17th August 2024
Train 8192
Operator: Eurostar
Class: Standard Premier
Departure: London St Pancras 15:04 (scheduled) 15:03 (actual)
Arrival: Brussels Midi / Zuid 18:38 (on time)
Journey time: 2h34m
I don't recall booking Standard Premier but apparently I did (for £143, with free onward travel to any Belgian station that day). So I was able to turn left, leaving behind the crowds and boarding carriage 1. I believe these are the same config as business class, with 1-2 seating; it's the soft product and terms that differ.
Eurostar Standard Premier seating
I had a solo seat, which was spacious, comfortable, and well equipped: a tray table, usb and euro power sockets, even a reading light! The train is equipped with WiFi, which is free. We had barely departed St Pancras - a minute early - before the meal service began. There was a choice of mains, and wine / beer / soft drinks were available; there were also a couple of tea and coffee runs throughout the journey.
Cold dish
Suffolk chicken with sundried tomato and basil, orzo pasta salad with Mediterranean vegetables, lemon and thyme crème fraîche (252 kcal)
or
Goat's cheese arancini, summer coleslaw, kalamata and green olives, tomato salsa (191 kcal)
Dessert
Belgian chocolate and biscuit tiffin, strawberry compote (212 kcal)
Eurostar Standard Premier catering
After eavesdropping on a nearby family who also had a secret red envelope, I wandered over to say hello and compare initial thoughts. They shared some useful tips for using my interrail pass: in particular, that I would need reservations to be able to get from Belgium to Germany the next day! As we progressed from England to France to Belgium I continued to search maps and timetables to cement my onward plan. There were also lively discussions in the group chat; I can see a fun community emerging from this, another perk of joining an organised event. I'm not really a fan of group travel but this is slightly different: simultaneous solo travel!
We arrived exactly on schedule, although it took a while to get from the final carriage down to the main station concourse due to crowds. Even so, a quick supermarket sweep soon saw me ready to move on, and conveniently there was an earlier train I could join.
17th August 2024
Train IC540
Operator: SNCB
Class: 2nd
Departure: Brussels Midi / Zuid 19:03 (scheduled) 19:04 (actual)
Arrival: Bruges 19:59 (on time)
Journey time: 56m
SNCB standard class seating
There's not much to report from this short domestic hop. It was a double decker train, so I had to sit upstairs (those are just the rules). Passenger load was light enough that I was able to secure a set of four seats to myself for the whole ride; sadly the few people who were about didn't seem to care for headphones. Anyway: we left on time, arrived on time, and it was free. What's not to like?