Eurostar goes almost dry

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

Eurostar has defended limiting the amount of alcohol passengers can carry on its trains as necessary to "maintain a pleasant environment".

The train operator explained its position after customers complained on social media about changes to the policy.
It allows one bottle of wine or four cans of beer and no spirits.

Previously, there were restrictions on ski resort routes and temporary ones for sporting events.

Although Eurostar says it made the changes last year, passengers appear to have only just started to notice.

[infoman]

I think Australia banned the selling of alcohol on their trains some time ago.

[grahame]

I think Australia banned the selling of alcohol on their trains some time ago.

As I read it, you can still buy alcohol (including spirits) on Eurostar ... and you can pay their shippers £30 a piece to send your luggage ahead off you / behind you rather than accompanying it.  I wonder how much the ban is because of antisocial behaviour and attempts to limit it, and how much might be intended to help generate income for luggage handling and on train sales of booze.

[Phantom]

I think Australia banned the selling of alcohol on their trains some time ago.

Let's be honest with the new IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) trains with their "mobile" buffets, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are basically operating a dry train already
Three Saturdays on the trot recently I travelled from Weston to Paddington, out of those six journeys I only saw the trolley once

[broadgage]

Another small but regrettable step towards making rail travel less attractive and more hassle, if compared to air or road transport.
Alcoholic drink may be carried in a car on a cross channel ferry, or in an aircraft, with the volume limited only by customs regulations, or by limits on size or weight of luggage.

To carry a bottle of spirits as a gift on Eurostar will cost an extra £30 as checked luggage, but by air or road/ferry there is no extra charge. That will help increase air transport and carbon emissions.

[ellendune]

To carry a bottle of spirits as a gift on Eurostar will cost an extra £30 as checked luggage, but by air or road/ferry there is no extra charge. That will help increase air transport and carbon emissions.

Wouldn't fancy my chances getting it through security at Heathrow in hand baggage! Checked baggage on planes is now extra too. 

[mjray]

Wouldn't fancy my chances getting it through security at Heathrow in hand baggage! Checked baggage on planes is now extra too. 

At least checked baggage on planes is available on all routes where it's required. Eurostar's checked baggage is only available between London and Paris/Lille/Brussels.

You also have to drop it off 90 minutes before departure, eroding another key selling point of Eurostar - remember, their front page promotes "Two-bag travel allowance and no extra fees" and "Save time and money" as two of their features and this change has weakened both of those - hope the profit from selling more checked baggage is worth it for them!

[Celestial]

It looks as though Eurostar has backed down/clarified its position (you choose) to only relate to alcohol consumed on board. So you can still bring back booze for consumption later.