Eurostar: soon the end of direct trains between London and Disneyland Paris

Going to Disneyland Paris straight from London will be no longer possible very soon! This is what Eurostar announced this August 30, 2022. The famous train company completing round trips between France and the United Kingdom under the channel announced they were to end the direct trips between London and Disneyland Paris, starting from early June 2023. This is in a statement handed to the AFP this Tuesday the Eurostar company said they “have taken the decision not to run the direct Disney service ... in summer 2023”. “We will revisit options for 2024 during the course of the next year”, the company added whilst explaining this decision could be temporary.

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But then, why has the Eurostar train company decided to stop the famous service, coveted by many British people? The company points out financial issues caused by the covid-19 pandemic and new logistics related to Brexit. As a matter of fact, starting from Fall 2023, British citizens are eligible to the ETIAS, an electronic travel authorization allowing them to enter the Schengen area. “We need to focus on our core routes to ensure we can continue to provide the high level of service”, Eurostar added.

For your information, ETIAS is a European Travel Information and Authorization System, proposed in 2016 by the EU commission and expected to be operational by November 2023. ETIAS will be a mandatory pre-condition for entry to the Schengen area. The ETIAS' goal is to strengthen the security checks on people who travel visa-free to the EU, namely nationals from 60+ countries.  This automated IT system is to identify any security or irregular migratory risks posed by visa-exempt visitors traveling to the Schengen area. But at the same time, it is expected to facilitate crossing borders for people who do not pose such risks. The ETIAS will have to be applied online by non-EU nationals who do not need a visa to travel to the Schengen area, prior to their trip. After filling in the form, the system will conduct checks and issue a travel aythorization in minutes. Find out more at schengenvisainfo.com.

We can imagine how disappointed many British families will be as they were used to ride this line between London and Marne-la-Vallée to go to the iconic Disneyland Paris park. Starting from summer 2023, the latter will have to adapt and ride Ile-de-France public transit once arrived at Paris Gare du Nord. If they arrive in Lille, they will have no other choice but ride another train to Marne-la-Vallée.