Eurostar is a fantastic way to travel to Paris, Brussels and, recently, Amsterdam. However we have…read moreonce travelled from St. Pancras and found, as we live in Essex, a real bind to get to. Also the cost of getting there is prohibitive. Security at this station is slow and laborious. So, recently, we have been catching the train at Ebbsfleet. Security is swift with no hassle as there is never a queue. Comfortable station with plenty of seating and places for a drink and/or sandwich. Car parking is a walk away and there are plenty of spaces. Trains stop and give ample of time to board. OK, once, and only once, we found people sitting in our reserved seats. They moved off reasonable easily.

Finding Ebbsfleet is simple from the M25, just be prepared to exit soon after coming over the…read moreDartford Crossing. Parking was plentiful but again you must be prepared to pay for the parking per day at the current rate of £11.50. The Ebbsfleet building is practical, built for purpose, a block of glass metal and plastic. Inside the walkways were wide and there was plenty of space. Not much evidence of huge crowds which I assumed might have been there. The lady behind the coffee counter assured the place can get very busy; £2.45 for a Cappuccino. Inside the terminal if you have time you can browse the historic finds located in glass cabinets along the side as well as a full scale train. Check-in is regulated so you might even have time to use the newsagents and the bureau de change. Once through check in you enter the security suite which enables your bags and yourself to under go a search, followed by and encounter with the French Police to check passports. Into the departure lounge I notice a cash machine for Euro's no commission charged, as well as a WH Smiths and Café Nero concessions, this time the Cappuccino cost £1.95. The Departure Lounge has a view over the rail lines providing close up viewing of the trains as arrive and depart. Ebbsfleet on return is a fast affair, as a desire to move to your car and away is a must, at this point I would advise ensuring you have your car park ticket in your wallet, so when you arrive back you can access the car park payment terminals in the main building which saves queuing at the terminals in the car park itself. Plus there was a young guy on the internal machines assisting people through the machine which is handy when you are tired after your trip.

An adorable statue in the Paddington station area…read more When you visit, do t forget to rub his snout for good luck and safe travels! The statue is worn from years of people doing the same, which gives his snout a nice shiny look. There is also a shop where you can get your own Paddington Bear! Adorable!

You haven't visited Paddington Station until you stop by for a photo with Paddington Bear. Located…read moreon the side of the station you'll find the bear statue and a bench down the way giving you a couple of photo opportunities. The Paddington story has a special place in my heart. If you've never read the books or watched the movies, definitely make a plan to do so. So you understand the adventure of this rare bear.

If you have never been to Eurostar, this is a train that can go from London to Paris and many other…read moreplaces. But the one I usually take is from London to Paris. You will have to get to St Pancras station. This place is quite large but easy to navigate. Our trip was in the early morning and many people came here earlier than the time the train leaves. Everyone will have to pass through immigration and security with their luggage and bags. The train itself is spotless but the process for getting to the train track is a little strange. They won't let you know which number it will be until it is super close to the time. When that happens then everyone is trying to hurry up to that certain number. That was a little bit on the hectic side. Overall though the train ride itself is smooth and we got premium seats so we also got a light meal and drinks while we were traveling on board. It takes about 2 hours and 16 minutes to get to Paris and I really love train rides so this wasn't feeling too long or too short. Had a fun time and a cool thing about this one is that we go underwater!!

Very smooth transition from cab to Eurostar train station with a herd of humans efficiently…read morecoasting through the safety entry points. They have an international currency exchange kiosk. Once in the terminal for Paris departure, we found refuge at a few basic seats. They offer two cafes and a clean bathroom. The train arrived on time with quick boarding. The lower large luggage area on the train is limited on a first come first serve basis, although has higher shelving available. The ride was great without any issues with clean bathrooms. They offer a Eurostar Cafe onboard where we ordered water and chips. The cashier was friendly and offered us French mini chocolates, which we graciously took. At the cafe we purchased subway passes for Paris called Navigo. Much easier process than flying.

What a beautiful train station! It was definitely a sight to see and a great location to see when…read moreyou are in London. We specifically came here because we purchased a Eurostar train ticket to Paris. From arriving, to checking in, going through customs, it was very organized and people paid attention. It wasn't chaos as it tends to get in the US. The whole process to getting on and off the train was a piece of cake-definitely not stressful at all. If you are trying to get to Paris, Amsterdam, or any outer cities near London, this is the place to be when needing to take a train. I highly recommend Eurostar since it is a high speed train and will get you to your next destination fairly quick. If you are not planning to leave the city, I still recommend checking it out since it is a beauty and I heard, Harry Potter was filmed here.

Clean station. Hustle and bustle, busy. Clear signage…read more Getting from one platform to another is easy breezy. High-speed trains to get you to international destinations in no time.

Paddington mainline train station mixes grand architecture with a hectic, crowded space, Honesty I…read morereally only detoured here for the Paddington Bear statue,( I expected bigger but then I watched a movie.when I got back to the states, so actually he's life size, I guess) also I wanted to see the crowds. So with thousands of solid Yelp reviews before me just read those, but for me it earns its reputation as a London rail icon and something to see for yourself.

A large busy station. Use of the bathrooms require a payment…read more There are markings on the floor indicating the way to the platform for the Heathrow Express but it is still confusing when looking for the correct gate. Several decent food options and a quasi-pub.

