EUROSTAR PLUS: Why it works for Autistic Families
- Oct 12, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: May 12
In 2024 we took our autistic boys to Paris on the Eurostar. Although I have travelled on Eurostar many times before, this trip was the first time I had booked Eurostar Plus tickets.
Would the experience be worth the additional cost?
Would it make any difference to how well we coped with travelling as a neurodiverse family?
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Beat the queues - buy advance tickets for the Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour of Paris*
Should I book Eurostar Standard or Eurostar Plus Tickets?
In my experience preparing for a journey involving autistic family members requires creative thinking, careful planning and lots of contingency plans. A key factor in all of this is always our budget. Knowing what to spend our money on and where or how to use it to provide the best value to us as a group is absolutely vital.
So when I started thinking about taking the Eurostar as a family my first step was trying to imagine how the boys would cope with the experience of travelling to Paris by train. I have done the journey many times before, but always in the cheaper, standard class seats. I know from experience that the standard carriages can sometimes be busy and noisy, and sometimes they are so quiet and I have slept for most of the journey! What I wondered would Eurostar Plus seats offer?
After a little bit of research (and with the boys sensory needs front and centre in my mind) I decided we should give the Eurostar Plus seats a go. I was pleased to discover that being flexible with our dates meant we were able to book a Eurostar Plus tickets for only £15 more than the standard class seats going from London to Paris. It was around £30 more for a seat travelling back from Paris to London.
Read below for a detailed overview of our journey and discover why I think every family with autistic children should consider booking Eurostar Plus tickets for their neurodiverse crew, especially if your budget can stretch*.
Benefits of booking Eurostar Plus for Autistic Families
We were able to book a table for four, with a table for 2 just over the aisle (we were a party of 5). This meant we had plenty of room to spread out, on and even under without bothering other travellers. Our youngest spent quite a bit of time under the table! My husband and I were able to take a little turn each on the table for two, a useful timeout, while still be a reassuring presence for the boys.
In Eurostar Plus they almost halve the number of seats compared with standard. With so many fewer people it was lovely and quiet and really reduced the sensory demands on the boys from noise and people brushing past the space beside us.
The seats were wider, the aisle more spacious and there were fewer people walking up and down past us - this made it easier for everyone to relax and enjoy the experience.
The seat blocks were divided by partitions which limited sight and sound distractions
There were plenty of toilets at either end of the carriage so no need to queue. This is important for us as our youngest has poor interoception (the "hidden sense" that allows the brain to read and respond to internal signals from the body's organs, including hunger, thirst, pain and full bladders). This means he often leaves it very late before he lets us know he needs to use the bathroom, making queuing particularly difficult.
We got a lovely meal and plenty of drinks provided which was a great treat for us – although we still brought a packed lunch for the boys which they were fine about.
The staff were kind, friendly and helpful and brought little extras for the boys, including a make your own paper Eurostar train which our eldest loved and carried everywhere with him for months!
There was lots of space for all our luggage as they provide more racks than in standard.
FINAL THOUGHTS on BOOKING EUROSTAR PLUS FOR AUTISTIC FAMILIES
As the above list shows, for us, booking these Eurostar Plus tickets turned out to be a great decision. We had plenty of room for the boys to get comfortable and it felt more relaxing than my previous journeys in standard class.
Based on our experience, I would highly recommend Eurostar Plus seats for neurodiverse families. If we take Eurostar with the boys again, we will definitely try and book this travel class - for us it was worth the extra money.
Happy travels x
REMEMBER: You Can Book Special Assistance for Autism and Hidden Disabilities on Eurostar!
Registering with Eurostar's Special Assistance Scheme* made a big difference to our experience. The best bit, it is totally free!!
Read more about our experience using the service and how to book it for your own family in our blog articles Eurostar Special Assistance departing London and Departing Paris.
Beat the queues and buy advance tickets for the Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour of Paris*
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