Taking the Chunnel train from London to Paris

What should I expect?

I do not live in England but I am a British citizen. Are the rates cheaper for UK citizens or US citizens? Is there no difference? I am debating between the economy fares or the first class cabin. Is it worth the extra $200 in cost for a family of four? Any tips on the amount of time before the train leaves or how to get from the Paris end to the city center?

Any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Fares not cheaper - same for all.

Economy is fine for a family of 4 - I don't think you need first class but it's up to you.  If you are used to flying first class or business class then maybe it's worth it.  I would only pay for first class if it was a special occasion or if my husband and I were going on a special trip.  Or if my company was paying, obviously!

Get to Kings Cross (not Waterloo any more) at least an hour before the train leaves.  You need to check in, go through security (there can be long lines) and go through immigration.    They say 30 minutes but I never get there with less than a whole hour to spare.  I almost missed a Eurostar to Paris because of the security screening lines.

To get from Gare du Nord to city center you can take a cab, or you can take the Metro.  It is very simple but you need to follow the Metro signs to find it.  It's in the lower levels of the station.  And you will need to buy the tickets and figure out which stop you want in the city center.

Now I find that really interesting, Geetak, as I was just discussing with my husband how lax the security seemed to me at Dover port.  Seriously, no car check, nothing.  Even the passport control was a wave through....I was really surprised. 
Surely, something like a car bomb could do major damage to a port like Dover.

I guess I am used to the Eastern European borders. I've waited hours and hours and had the entire car searched, etc.

Get to Kings Cross (not Waterloo any more) at least an hour before the train leaves. 

The Eurostar still leaves from Waterloo. It isn't expected that trains will be departing St Pancras International until 14 November 2007.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Pancras_railway_station

http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/travel_information/at_the_station/terminals.jsp

Wow janice thank you for posting that!  I was so confused about that - I got a couple random emails from Eurostar telling me that it was moving to Kings Cross and I just read '14 November' - and thought wow ok, well fine.  But never picked up that it was next year!!

Now I find that really interesting, Geetak, as I was just discussing with my husband how lax the security seemed to me at Dover port.  Seriously, no car check, nothing.  Even the passport control was a wave through....I was really surprised. 

The Eurostar security is just like airport security - it's the x-ray lines that take so long.  I'm surprised that the car ports are so much easier but I guess it's like the US/Mexican border crossings?  Or more recently I took a ferry from Seattle to Bremerton in Washington and they didn't do any car check at all - just sold us a ticket and we drove right on.  It is a bit scary, isn't it?

I've taken the Eurostar at least a dozen times. My only complaint is how expensive it's become. But I found a loophole way of getting cheaper fares. You'll need to plan far ahead, have a US credit card and a US relative:

Go to this website:
http://www.raileurope.com/us/index.htm

Book your tickets on that site. The prices are sometimes HALF of what you will find on Eurostar.com, partially because the prices are in USD, and also because they give discounts to Americans to entice them to travel to Europe.  Use a US credit card and have the tickets mailed to a friend or relative, and then have that person mail the tickets to you.  I've done this a few times without problems.

And yes, the Eurostar still leaves from Waterloo. I can't wait until next year because I live close enough to WALK to St. Pancras station!! 

geeta i was about to say, i just took it last week and i left from waterloo! lol.