Applies to Eurostar's direct services between London and Paris, Brussels, Lille, Amsterdam and Rotterdam (routes and desks change — confirm schedules before travel). Eurostar guidance verified 2026-10-13 on eurostar.com and the Eurostar Help Centre (help.eurostar.com); station access details for London St Pancras International cross-checked against the station information published by TransPennine Express (tpexpress.co.uk). Assistance procedures at continental stations are handled by local teams and vary by country.
Q: How do I book a wheelchair space on Eurostar?
A: You must pre-book if you cannot walk 200 metres without help. Eurostar's rule is simple: anyone who is unable to walk 200m unaided needs to pre-book a wheelchair-user space and ramp assistance at least 24 hours before travel. When you do, Eurostar reserves one of its dedicated wheelchair passenger spaces — in the Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier carriages — and arranges for a ramp to be set up, help with boarding, and help getting you settled comfortably. If you cannot book in advance, Eurostar says it will do its best to help on the day, but a space is not guaranteed, so pre-booking is always the safer option.
A: Booking online is straightforward. On the Eurostar website homepage, use the booking widget, open the passenger-number selector and toggle on ‘Wheelchair user’. In the Eurostar app, go to the Book menu, edit the passengers and toggle on ‘Wheelchair user’. Either route flags the booking as a wheelchair booking and triggers the space reservation. There are four wheelchair-user spaces on every Eurostar train, according to the company's accessible travel policy — another reason to book early on busy services, when the spaces can sell out.
A: Your ticket then covers more than just the seat. All wheelchair spaces are in Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier, so you get the extra room plus the meal and drinks served during the journey, all for Eurostar's fixed wheelchair-user fare. You can also bring a companion at a discounted rate, and they will sit with you. The space itself is reserved for customers travelling in their own wheelchair and remaining in it for the whole journey, and it is positioned close to the accessible toilets.
A: One warning Eurostar repeats across its guidance: station assistance is not automatically included when you book a ticket. The assistance request is a separate step, and it must be registered at least 24 hours before departure — it can be made immediately after booking. On the European routes (Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany), where local teams provide the station assistance, the same 24-hour rule applies, and you contact the customer-service team for your country of departure. If your disability does not confine you to a wheelchair but you still need help getting through check-in, email Eurostar or call +44 (0) 330 818 0718 at least 24 hours before your trip and the team will arrange help to the platform, onto the train and off again at your destination.
Q: Will my wheelchair or scooter fit? Size, weight and power-chair rules
A: Eurostar publishes exact limits, so measure your chair before you book. A manual wheelchair using one of the dedicated spaces must be no more than 700mm (70cm) wide and no more than 1200mm (120cm) long, including the footplate, and must weigh no more than 300kg including the weight of the person using it. There is an important exception: at all French stations, and at the German stations in Duisburg and Aachen, ramp limitations cap the permitted weight at 250kg including the person. If your chair is close to any of these limits, check with Eurostar before you commit to a ticket — a chair that exceeds them cannot be accepted in the wheelchair space.
A: Power wheelchairs and mobility scooters face the same size and weight limits, plus extra rules. Your device must have an anti-tip device, must not use combustible fuels, and must not be charged on board the train or anywhere in Eurostar's stations. All mobility aids must be locked when on board so they cannot roll during the journey. Because there is no charging anywhere on the network, make sure a power chair has enough battery for the entire journey before you set off — there is no way to top up at the station or on the train.
A: Two categories of device are banned outright. Anything powered by a combustion engine cannot travel, because of Channel Tunnel safety requirements — only battery-operated mobility aids are permitted. And some powered scooters are designed for road use only and cannot be used on the trains at all; Eurostar asks customers to check dimensions carefully, and any scooter that exceeds the size limits will not be accepted on board. If you are unsure whether your scooter qualifies, contact Eurostar with the model and measurements before booking.
A: Not everyone who uses a wheelchair needs to stay in it on board, and Eurostar has separate arrangements for that. If you can walk 200 metres and get on and off the train without help, you can travel in an ordinary seat and store your foldable wheelchair or other mobility aid on the luggage racks. If station distances are the problem rather than the train itself, you can pre-book a station wheelchair — strictly for station use; once on board you travel in a standard seat. If you need both a station wheelchair and a ramp, pre-book at least 24 hours ahead: without a booking you can still ask for help on the day, but Eurostar may need to move you to a later train, free of charge.
A: Eurostar also accepts certain special-needs pushchairs in its wheelchair spaces, where the pushchair is officially recognised as a special-needs pushchair, meets the same dimensions and weight limits, and you hold a certificate from the manufacturer or hospital proving it. If your pushchair does not meet the requirements but you still want to book a wheelchair space, contact Eurostar to discuss it.
