Travel with... Travel with...

Travel with…

Travel with... Travel with...

Travelling with children

Taking young children abroad presents parents and guardians with unique challenges. Discover everything clients need to know about travelling with children, to ensure a smooth journey for the entire family.

Now that Eurostar and Thalys have joined forces under the Eurostar name, we’re making some changes to our travel classes. From 4 November, our current classes are becoming Eurostar Standard, Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier.

  • Children under 4 

Children who are under the age of four travel for free, as long as they sit on an adult’s lap. If a young child requires a seat of their own, then a child ticket needs to be purchased.

 

  • Fares for children aged four to 11

With special rates in Standard for children aged four to 11, families can travel cost-effectively across Eurostar’s network.

 

  • Unaccompanied travelers under 18

Additional documentation is required for unaccompanied travellers under the age of 18. Please read the relevant section below, to ensure the latest government guidance is checked prior to travel – for both the departure and arrival destinations.

 

  • Children under 12 years old

Young travellers under the age of 12 must travel with a responsible person aged 16 or older.

 

  • Children aged 12 to 15 years old (inclusive)

Young travellers aged 12 to 15 years (inclusive) can travel independently to some Eurostar destinations. Passengers should note that they can only travel on trains departing between 06:00 and 17:00 local time. Prior to departure, a Eurostar unaccompanied minor form must be completed. The form must be signed by their parent or legal guardian (or by a responsible adult given consent by the parent or legal guardian) at the station in the presence of a member of the Eurostar team. The signed form should remain with the child throughout their journey and shown to the on board team when required.

By providing written consent for the young person to travel, parents/guardians accept and agree that the young person will travel unaccompanied and be treated as an adult passenger for the entirety of the journey (i.e. the young person will not be supervised by a member of the Eurostar staff). Arrangements for the young person to be met on arrival at their destination must be made by the parent/guardian.

Please note: children under 16 cannot travel unaccompanied on direct trains to or from the Netherlands.

The young traveller will need the following documents:
     – Eurostar ticket
     – Passport
     – Eurostar unaccompanied minor form signed by a parent or legal guardian

Additional requirements for French residents.
As above, plus:
     – Autorisation de sortie de territoire (AST) form signed by a parent
     – Photocopy of the identity card or passport of the parent who has signed the AST form

 

  •  Teenagers aged 16 and 17 years old

Teenagers aged 16 and 17 are permitted to travel by themselves. However, they will require the customary travel documents and must meet all the legal requirements.

Documents needed:
     – Eurostar ticket
     – Passport

Additional requirements for French residents, as above, plus:

     – Autorisation de sortie de territoire (AST) form signed by a parent
     – Photocopy of the identity card or passport of the parent who has signed the AST form

 

  • French citizens or a foreigner living in France

From 15 January 2017, a French citizen aged under 18 years of age must complete an Autorisation de sortie de territoire (AST) form before they travel alone or without their parents.

Now that Eurostar and Thalys have joined forces under the Eurostar name, we’re making some changes to our travel classes. From 4 November, our current classes are becoming Eurostar Standard, Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier.

  • Children under 4

Children under 4 years of age can travel for free and do not require a ticket on routes between Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany, provided they are sharing a seat with an adult for the duration of the journey.

 

  • Children aged 4 to 11 years old

A discounted rate applies for children aged between 4 and 11, when travelling on our European routes.

     – €15 in Standard

     – €25 in Comfort

     – €40 in Premium

From 04 November, fares for children aged 4 to 11 years old are approximately 30% cheaper in Eurostar Standard and Eurostar Plus on trains during peak travel periods, with a discount of approximately 30% to 50% available on trains during off-peak travel periods.  This does not apply to Eurostar Premier. 

  • Under 18

We do not allow children under the age of 12 to travel alone on routes between Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany.

All travellers under the age of 18, whether accompanied or not, travel under the responsibility of their parents (or guardians the parents have authorised to accompany them).

Parents or guardians must ensure that anyone travelling under the age of 18 possesses the necessary documents to cross any national border.