Eurostar

Eurostar got a shiny new London home when it moved to the renovated St Pancras International in November 2007 from Waterloo Station. Its glistening terminal, housed within the Victorian Gothic station, befits the ultramodern trains that depart daily for Paris and beyond. Moving the cross-Channel railway service to St Pancras shaved at least 20 minutes off journey times via the high-speed track, making travelling by Eurostar a slick experience. There are up to 16 trains daily into the heart of Paris, whisking you there in two hours 15 minutes on the fastest services. Brussels (one hour, 51 minutes) and Lille (one hour, 20 minutes) are also popular routes, but you can also catch a train that takes you all the way to the French Alps during the ski season in seven and a half hours (day train) or a little over nine hours (night train). If the snowy option leaves you cold, you could always opt for a summer break to Avignon, a glorious medieval city in Provence reached in five hours 55 minutes on the direct trains, or there's a chance to meet Mickey Mouse at Disneyland Paris (direct trains take only two hours 38 minutes). If you don't mind changing trains, Europe lies before you with connecting services offering the chance to visit over 100 destinations. Bon voyage!