Our PARIS DESTINATION GUIDE FOR AUTISTIC FAMILIES is now available!
During the Easter 2024 school holidays we travelled from London to Paris return on Eurostar. Our group included me, my husband J, our two autistic children Fred and Charlie and my mum.
It was a long-awaited trip and planning it had tested me to the limit, with multiple date changes and ill health all causing issues.
Although I have travelled to Paris on Eurostar many times before, this trip was the first time I had booked Eurostar Plus tickets. Would the experience actually be worth the additional cost? Could it make a real difference to how well we coped with travelling as a neurodiverse family?
Well yes, it was! Read on for why I think every family with autistic children should consider booking Eurostar Plus tickets for their neurodiverse crew.
Benefits of booking Eurostar Plus for Autistic Families
A table for four meant we had plenty of room to spread out, on and even under without bothering other travellers
They almost halve the number of seats compared with standard, with so many fewer people it was lovely and quiet
The seats were wider, the aisle more spacious and there were fewer people walking up and down past us
The seat blocks were divided by partitions which limited sight and sound distractions
There were plenty of toilets at either end of the carriage so no need to queue
We got a lovely meal provided which was a great treat for us – although we still brought a packed lunch for the boys.
The staff were kind, friendly and helpful and brought little extras for the boys, including a make your own paper Eurostar train which he loved and carried everywhere with him for months!
There was lots of space for all our luggage as they provide more racks.
MY RECOMMENDATION
As the above list shows, for us, booking these tickets turned out to be a great decision.
I would highly recommend Eurostar Plus seats for neurodiverse families. If we take Eurostar with the boys again, we will definitely book this travel class - for us it was worth the extra money.
Special Assistance for Autism and Hidden Disabilities on Eurostar
Registering with Eurostar's Special Assistance Scheme also made a big difference to our experience. Read more about our experience using the service Departing London and Departing Paris.
Our PARIS DESTINATION GUIDE FOR AUTISTIC FAMILIES is now available!
