Eurostar

Also see: Eurostar London-Paris-London at Paris for Visitors

ABOVE: Two Eurostar trains in the Gare du Nord, Paris.

Also see: Eurostar London-Paris-London - a first-hand report

If you saw the film Mission Impossible, you've already seen Europe's "Chunnel" passenger train in action. In that movie, Tom Cruise fended off a helicopter from the Eurostar's roof until the chopper blew up inside the English Channel Tunnel.

Most Eurostar trips are less dramatic. More than two dozen high-speed electric trains (based on French TGV designs) connect London with Lille, Paris, Brussels, Avignon, the French Alps, and the Disneyland Paris resort at speeds of up to 300 km/h or 186 mph.

Travel time can be as little as 2 hours 15 minutes between London and Paris, or 1 hour 51 minutes on the London-Brussels route. (Trains that stop at Ashford, Lille, and other stations take a few minutes longer.)

A few points worth noting:

Eurailpass isn't valid on Eurostar. However, you'll get a discount of about 20% off the standard fare if you have a Eurailpass, Europass, France Railpass, BritRail Pass, or Benelux Tourrail Pass.

Like the airlines, Eurostar offers a variety of promotional fares. Some of these offer big savings over normal published fares.

Travel time through the English Channel Tunnel is only 23 minutes, which is good news for sightseers and claustrophobes.

Ride quality is remarkably smooth, even at 186 mph (300 km/h), so nervous travelers should be able to keep their apprehension in check as the train races across the countryside.

Pets aren't allowed, so leave Fido or Fifi at home.

Special fares to Disneyland Paris and the French Alps (via ski train in winter) are available; consult the official Eurostar Web site on page 2 for details.

Le Shuttle, the train that carries automobiles under the English Channel, uses the same tunnel as Eurostar but is a separate service. For more information, click the links under "Le Shuttle" on page 2.

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