Q: How early should I arrive, and what help is available at the station?
A: For journeys starting in London, Eurostar's own advice is to arrive at least 75 minutes before departure. That gives you time for check-in, security and passport control, plus the boarding assistance itself. When you arrive, find a member of the Eurostar team and let them know you would like a helping hand — the team will set up the ramp, help you board and get you settled. Seventy-five minutes can feel generous, but the departure process at an international terminal is longer than at a domestic station, and assistance adds its own steps.
A: Inside London St Pancras International, Eurostar's assistance point is booth 5, by the Eurostar ticket gates. It serves both pre-booked and turn-up-and-go assistance, and it is also where you can pick up a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard — the discreet signal that you may need extra help, time or understanding. The wider station is a Category A step-free station, with lift access to all platforms; ramps are kept at the station for train access; and station wheelchairs are available. If you are arriving by another operator and need mobility help at St Pancras itself, the station's assistance line is 0207 8437688, and there is a disability meeting point in front of the main entrance, with help points and uniformed staff around the station.
A: At the continental stations, assistance works through the local teams and must be requested at least 24 hours before departure. Eurostar publishes a contact number for each country: Belgium (+32) 2 4006776, France (+33) 170706088, Germany (+49) (0)30 70070000 and the Netherlands (+31) 9006677888. The details vary by country of departure, so use the number for the country where your journey starts, and make the request as soon as you have booked — it can be registered immediately after booking. Remember that on these routes the station assistance is provided by the local teams at each station, not automatically bundled with your ticket.
A: Sunflower lanyards are available at every Eurostar station, which is worth knowing if your disability is not immediately visible: London St Pancras International (Eurostar departures, booth 5), Paris Gare du Nord (Eurostar information office, Hall 1 ground floor, opposite platform 14, or the ticket office in Hall 2), Lille Europe (Eurostar ticket office, Hall 4), Brussels-Midi/Zuid (Eurostar kiosk between the Channel Terminal and the international ticket office), Rotterdam Centraal and Amsterdam Centraal (Eurostar reception at the UK Terminal), and Cologne (Deutsche Bahn travel centre).
A: Finally, Eurostar suggests travelling at quieter times if you can choose: Monday to Thursday after 14:00, or Sunday before 14:00. It advises against bank holidays, school holidays and special events, when stations are at their busiest and assistance teams are stretched thinnest.
Q: What will it cost, and what about journeys beyond the direct routes?
A: Wheelchair users on the London routes pay a fixed wheelchair-user fare, whatever the demand-based price of the train. Your reserved space is in Eurostar Plus or Eurostar Premier, so the fare includes the extra room and the meal and drinks served on board — effectively an upgrade built into the accessibility arrangement. A companion travelling with you pays a discounted companion fare and sits with you on the train. If you need someone with you for the whole journey because of the support you require, Eurostar's policy allows up to two companions at the fixed companion rate: one sits next to the wheelchair space and the second in the nearest available seat. Book the companion at the same time as your own ticket so the seats stay together; extra companions beyond one are arranged through the service centre.
A: On the continental routes — between France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany — wheelchair users enjoy the Eurostar Premier experience at the fixed price of a Standard ticket. Companions of wheelchair users and of other passengers who need assistance during the journey also travel at discounted companion fares, arranged through the service centre. Passengers whose disability does not require a wheelchair pay the Standard fare, and companions can be booked by calling the country contact numbers. Eurostar notes that people with reduced mobility and those accompanying them are entitled to station assistance and bespoke rates on these routes, with the specifics varying by country of departure — another reason to use the published contact for your departure country.
A: If you want to travel beyond Eurostar's direct routes — Paris, Brussels, Lille, Amsterdam and Rotterdam — you cannot complete a wheelchair-space booking online. Instead, email Eurostar using its contact form, selecting ‘accessible travel’ then ‘wheelchair travel’ from the drop-down menus, and the team will advise on the best support for your journey. Because these arrangements involve partner operators and stations, confirm every detail in writing before you travel; desk procedures and contact points change, so treat anything not confirmed for your specific date as provisional.
A: Connecting journeys need one booking per leg. If your trip combines, for example, a TGV INOUI service with a Eurostar, you must book the ramp and any assistance for all legs — departures and arrivals at every stage — at least 24 hours before departure. Eurostar is explicit that assistance is not provided between connecting stations: if your train arrives at Paris Gare de Lyon and your Eurostar leaves from Gare du Nord, the transfer across Paris is yours to arrange. On TGV INOUI legs, wheelchair users travel in OPTIMUM class but do not receive its additional services. Book each leg as soon as your tickets are confirmed, keep every confirmation, and carry the assistance phone numbers for each country you will pass through. If any leg involves an operator or station not covered here, confirm its assistance arrangements separately before you travel.
