Own food/drink through st. Pancras Eurostar customs

[Blindtraveler]

Hey all. Potentially booking a journey to Austria in the autumn in the next few weeks, departing st. Pancras mid-afternoon by Eurostar to Brussels with the the just over 1 hour connection at Brussels on to nightjet.

As the night jet does not convey a restaurant and I am unable to read the the PDF menu for the room service menu which is in German and presents all manner of challenges at the best of times let alone if using a screen reader I'm wondering whether I can take a pre-packed salad meal with me to eat either on Eurostar or nightjet through customs in London or whether I should upgrade to a class of travel on Eurostar that includes a meal in the 2 hours or so that it will take me to travel from London to Brussels




When I did this journey the other way around back in January 2020 it was less of a concern. I had already died in Vienna and whilst I did make use of the on-board bar facilities on nightjet the main meal of concern was breakfast which of course is provided to all passengers except those travelling in a seat. I did use the buffet car on Eurostar and found the quality less than satisfactory and the price a little higher than I wanted it to be by hence my asking whether it's worth upgrading to something where food is included or where I could at least buy something a little better than a pre-packed sandwich or if as I say I should simply take my own meal and eat it when I want. Thanks in advance for any help

 

[StephenHunter]

Nightjet does do full meals in room service and the menu is available in English.

Services on the train

www.nightjet.com

Eurostar has a no outside food rule.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Eurostar has a no outside food rule.

No it doesn't, nor has it ever had. It doesn't allow "open" liquids through security e.g. coffees because of the risk of spilling them inside the X ray machine and damaging it, that's all. It did at one point have restrictions on carrying on alcohol, but there seems to be no evidence of that at present.

https://help.eurostar.com/faq/uk-en/question/Is-food-and-drink-available-on-board

Can you take food on the Eurostar?

You're welcome to bring your own food from home. Unlike airlines, there are no restrictions on liquids so you can even bring a bottle of bubbly.

 

[johncrossley]

Eurostar has a no outside food rule.

Is that a typo? Did you mean "Eurostar has no outside food rule"?

Some food (such as meat) isn't allowed to be taken into the EU by passengers, but presumably it is OK as long as you consume the food before leaving the train.

 

[Mawkie]

When I did this journey the other way around back in January 2020 it was less of a concern. I had already died in Vienna and wh

They did well to revive you

As noted above, you can take as much food and drink as you like on the Eurostar. Last month I couldn't get Standard Premier tickets on the outbound, so brought filled rolls, crisps, snacks, and bottles of drink. On return, here is an example of the vegetarian food offering in SP.

 

[ainsworth74]

On return, here is an example of the vegetarian food offering in SP.

Perhaps a text based description would be helpful for our member using as screen reader as per their opening post

 

[Mawkie]

Perhaps a text based description would be helpful for our member using as screen reader as per their opening post

Oh yes, how inconsiderate of me.

If I recall, it was touted as a quiche, but it appeared to me to be a filo pastry case filled with curried potato and red peppers, a bread roll, pineapple cake slice with some kind of creamy mousse, small can of Coke and tea or coffee.

 

[daodao]

While I have no relevant personal experience, the EU appears to be quite strict about the food products (including presumably in a packed meal) that one can bring into the EU. Eurostar is likely to enforce these rules as well as the border guards.

Rules when travelling from a non-EU country​

If you travel to the EU from a non-EU country, you are not allowed to bring any meat or dairy products with you. You can however bring a limited quantity of fruit and vegetables as well as eggs, egg products and honey. Restricted quantities of fish or fish products are also allowed.

Taking animal products, food or plants with you in the EU - Your Europe

Rules on carrying meat, dairy and fish products in the EU, restrictions when travelling from a non-EU country; quantities allowed, information on exceptions, baby milk and food for medical reasons; products not allowed; information on controls and when entering the EU

europa.eu

 

[Watershed]

While I have no relevant personal experience, the EU appears to be quite strict about the products (including presumably in a packed meal) that one can bring into the EU. Eurostar is likely to enforce these rules as well as the border guards.

