The high speed Eurostar trains link St Pancras International in London with Paris and Lille in France as well as Brussels in Belgium.

The First Class coaches are divided between Business Premier class and Leisure Select (soon to be re-named 'Standard Premier Class'), which is essentially Eurostar's equivalent First Class service for leisure, rather than business travellers. In your dedicated Leisure Select (Standard Premier Class) carriage you'll find a less dense seat configuration, meaning the seats are larger and you have ample space to relax and stretch out. Pick up a complimentary newspaper or magazine and look forward to your holiday in your spacious, comfortable seat. As part of the service you'll enjoy drinks and refreshments, served at your seat by friendly, helpful waiting staff.

Passengers travelling in Standard Class coaches can take advantage of the Bar-Buffet, which sells a range of snacks, meals, hot and cold drinks - including champagne!

More than fifteen years ago, Eurostar changed the way that people travel to Paris and Brussels forever. The rail service, which directly links the UK to France and Belgium via the Channel Tunnel, started operating in 1994.

Eurostar launched services from its new London station, St. Pancras International, and from Ebbsfleet International in Kent in November 2007 with the completion of the second section of the UK's first high-speed line. Following the move, Eurostar's fastest journey times have fallen with London-Paris taking 2 hours 15 minutes, London-Brussels 1 hour 51 minutes and London-Lille just 1 hour 20 minutes.

Travelling at up to 186mph (299km/h), Eurostar speeds through the Kent countryside before diving into the 31.4 mile (50.5km) long Channel Tunnel in Kent and emerging in Coquelles in northern France. From here the train travels to Lille before heading on to Paris or Brussels. From the heart of London to the heart of these great European cities, Eurostar services allow travellers to avoid long queues, lengthy transfers and the hassles of air travel while arriving at our destination more quickly than ever.

Probably Europe's finest train, the jewel in German Rail's crown is the InterCityExpress, or ICE.

Linking all Germany's major cities and selected destinations outside Germany, the ICE trains offer some of the most comfortable and well-designed accommodation around, so you can really get the most out of your journey. All trains either have a BordBistro car serving light refreshments or a BordRestaurant serving full meals, and on some services a selection of dishes can also be served at your seat.

Several sections of new purpose-built track have been built in recent years, allowing the latest generation of ICE trains to hit their maximum speed of up to 186mph (300km/h) and cutting journey times dramatically.

Thalys is a brand co-owned by German, Dutch, French and Belgian state railways, and runs services linking Paris and Brussels with Amsterdam or Cologne. The trains are similar in design to French TGVs and can reach up to 190mph (305km/h) when travelling on dedicated high speed lines. Comfort 1 (First Class) passengers benefit from spacious seating and are usually served complimentary light refreshments once underway. Both Comfort 1 and Comfort 2 (Standard Class) passengers have access to the Thalys Bar, which serves a selection of snacks, meals and hot and cold drinks during most journeys.