The process of disembarking, collecting the luggage, waiting as their parents try to find out where to go, all the noise, as well as new smells and sounds. With so much uncertainty and the increased potential for demands like waiting, queues and transfers is it any wonder that the boys are usually grumbling somewhere in the high yellow zone? We have learnt from experience that this part of travelling is an extremely fraught time, and it takes very little to push them into meltdown red!

There are several things we do to help our boys (and us) stay as calm as possible and special assistance schemes are a great place to start.

EUROSTAR'S SPECIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME

Eurostar has put considerable effort into it special assistance offer and there is a wealth of information that is easy to read and understand on its website. Along with wheel chair users, partially sighted and other physically disabled passengers, they also state that their service is also available for passengers with a hidden disability, explicitly mentioning autism. They also welcome passengers with other neurodivergent conditions or learning disabilities who would benefit from support.

There is lots of information about departing London with Eurostar Special Assistance (Autism) on their webpage, however there was not much information on what support they offer in Paris.

Having already made use of Eurostar's Special Assistance Service in London (read more about this here) we were intrigued to see how helpful the French side of the operation would be on our arrival, and again on our return leg.

HOW DID EUROSTAR'S SPECIAL ASSISTANCE HELP US ON ARRIVAL IN PARIS?

The on-board Eurostar team had advised us to wait until the other passengers had left before disembarking ourselves. When we finally stepped down from the carriage we were surprised, and delighted, to see that a Special Assistance guide in a bright pink t-shirt was waiting outside our exact train carriage door with a wheelchair for us - impressive given how super long the Eurostar trains are.

Eurostar's Special Assistance Mobility Support

By this point in the journey our youngest was beyond walking and was asking to be carried; he has a strong sensory need for touch and pressure to help him feel regulated. We had got off at the far end of the 13 carriage train and it was an extremely long platform. There was no way I could have managed to carry him this distance. I was so relieved to see them, and their presence immediately averted the meltdown my refusal to carry him would have produced.

Eurostar's Onward Travel Support

The assistance staff were friendly and chatty with us as we were pushed along the platform, and asked us what our plans were next - where did we need to go? They first suggested an Uber as a cheaper option to a taxi, but we had so much luggage we weren’t sure we would be able to order one in the right size and we weren't confident to know where to go to be picked up. At this point Paris was still preparing for the Olympics in a couple of months time and the city was engulfed in road works, including around the entrance/exits to the station. Lots of roads blocked off and it all felt a bit chaotic.

We agreed that a metered taxi would be the best option at this point in our journey, and they offered to take us to the taxi stand – which we hadn’t expected! They kindly pushed me in the wheelchair (with my youngest on my lap as he refused to sit in it on his own) all the way out the station, along a footpath with construction board walls and across a road to the taxi rank.

Eurostar's Taxi Queue Assistance

When I saw the queue of people at the taxi rank stretching off into the distance my heart sunk - how were the boys going to cope with this when they had no more to give? I immediately started to panic plan for the worst in my head.

And this was when Eurostar won a gold star from us.

Our friendly lady in the pink t-shirt pushed the wheelchair into a separate queue I hadn’t noticed. There were a couple of other people waiting in it, also next to Eurostar staff. After a chat with the man in charge of the queue, she came back to say it would probably be a 5 or so minute wait. It turned out that this queue was only for people that had been approved for special assistance, what an amazing and unexpected development. She stayed with us until we got to the front, helped us get into the taxi, made sure the driver knew where we wanted to go and then with a cheery wave she was gone!

DEPARTING PARIS ON EUROSTAR WITH AUTISTIC CHILDREN

Paris Special Assistance Check in Process

Eurostar's Special Assistance is a little different for departures in Paris. Unlike London's Special Assistance, the special assistance counter is not next to the check in desks - there is a separate room on the main concourse where you go and let them know you've arrived. The room is very basic but has a disabled toilet, some plastic seats and you are welcome to leave your luggage there (at your own risk obviously). After we dropped our bags off, our train-mad boys had a great time by the mainline platforms watching the different trains pull into the station from all over Europe, they particularly loved watching the double decker overnight sleepers!

Paris Security and Passport Control

At the agreed time we went back to the office and a Eurostar guide came to take us through passport control and security. It was the last weekend of the Easter holidays and as expected, it was very busy. We were taken through a queue that was right next to the main one, separated only by the contractable ribbons. Although we did not have to wait long our youngest found the close proximity to so many other people quite difficult and started kicking out at the other passengers - it was a relief for everyone when we were ushered on our way and on through security.

Once through border control we were taken to the entrance to our platform and invited to sit in a small area at the front for special assistance passengers. This really helped to give the little one some space and help him to calm down again.

Boarding the Paris to London Eurostar Service

After a short wait we were invited to go onto the platform and board the train first. Having the time and space to do this definitely helped me to get the boys settled without worrying about disturbing other passengers.

Unfortunately, Eurostar had changed the carriage configuration at the last minute and for some reason we were no longer seated together as a family of 4 around a table as per our original booking - 2 of us had been moved down the carriage to a pair of seats.

We had previously contacted the Special Assistance team about the seating change, but frustratingly there was nothing they could do to help. We were advised to speak to the train attendant and ask to be seated together again, and explain that both boys get extremely anxious when they are separated from one of their parents, even if the other is nearby.

When we boarded the train and spoke to the attendant we were disappointed to hear that because the train was fully booked it would be up to the two passengers who had been moved into our seats as to whether they were happy to change.

It was a very stressful wait but once they arrived the attendant did help to explain the situation and thankfully they were very happy to swap their seats with us, so we could sit together again.

Although it was the only blip in an otherwise straightforward journey, it did create a lot of internal stress for everybody, mostly me! I am still at a loss as to why Eurostar decided to split us up from the original booking in the first place, and no one was ever able to adequately explain this decision. Well, at least it got sorted in the end.

SPECIAL ASSISTANCE ON ARRIVAL IN LONDON

Although we declined their help, a similar service to the one we had received in Paris on arrival was offered to us on our return to London. Our carriage had come in at the end of the platform nearest the exit, we were much more comfortable with the layout of the station in London and had already pre-ordered a taxi which was waiting for us outside - but it was nice to know it was available if we had needed it.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Eurostar's Special Assistance scheme in Paris was equal in quality to that of London, if set up a little differently. The staff were friendly and polite, although I felt that they lacked the same depth of awareness of hidden disabilities, and the sunflower lanyard scheme, compared to their colleagues on the English side. That said, it was an absolute pleasure to travel with Eurostar, and we felt lucky to have access to the service.

4 reasons why you should book Eurostar's Special Assistance Service for your autistic children:

There was a dedicated space to wait before check in with a disabled toilets and somewhere to leave luggage (at own risk).
We were taken through a separate line for the security and passport queue, avoiding the crowds and reducing the waiting time
There was a special seating area to sit in at the gate before boarding
We were invited to board first to give us time to get the boys settled

TRAVELLING
with SUNFLOWERS

PARIS EUROSTAR: Special Assistance for Autistic Families

Our PARIS DESTINATION GUIDE FOR AUTISTIC FAMILIES is now available!

Our journey from Paris to London

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