase.
If you need to take more luggage, you would need to take it as excess luggage and register it via the Eurodespatch centre. |
I will be taking a copy of this response with me just in case.
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