Eurostar axes direct trains from London to Disneyland Paris over Brexit

30 August 2022, 14:58

Eurostar has announced it is set to axe services between London and Disneyland Paris, blaming Brexit and the economic impact of the pandemic for the decision.

Calling time on the route which has run for 26 years – with a short suspension due to the pandemic - the final service is set to depart on June 5, 2023.

The move comes as new rules for visitors to the EU are set to come into force from next year, meaning arrivals from outside the bloc and Schengen area will need to be registered on a database, with their fingerprints and photograph taken.

This is set to include UK visitors.

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A spokesperson for Eurostar says the firm now plans to focus on "core routes" following the resumption of international travel following an extended period of uncertainty for the travel industry.

"Whilst we continue to recover financially from the pandemic and monitor developments in the proposed EU Entry Exit system, we need to focus on our core routes to ensure we can continue to provide the high level of service and experience that our customers rightly expect.

They added: "This decision applies from 5th June 2023, and as tickets are not yet on sale beyond this date, existing customer bookings will not be affected."

The news comes as it emerged last week that Eurostar will not resume serving either of its Kent stations – Ashford and Ebbsfleet – until at least 2025.

The train service, which runs between St Pancras International to Marne-la-Vallée, taking tourists direct to the theme park, first opened in 1996 and takes two hours 24 minutes station-to-station.

It is a route that quickly became a go-to travel option for families wanting to access the world-famous theme park.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of more than 700 UK travel agents, said: "The reality is that Brexit has removed the ability for Brits to travel freely across Europe."

"Eurostar has suggested that they have taken this decision based on the logistical implications of Brexit, which doesn't surprise me."

She added that Brexit has "taken away the seamless and frictionless travel that we all enjoyed prior to leaving the EU".