#eurostar — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 14:30 UTC

Arrived to Brussels Midi/Zuid. If the boarding in London was poorly designed, the offboarding in Brussels was beyond atrocious, even dangerous: a narrow passage, cramming everyone to a standstill, winding a couple of times, particularly narrow in front of a few policemen and a sign that said "adouane" (border), despite borders not existing within the EU (police checks at borders between member countries are illegal), and having already crossed into the EU at London St. Pancras itself with a double exit/entry passport control to begin with. No passenger was asked for their passport, that I could see, so it was all an exercise on surface designed to annoy people.

On the positive side, the Eurostar's internal speakers helpfully announced the track of the German DB train to Frankfurt; reaching it was something else, signage isn't great.

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #Brussels #Belgium #trains

#trains #belgium #brussels #eurostar #crossborderrail

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 14:30 UTC

Arrived to Brussels Midi/Zuid. If the boarding in London was poorly designed, the offboarding in Brussels was beyond atrocious, even dangerous: a narrow passage, cramming everyone to a standstill, winding a couple of times, particularly narrow in front of a few policemen and a sign that said "adouane" (border), despite borders not existing within the EU (police checks at borders between member countries are illegal), and having already crossed into the EU at London St. Pancras itself with a double exit/entry passport control to begin with. No passenger was asked for their passport, that I could see, so it was all an exercise on surface designed to annoy people.

On the positive side, the Eurostar's internal speakers helpfully announced the track of the German DB train to Frankfurt; reaching it was something else, signage isn't great.

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #Brussels #Belgium #trains

#trains #belgium #brussels #eurostar #crossborderrail

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 14:30 UTC

Arrived to Brussels Midi/Zuid. If the boarding in London was poorly designed, the offboarding in Brussels was beyond atrocious, even dangerous: a narrow passage, cramming everyone to a standstill, winding a couple of times, particularly narrow in front of a few policemen and a sign that said "adouane" (border), despite borders not existing within the EU (police checks at borders between member countries are illegal), and having already crossed into the EU at London St. Pancras itself with a double exit/entry passport control to begin with. No passenger was asked for their passport, that I could see, so it was all an exercise on surface designed to annoy people.

On the positive side, the Eurostar's internal speakers helpfully announced the track of the German DB train to Frankfurt; reaching it was something else, signage isn't great.

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #Brussels #Belgium #trains

#crossborderrail #eurostar #brussels #belgium #trains

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 14:30 UTC

Arrived to Brussels Midi/Zuid. If the boarding in London was poorly designed, the offboarding in Brussels was beyond atrocious, even dangerous: a narrow passage, cramming everyone to a standstill, winding a couple of times, particularly narrow in front of a few policemen and a sign that said "adouane" (border), despite borders not existing within the EU (police checks at borders between member countries are illegal), and having already crossed into the EU at London St. Pancras itself with a double exit/entry passport control to begin with. No passenger was asked for their passport, that I could see, so it was all an exercise on surface designed to annoy people.

On the positive side, the Eurostar's internal speakers helpfully announced the track of the German DB train to Frankfurt; reaching it was something else, signage isn't great.

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #Brussels #Belgium #trains

#trains #belgium #brussels #eurostar #crossborderrail

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 12:56 UTC

Before we arrived towards the French side of the tunnel, the phone connection broke down in the Eurostar. The handover to the French telecoms wasn't smooth. Eurostar's own wifi consistently atrocious: works, but slow like it's 1996. Now back to a tethered phone connection.

#Eurostar #CrossBorderRail #trains #France

#france #trains #crossborderrail #eurostar

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 12:56 UTC

Before we arrived towards the French side of the tunnel, the phone connection broke down in the Eurostar. The handover to the French telecoms wasn't smooth. Eurostar's own wifi consistently atrocious: works, but slow like it's 1996. Now back to a tethered phone connection.

#Eurostar #CrossBorderRail #trains #France

#france #trains #crossborderrail #eurostar

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 12:56 UTC

Before we arrived towards the French side of the tunnel, the phone connection broke down in the Eurostar. The handover to the French telecoms wasn't smooth. Eurostar's own wifi consistently atrocious: works, but slow like it's 1996. Now back to a tethered phone connection.

#Eurostar #CrossBorderRail #trains #France

#eurostar #crossborderrail #trains #france

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 12:56 UTC

Before we arrived towards the French side of the tunnel, the phone connection broke down in the Eurostar. The handover to the French telecoms wasn't smooth. Eurostar's own wifi consistently atrocious: works, but slow like it's 1996. Now back to a tethered phone connection.

#Eurostar #CrossBorderRail #trains #France

#france #trains #crossborderrail #eurostar

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 12:39 UTC

To my surprise, the phone network (4G) is working under the sea: I am typing these words from my laptop tethered to my phone while on the Eurostar train making good time below the English channel. Now that's to congratulate whoever setup and maintains this network.