Taking animal products, food or plants with you in the EU - Your Europe

Rules on carrying meat, dairy and fish products in the EU, restrictions when travelling from a non-EU country; quantities allowed, information on exceptions, baby milk and food for medical reasons; products not allowed; information on controls and when entering the EU

europa.eu

I hardly think they would try to stop you from taking a sandwich etc. with you. Taking a leg of lamb or a pack of salami - probably more of an issue!

 

[daodao]

I hardly think they would try to stop you from taking a sandwich etc. with you.

I wouldn't be so sure.

 

[MichaelAMW]

It did at one point have restrictions on carrying on alcohol, but there seems to be no evidence of that at present.

I believe that is still true and there was a bit of a fuss kicked up when this was introduced, but it seems in practice it's there to give them the right to curtail the activities of groups who turn up with 500 cans they plan to drink on the way. In theory it means they can confiscate a few bottles of plonk you bought in the supermarket but in practice they don't do so.

I hardly think they would try to stop you from taking a sandwich etc. with you. Taking a leg of lamb or a pack of salami - probably more of an issue!

Yes, I agree, but the rule does seems to be unambiguous, i.e. you would be breaking it with your ham sandwich, even if nobody actually stopped you.

 

[johncrossley]

I hardly think they would try to stop you from taking a sandwich etc. with you. Taking a leg of lamb or a pack of salami - probably more of an issue!

Immediately after Brexit there were news reports of people having sandwiches containing meat confiscated on the motorway in France and the Netherlands. If you are driving in France there is no ambiguity, but at what point does a Eurostar trip count as being in the EU? In St Pancras when you have the French passport control? Once you have entered France after passing through the Channel Tunnel? Or when you disembark from the train?

 

[ainsworth74]

Oh yes, how inconsiderate of me.

If I recall, it was touted as a quiche, but it appeared to me to be a filo pastry case filled with curried potato and red peppers, a bread roll, pineapple cake slice with some kind of creamy mousse, small can of Coke and tea or coffee.

Thank you

I hardly think they would try to stop you from taking a sandwich etc. with you. Taking a leg of lamb or a pack of salami - probably more of an issue!

I am only aware of one report (which suggests it isn't widespread) but a lorry driver very much hand ham sandwich confiscated at the Dutch border!

 

[crablab]

I ate a pork pie on a Eurostar train between St Pancras and the tunnel, on HS1. It's quite normal for people to visit the M&S adjacent to the Eurostar queue and bring things through to eat on the train. Some French students were even enjoying a Five Guys they'd taken through!

You can also purchase various meat/dairy containing items from the Pret in the Eurostar departure lounge.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Lots to think about there

I'm still unable to find the English version of the night jet room service offering referred to above but certainly sounds like my idea of taking a pre-packed salad meal in Tupperware containers is dead for fear of breaking any rules

 

[jfollows]

I'm still unable to find the English version of the night jet room service offering referred to above

Page down in the PDF which starts in German, it's followed by versions in other languages including English.

 

[pdq]

If it's useful, I have attached just the English page from the NightJet menu

 

[D6700]

certainly sounds like my idea of taking a pre-packed salad meal in Tupperware containers is dead for fear of breaking any rules

I believe you would be absolutely fine with a salad - it only appears to be meat and dairy products that have potential to cause any bother. Fish is ok up to 20 kg or a whole fish, whichever is bigger, so a tuna salad would be fine - unless being carried in industrial quantities!

The page linked to earlier also says "You can however bring a limited quantity of fruit and vegetables as well as eggs, egg products and honey."

I have to confess that I have inadvertantly broken the new rules, due to being a regular traveller and automatically doing certain things out of habit - such as buying a sandwich at an airport, but not consuming it until after arriving at the other end.

 

[30907]

If it's useful, I have attached just the English page from the NightJet menu

If the screenreader doesn't like it, there's a variety of (microwaved) hot food from Goulash soup up to Chicken with rice and peas.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I have often taken food and drink that I have bought at St. Pancras, Brussels or Paris onto Eurostar trains with now problem, (Including Wine).

