Eurostar expects over 130,000 passengers to travel over the Easter bank holiday weekend

London, UK, 2014-04-16 — /Travel PR News/ — Eurostar is set for one of its busiest weekends of the year as over 130,000 passengers are expected to travel over the Easter bank holiday weekend, 15% more than travelled over the Easter weekend in 2013*.

Over 60,000 Brits will take advantage of the long weekend to enjoy a spring break with Paris, Disneyland Paris and Provence proving to be the biggest draws. Friday 18 April is the busiest day for departures and Eurostar has added extra services to Paris to help meet the increased demand.

Mary Walsh, Director of Communications for Eurostar said; “Easter is typically one of our busiest weekends, but this year it’s proving exceptionally busy as it falls later in the year. This is particularly the case on our Paris route as high bookings for the next few months suggests that the British love affair with Paris continues to blossom. Such is the demand that we’ve added extra services on our Paris route and we’ve extended our summer booking horizon for Paris, Brussels and Lille from four to six months.”

With festivals, exhibitions and street markets, there is no better time to visit Paris, Brussels or Lille than spring and with your Eurostar ticket your money goes further when you’re there. Travellers are able to use their Eurostar ticket to receive 2-for-1 entry into paying exhibitions at a selection of top museums and galleries in each city. So whether you’re visiting the Van Gogh exhibition at Musée d’Orsay in Paris or the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, there’s plenty to keep you entertained with Eurostar’s 2-for-1 offers.

For more information, to book Eurostar tickets or purchase Eurostar gift vouchers visit www.eurostar.com or call 08432 186 186.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors
* Period from Friday 18 April to Monday 21 April 2014, compared to period from Friday 29 March –Monday 1 April 2013

About Eurostar

1. Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon and the French Alps.
2. Eurostar was established in 1994 as a partnership between three railway companies: SNCF, SNCB and LCR (London and Continental Railways). On 1 September 2010, Eurostar became a single, unified corporate entity owned by three shareholders: SNCF, SNCB and LCR.
3. The current Eurostar train was first introduced into service in 1994 carrying 750 passengers and operating at speeds of up to 300kph. Since then, the fleet of 28 trains has carried more than 140 million passengers between London and the Continent. Following their refurbishment these trains will continue to form a core part of the Eurostar fleet. The new Eurostar e320 will carry more than 900 passengers at speeds of up to 320kph.
4. Eurostar is a founder member of Railteam, a partnership between Europe’s leading high-speed train operators that is developing simpler ways to book and travel on the fast-expanding, European high-speed rail network.
5. Eurostar and Eurotunnel are entirely separate companies.  Eurostar operates high-speed passenger trains, while Eurotunnel operates vehicle shuttle services and the Channel Tunnel itself. Eurostar is Eurotunnel’s biggest customer.

For more information:
Eurostar Press Office
020 7843 5500
press.office@eurostar.com