Having grown up in this area I remember the station as a dark damp unwelcoming place. Well what can…read moreI say they have put some money into the station and it is much brighter open and welcoming. They have made it very similar to most stations which have had a face lift. I know where the big open entrance space is there used to be some small businesses there which have obviously been moved on to where I have no idea. The station provides good quick connections into London and out towards Crayford and Dartford. All in all a much nicer station to wait for your train.

Great little station! Just behind my flat - clean and well kept, regular trains and ticket office…read morestaffed throughout the day. You can get to London Bridge in 5 minutes which is fantastic for commuters! Plenty of seats for while you wait and I haven't seen the station overly busy yet!

Southend Victoria, scenery wise, was everything you ever hear about London as far as overcast,…read morefoggy, and a little deserted.  Like a constant loop of a after the rain feeling when some people take to risk to go outside and scurry about even though the clouds still look like they are ready to downpour on you at any moment's notice.  We arrived at Southend Victoria after our flight from Paris which landed us in South End Airport.  The Southend Victoria stop on the National Rail was directly outside the airport across from baggage claim.  All we had to do was simply cross the street once we exited the airport.  The National Rail is an outdoor train and unless you knew where you were going it's a bit difficult to buy a ticket on their kiosks outside their version of a turnstile.  At the time we were there, the window with the agent had  a heavy line and the gentlemen at the turnstile seemed limited on what he could assist you with; sorta like he wasn't able to leave his post but still available to answer questions.  We had purchased our tickets online in efforts to catch the train on time but on the same note we were cutting things really close with our time table.  Sadly we ended up missing our original train, we went to the booth to ask if we could swap the tickets for a later time and the answer was the obvious, NO.  But I don't do no.  So when you purchase your ticket in advance they send you a barcode to scan when you get to the rail.  So we simply scanned the ticket anyway even though our original train had passed and what do you know, we made it in.  Score 1 for me 0 for the Window Agent.    Riding the National Rail was an experience, not too often do you take a train across the country abroad, take in the scenery, and be in awe of the neighborhood and its structures.

Busy and easy train station to navigate Quickest way to…read morecentral London from here Trains can be delayed on and off Clean and enough food stalls and shops for the size

I won't say that this station is huge, but compared to a lot of other stations that I've visited,…read moreit is still pretty massive. Well, that probably should be surprising considering that Croydon is a pretty major metropolitan hub, so of course there is going to be a pretty large station here. Like a lot of stations, it's not bad at all, and reasonably easy to get around. Oh, and there are lots of shops there as well.

Okay, like this station may not be all that grand, but at least it dumps you in the middle of a…read moreshopping district, which I what I believe stations are supposed to do. Well, also there is the high density housing, but I haven't been paying too much attention to that. Anyhow, this station really wasn't all that bad. Quite handy actually.

Balham Station has both an underground stop and a National Rail station…read more For the underground, the only option from this station is the Northern line. The main problem with this line is that it can be quite packed during the morning rush hour. It gets to Balham fairly packed and leaves completely packed. I really don't know how people in Clapham actually get to work. For the National Rail station, you can get the train to other major train stations in London. Depending on the train you catch, you can get to Clapham Junction in one stop. A downside of this station, as mentioned in some other reviews. Is that the lines to refill your Oyster card can be quite long. You definitely want to avoid doing this during the morning rush hour. On the plus side, there are places to get a coffee, both in the entrance and on the platform of the train station part. Also, the station is well situated in the area with plenty of shops, restaurants and pubs nearby. You can likely pick up whatever you need without making a big detour on your way from the station to your home.

It's a surprise to find a station serving as a small village as Balcombe, especially on a main…read moreline. However, the lack of good roads to and from the village, and its proximity to London, ensures a healthy flow of commuter traffic, with Balcombe acting as a rail-head for several villages around - it is used by just over 100,000 passengers a year. It's an attractive small station, the east side nestling in a cutting, and surrounded on all sides by mature trees and shrubs, and is very popular at week-ends with walkers exploring the surrounding woodlands. The station opened on 12 July 1841 as an intermediate station on the then London and Brighton Railway, later amalgamated into the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. The 1841 census shows that there were 550 railway labourers living in the village at the time - which must have been challenging for the locals! The station has been rationalised over the years, but retains a small building on the down (Brighton) platform, complete with Victorian canopy, ticket office and toilet. The office is only open at peak times (the toilet is also closed when the office is shut). If this is the case, you need to buy a 'permit to travel' from the machine and buy a ticket on board. The up platform (for London) has a small waiting shelter with step-free access from the car park, and there are car parking spaces and a cycle rack on this side of the station. A footbridge provides access between the platforms, and also provides the exit to London Road at the top of the cutting. Note that there is no step-free access to the Brighton platform. An oddity is the extension of the Brighton platform under the small tunnel at the south of the station: this is only used to board and alight from trains, and a sign warns not to enter the tunnel when a through (ie non-stopping) train is approaching which they do, at some speed. The service is fairly sparse: off-peak, Monday to Saturday there is one train an hour in each direction, on the First Capital Connect service from Bedford to Brighton via London Bridge. On Sundays, an hourly service is provided by Southern on the Brighton to London Victoria line. Additional services stop during rush hours in both directions. To the north of the station is Balcombe tunnel, 800 yards long, and to the south the famous Ouse viaduct, the first long railway viaduct in southern Britain. At 1,475 ft (450m) long, faced with Caen stone and with four Italianate pavilions at each end, it is regarded as one of the most attractive in the UK.