[Anonymous]

[BigDog.]

When a corporate lad I used to make a London – Geneva trip monthly. Now Eurostar has moved the connection from Paris (Gare du Nord then a schlep to Gare de Lyon) to Lille with a simple platform change to the TGV, London to Geneva by rail will be a very attractive and pleasurable alternative.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/100920/eurostar-to-operate-geneva-route

…inaugural service leaving the buffers on December 14…

…In the next two years, Eurostar is also planning to expand its services to Lyon, Marseille and Amsterdam….

[AMcWhirter]

Hello BigDog

In fact businesstraveller.com carried the same story earlier today.

What needs to be clarified by Eurostar is where UK security and border controls will take place on the return from Geneva.

Will they be in Geneva or Lille ?

[LuganoPirate]

I very much doubt it will take place in Geneva Alex. You can already travel by Eurostar to/from Lille so I guess it will take place there.

While still longer than by plane, it’s certainly a service I’d use and I hope it will also be possible to make the journey via Lille starting in Basel.

[AMcWhirter]

You are correct, LP.

Eurostar says that passengers travelling from the UK to Geneva will go through UK border controls im either London or Ebbsfleet (depending on where they join the train). Passports may also be checked on boad the TGV Lyria train as the border is crossed into Switzerland.

For the Geneva-London sector, passports may be checked on board the TGV Lyria when crossing into France. The main UK passport/security checks will take place at the Eurostar check-in at Lille Europe.

[LuganoPirate]

I doubt there would be passport checks going into/out of Switzerland Alex as Switzerland is a fully paid up (€700 million a year I think) member of Schengen. The TGV Lyria would be an internal journey to lille so not subject to border controls.

[HaggisCH]

There may however be random customs checks on the trains as it crosses the border.

[LuganoPirate]

Yes indeed Haggis. Switzerland is not yet (if ever) part of the eu customs union, so customs checks are still a part of crossing the border.

[Author]

Posts