 

[Wolfie]

I hardly think they would try to stop you from taking a sandwich etc. with you. Taking a leg of lamb or a pack of salami - probably more of an issue!

Actually in January there were stories in the media of truckers originating from the UK bleating that their sandwiches had been seized. We were involved in drafting those EU rules then chose to take on third country status.

Try carrying fruit or indeed sandwiches into the USA or Australia and see what happens.....

 

[Cloud Strife]

Immediately after Brexit there were news reports of people having sandwiches containing meat confiscated on the motorway in France and the Netherlands. If you are driving in France there is no ambiguity, but at what point does a Eurostar trip count as being in the EU? In St Pancras when you have the French passport control? Once you have entered France after passing through the Channel Tunnel? Or when you disembark from the train?

Officially, only passport/identity controls are juxtaposed in the Channel Tunnel. Customs controls remain in the country of arrival, so UK customs controls are carried out in London/Folkestone, and French controls in Paris/Calais.

I don't know how it looks in Paris when you arrive, but if you have something against the rules, you can always simply approach the customs officers (if present!) and declare that you want to dispose of the offending items.

Where the OP is concerned, it's only meat and dairy products that are of concern. You can perfectly well take a nice egg or tuna salad with no problems whatsoever.

I wouldn't be so sure.

Eurostar have no interest in enforcing customs rules.

 

[Wolfie]

Officially, only passport/identity controls are juxtaposed in the Channel Tunnel. Customs controls remain in the country of arrival, so UK customs controls are carried out in London/Folkestone, and French controls in Paris/Calais.



Eurostar have no interest in enforcing customs rules.

Eurostar do not. Belgian or French Douane might well. Border Force do so in UK.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Eurostar have no interest in enforcing customs rules.

Nor, half the time, do the UK Customs, we've never been a country that really bothered about the "de minimis" stuff. On the other hand the French and Belgians have reason to be annoyed with us...

 

[Cloud Strife]

Eurostar do not. Belgian or French Douane might well. Border Force do so in UK.

They might, but customs controls are in France/Belgium/Netherlands, not in London.

 

[Wolfie]

They might, but customs controls are in France/Belgium/Netherlands, not in London.

True enough. To be clear I don't imagine that there would be any issue eating food brought from UK on the Eurostar itself (and indeed l have done similar on trans-Atlantic flights). However, carrying said food into Belgium or France off the train could be a very different issue.

 

[Cloud Strife]

I'm wondering whether I can take a pre-packed salad meal with me to eat either on Eurostar or nightjet

Just to avoid losing track of this question.

Yes, you can. The important thing is that customs controls are carried out in the country of arrival, so you can take and eat whatever you want on the Eurostar. If you want to take something further, don't take anything with dairy or meat. A tuna or egg salad will be perfectly fine, as will any plant-based alternative option.

 

[Blindtraveler]

My thanks to everyone

The English PDF attachment worked and I'm very grateful to those who assisted me here

I can make more informed decisions about bookings with this information

 

[AlbertBeale]

Has anyone arriving on the continent via Eurostar in recent (post-Brexit) times, who looks like a regular traveller/holidaymaker, ever had any customs check? I haven't - and so I doubt that any sandwiches etc in your luggage (if you hadn't already eaten them on the train over anyway) would ever come to the attention of anyone. Being a vegetarian, I doubt I've fallen foul of the rules anyway (though I might have been carrying a cheese sarnie on one occasion ... shock-horror); but I could have had any sort of food in my bag and no-one would have been any the wiser on any of my trips. Hence, in practice, it seems unlikely that you'd have a problem.

 

[reb0118]

I had already died in Vienna

If you are now a member of the undead then I suggest taking some virgin's blood - the best train to find that on is the Dacia Express which runs/ran from Wien to Buçuresti.

Regardless of your catering shenanigans enjoy the trip. I do not forsee any difficulties in your taking supplies on board - there's also a wee supermarket at Brussel Zuid to stock up with last minute essentials.