The amusing bit is that I don't know whether I am on the French side or the English side. How do roaming charges apply?

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #EU #UK #trains

#trains #uk #eu #eurostar #crossborderrail

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 12:39 UTC

To my surprise, the phone network (4G) is working under the sea: I am typing these words from my laptop tethered to my phone while on the Eurostar train making good time below the English channel. Now that's to congratulate whoever setup and maintains this network.

The amusing bit is that I don't know whether I am on the French side or the English side. How do roaming charges apply?

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #EU #UK #trains

#trains #uk #eu #eurostar #crossborderrail

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 12:39 UTC

To my surprise, the phone network (4G) is working under the sea: I am typing these words from my laptop tethered to my phone while on the Eurostar train making good time below the English channel. Now that's to congratulate whoever setup and maintains this network.

The amusing bit is that I don't know whether I am on the French side or the English side. How do roaming charges apply?

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #EU #UK #trains

#crossborderrail #eurostar #eu #uk #trains

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 12:39 UTC

To my surprise, the phone network (4G) is working under the sea: I am typing these words from my laptop tethered to my phone while on the Eurostar train making good time below the English channel. Now that's to congratulate whoever setup and maintains this network.

The amusing bit is that I don't know whether I am on the French side or the English side. How do roaming charges apply?

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #EU #UK #trains

#trains #uk #eu #eurostar #crossborderrail

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 12:12 UTC

The wifi in the St. Pancras Eurostar waiting room is slow at best. From the phone at times it didn't work at all.

Once in the Eurostar train, wifi was working until the train started, when it suddenly stopped. Hasn't resumed so far, so tethering the phone to the laptop instead while we aren't yet in the Eurotunnel under the English Channel.

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #trains #UK

#uk #trains #eurostar #crossborderrail

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 12:12 UTC

The wifi in the St. Pancras Eurostar waiting room is slow at best. From the phone at times it didn't work at all.

Once in the Eurostar train, wifi was working until the train started, when it suddenly stopped. Hasn't resumed so far, so tethering the phone to the laptop instead while we aren't yet in the Eurotunnel under the English Channel.

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #trains #UK

#uk #trains #eurostar #crossborderrail

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 12:12 UTC

The wifi in the St. Pancras Eurostar waiting room is slow at best. From the phone at times it didn't work at all.

Once in the Eurostar train, wifi was working until the train started, when it suddenly stopped. Hasn't resumed so far, so tethering the phone to the laptop instead while we aren't yet in the Eurotunnel under the English Channel.

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #trains #UK

#crossborderrail #eurostar #trains #uk

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 12:12 UTC

The wifi in the St. Pancras Eurostar waiting room is slow at best. From the phone at times it didn't work at all.

Once in the Eurostar train, wifi was working until the train started, when it suddenly stopped. Hasn't resumed so far, so tethering the phone to the laptop instead while we aren't yet in the Eurotunnel under the English Channel.

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #trains #UK

#uk #trains #eurostar #crossborderrail

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 10:32 UTC

Now in London St. Pancras station, awaiting. An absurd amount of waiting (1.5 hours, of the over 2 hours I had planned as buffer) because of Brexit (passport control) plus the astonishingly inefficient security setup and boarding mechanism of the Eurostar.

Despite, flying would have been worse: even more dead hours where one can't do much more than read a book, or doomscroll. The train is the better choice, a far more effective use of my time: a day on a traveling office.

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #trains

#trains #eurostar #crossborderrail

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 10:32 UTC

Now in London St. Pancras station, awaiting. An absurd amount of waiting (1.5 hours, of the over 2 hours I had planned as buffer) because of Brexit (passport control) plus the astonishingly inefficient security setup and boarding mechanism of the Eurostar.

Despite, flying would have been worse: even more dead hours where one can't do much more than read a book, or doomscroll. The train is the better choice, a far more effective use of my time: a day on a traveling office.

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #trains

#trains #eurostar #crossborderrail

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 10:32 UTC

Now in London St. Pancras station, awaiting. An absurd amount of waiting (1.5 hours, of the over 2 hours I had planned as buffer) because of Brexit (passport control) plus the astonishingly inefficient security setup and boarding mechanism of the Eurostar.

Despite, flying would have been worse: even more dead hours where one can't do much more than read a book, or doomscroll. The train is the better choice, a far more effective use of my time: a day on a traveling office.

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #trains

#crossborderrail #eurostar #trains

Albert Cardona @[email protected] · 2026-09-27 · 10:32 UTC

Now in London St. Pancras station, awaiting. An absurd amount of waiting (1.5 hours, of the over 2 hours I had planned as buffer) because of Brexit (passport control) plus the astonishingly inefficient security setup and boarding mechanism of the Eurostar.

Despite, flying would have been worse: even more dead hours where one can't do much more than read a book, or doomscroll. The train is the better choice, a far more effective use of my time: a day on a traveling office.

#CrossBorderRail #Eurostar #trains

#trains #eurostar #crossborderrail