Eurostar

As others have said - this is a great service and they do discounted seats for wheelchair users and a companion. My experience in London was similar to another reviewers, in the waiting area before boarding, we had uncertainty about whether someone would find us to take us up in the lift. You are supposed to be escorted from check in, but they did apologise and say there wasn't anyone available as it was a particularly busy time (just after Christmas) and I did have two companions with me, so instructions were to "wait by the lift". Staff came and went up and down the lift but said we couldn't go up (too early for boarding I think) and the lift was passcode only for staff. But once boarding started, a staff member using the lift saw us and let us go up! Once on the platform there was a member of staff pushing someone else in a wheelchair so I caught his attention and he said - yes follow me! Once at our coach the ramp was there and all went well. We did book an extra seat so I could transfer to a seat during the journey, but honestly I found it the most uncomfortable seat ever ha ha. It was such a weird shape - so on the return journey I preferred just sitting in my scooter anyway. I travelled on mobility scooter, which I need to use permanently. I can stand for a short time or walk three or four steps, but that is it, so I think I experienced it as a wheelchair user mostly. In fact I wished I had had a powerchair instead of scooter as my scooter turning circle isn't great. My one comment though is about the ramps at the Paris end - they are smaller and a different design to the ramps in London. There was no way I could turn a 90 degree angle onto the ramp from the train, in order to exit the ramp. It was quite small/a tight space. The attendant was a little impatient and asked someone to lift the back end of the scooter round. On the way back I had a more patient attendant and did a five point turn and got round the corner! The London ramps are much easier. So be prepared for that if you're using a scooter. I think a wheelchair would be ok with it. Also be prepared for some uncertainty when boarding in London, in the waiting area. There are no visible staff around but they come and go to the lift, and if in doubt, do what I did and say - hey we need to go up the lift - once everyone else has started going up boarding ramps - and once a member of staff arrives. You go straight to the checkin on arrival and don't have to queue and are prioritised in that respect. Staff on the train were all nice, courteous and helpful. When the brought food and drink around. I would recommend not booking an extra seat to transfer into as I found my scooter seat more comfortable, and the journey is only about 2 hours and 20 minutes - which is nothing after sitting on a scooter all day around Paris! Edit: If you have mobility issues but don't use a wheelchair or scooter you need to understand how Eurostar booking works. They WILL ONLY provide a ramp if you book a wheelchair space. On their website it says - if you can't climb two steps and walk 200 yards then you need to book a wheelchair space. It's just how they work. A safety thing apparently - they want anyone disabled in that part of the train in case of evacuation. So if you don't use a wheelchair and can walk a bit, but can't do steps and need a ramp - you need to book a wheelchair space.

I don't know what the service is like for other types of impairment but wheelchair users get a massive discount with access to the business class lounge and free alcohol with a heavy reduced companion ticket as well. The ramps are always set out before I am even on the platform I have done it about once a month for the past ten years.

I travelled with my husband/carer using my Mobility Scooter from St Pancras to Gare du Nord in France (return) for their bargain basement discount fair easy to find on the Eurostar website. Before travelling I knew we would be in one or other of their two premier class services with meals and wine/champagne included and near an accessible toilet. I actually find YouTube is really helpful for seeing how these look. I knew that on checking in it automatically triggered the ramp to be near my seat to access the train from their website. I understood for their site that I'd be fast tracked through immigration and security. All of the above happened as I expected in both England & France. Both stations are easy to navigate and staff are really helpful (generally). Facilities on board are excellent though the 'seat' is only as comfortable as the scooter or wheelchair you take as that is what you must stay in whilst any carer gets the normal level of accommodation for the class of travel. Now, where did it go wrong? Once I checked in and went through security it all sort of fell apart for a while before boarding. For a start, be it a wheelchair or scooter we are expected to wait with all other travellers. Many of those give no attention to disabled travellers and I lost count, no matter where I tried to go, how many times I was hit by their luggage either my legs or my body. We had no one offer a seat so I had to remain in my scooter whilst my husband stood. Observing staff did nothing in either country. In both countries, I had to ask for access to the lift to the platform. Once past that horrible experience the ramp was there and waiting as promised. Very polite and light hearted staff available. On the train they couldn't do enough for me. The access toilet near me was 'broken' but when I asked about where I was meant to go, they opened it straight up and at least did a temporary repair to make it available. We got dropped at the station in London as I cannot find reliable UK trains and in Paris we stayed near the station. I have included a video of our whole break. You may notice I am using a stick. My mobility scooter broke before I got to St Pancras, it could limp but I don't need a sympathetic scooter! So, I could use it around Paris except for very local jaunts. I hide the agony and exhaustion really well don't you think? I was overtaken by some very old people.