Eurostar Check-in Times and Luggage Allowance at St Pancras

Arrival and gate times at St Pancras

Eurostar's When to arrive page gives these times for London St Pancras International (checked 9 October 2026):

Eurostar calls these times guidance that can change, and asks you to download your ticket close to the date to see the recommended arrival time for your train. It also asks passengers to arrive at the recommended time, not just before the gates close, because all passport and luggage checks happen before boarding.

The extra time is not padding. Eurostar's station guide says a train carries up to 894 passengers, and queues build on peak days or when checks take longer.

What happens between the entrance and the train

From October 2025 Eurostar began introducing the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES), and its EES page describes the next phase from 2 February 2026 (checked 9 October 2026). EES applies to non-EU nationals, including British nationals, travelling to the EU for short stays, at any age. It is free, and there is nothing to apply for in advance: you register at the departure station on the day.

At St Pancras the order is:

If you have difficulty using a touchscreen or need assistance, Eurostar says to go straight to departures; EES registration is then completed at French passport control. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals and non-EU nationals with EU residence rights or a long-stay visa do not register with EES.

Because the French check happens in London, you step off the train in Paris without another border queue.

Luggage allowance by class

Eurostar's luggage page sets the allowance by class (checked 9 October 2026):

On routes to and from London, each bag can be up to 85 cm long; on other routes the limit is 75 cm. There is no strict weight limit for included luggage: if you can carry it safely, you can bring it. Folded pushchairs and prams travel free, and there are no liquid limits, though alcohol is restricted. Bags go in racks or on shelves near your seat.

Extra bags are a different matter on London routes. They, bikes and oversized items must be booked in advance through the Registered Luggage Service, which runs only on selected trains; from London to Paris, those are trains leaving between 08:01 and 15:31. Eurostar's guide prices start at £35 per additional bag, booked more than 48 hours before departure.

What you cannot pack

Eurostar's prohibited items list works like an airport list with a few rail-specific rules. Items to check before you pack:

• Knives: a small folding pocketknife without a locking mechanism is allowed if the blade is under 3 inches (UK) or 77 mm (France). Flick knives and locking pocketknives are banned; chef knives and other knives can travel on London routes only when registered with Eurostar and packed in a box made for the purpose.
• E-mobility: on London routes, e-scooters, hoverboards and electric unicycles, and their batteries, are banned. Lithium e-bike batteries carried separately from the bike are banned on all routes.
• Flammables: camping gas, lighter fuel and firelighters are not allowed; nail polish and hairspray are.
• Military souvenirs: shells and cartridges, including decorative ones, are banned, whatever the seller's certificate says.

If you are late or miss the gate

The fares and fees page says that if you arrive after the gates close, Eurostar may refuse boarding. If you get there before your train's departure time, ask at the ticket office for the next available train. If there is space, Eurostar rebooks you, and Standard or Plus passengers pay a £44 fee (checked 9 October 2026).

If you know earlier that you will be late, change the ticket yourself. Standard and Plus tickets can be moved to another date or time without a fee until one hour before the original departure, though you pay any fare difference. Premier tickets can be exchanged without a fee up to 48 hours after the original departure, and Premier's boarding guarantee lets you take any other available train that day at no extra charge.

Inside the departure lounge

After French passport control you wait in the departure lounge, which has a Pret A Manger, a tax-free shop and a bureau de change. Trains leave from platforms 5 to 10. The St Pancras station guide says the platform appears on the lounge screens when boarding starts, about 20 minutes before departure. Premier passengers and Carte Blanche and Étoile members can use the Premier Lounge from up to two hours before departure on the day of travel.

Coming back late from Paris? See what still runs after the last Tube.