Eurostar Revamps Services In A Bid To Lure Fliers

by Reena Ganga on

Long-distance train travel is making a comeback with Eurostar announcing plans to expand its services. The high-speed train, which primarily serves London, Brussels and Paris, has its sights set on new destinations across the European continent.

Eurostar says its entire system is undergoing an overhaul – from the booking process, to the routes, to the trains themselves. The company’s website has been given a facelift in order to create a more user-friendly booking portal, and brand new uniforms have been designed for the crew. Updated trains are also in the pipeline and are expected to be up and running by 2015.As far as network expansion goes, Eurostar says it has its eye on a number of possible routes including London-Holland and London-Germany. Eurostar’s Chief Executive Nicolas Petrovic says he will be looking closely at routes that currently have a lot of air traffic. He told CNN he hopes travelers will eventually come to think of train travel the same way they think of flying.

Eurostar’s overhaul comes in the wake of stiff competition from German train line Deutsche Bahn, which has said it will offer trips across the Channel Tunnel starting in 2016.

[Photo credit: Flickr user Mike Knell]

European Trains more Time Efficient than European Planes for Short Hauls

by Neil Woodburn on

With the rash of budget airlines plying the skies of Europe these days, one must wonder why anyone bothers to take the train at all.

The reality, however, is that high speed train travel between European cities that are less than 550 kilometers apart is actually more efficient than flying according to a recent study.

Think about it. Most European airports are not only way outside the city center, but also eat up your time with security, boarding, and that pesky rule about getting there an hour before flight time.

Train stations, on the other hand, are usually located in the center of town and passengers can arrive just moments before their departure time.

The actual time spent traveling is much longer on a train, but the overall journey tends to be about the same length of time or perhaps just a bit longer. The important difference here, especially for business travelers, is that almost all of your travel time on a train can be spent working. There is no turning off your electronic equipment, putting it through an x-ray machine, or standing in long lines. Your laptop can be opened the moment you sit down and you can plug away uninterrupted until you arrive at your destination.

The efficiencies of high speed train travel, however, are only gained with journeys that are four hours or less. Planes become increasingly more efficient with your time over longer journeys.