On arrival at G du Nord, the station was irrelevant as were thru and out to the street, however not such a rosy picture on the return.

Lots of things not right here but not all of them of French making but in order as we found them.

1. Signing for the Eurostar check-in is non existent and it took some time to determine that we had to go to the opposite side of the station from the Eurostar trains to gain access to the upper floor level for the check in

2. Very cramped space and due to over crowding they only let you checking after the crowds have departed on a previous train. So everyone stands in line till they are ready for you.....much more like an airport than a train station.

3. The check in bit, ie ticket check, is fine but after that the issue is that you then have to clear the UK Border Cntrols and if you pick the wrong queue, easily done depending on which ticket gate you pick, you get stuck behind non EU passport holders who the border office take ages to process.

Don't get me wrong, they are doing a good job, its just the number of them and the bad signage means those that can quickly get thru get stuck and make queues even longer. In the UK's defence the space available in the cramped customs area is so small they physically can't get any more booths in.

4 Once thru that the scan and luggage checks are quick, letting you into what can only be described as the dire, dingy, seedy, badly lit, poor seating area they call a departure lounge. Not the glamorous image of intercontinental rail travel that St Pancras tried hard to facilitate.

So if St P got 8/10 for departures, G du Nord gets 4/10.

2 hours 20 mins later you arrive at St Pancras.

Where things are not as good as they could be. Despite having cleared immigration in France you have to disembark, enter the bowels of the station....all new shiny and glitzy still...walk around 3 sides of the large immigration area ( where there are booths and people but no-one has to go thru them).. to get to the customs post ..that you simply walk through. Not even sure there was anyone on duty as we passed thru.

Takes 5 -10 mins when you could be off the platform in one from carriage number one! Keeps someone in a job I suppose. So the French win that one!