London St Pancras International

London St Pancras International (station codes: STP / SPX) is a major international rail interchange and shopping destination in London. It is the British capital's only international station, with Eurostar services connecting the city with destinations in mainland Europe. St Pancras is also served by domestic intercity trains from Gatwick and Luton airports, the East Midlands, South Yorkshire and Kent, stopping services from the East and South East of England, and the London Underground. It is in Camden, next to London King's Cross station and half a mile (800 metres) from London Euston station, termini for the two major railways to Scotland and Northern England.

Understand

London St Pancras International is a large station with 13 mainline or international platforms, and two further platforms for stopping Thameslink route services. The National Rail station ranks among Britain's busiest, with 35.96 million passenger entries and exits between April 2023 and March 2024, according to the Office of Rail and Road. This was in addition to 24.48 million entries and exits at next-door King's Cross and 36.19 million at Euston, less than half a mile away.

Every National Rail station in the UK has a three-letter station code similar to IATA codes used for airports. St Pancras uniquely has two station codes: STP for the domestic station, and SPX for the international area managed by Eurostar. Only the former can be used on the National Rail journey planner.

Passports and luggage checks are required for international travel between St Pancras and destinations in mainland Europe.

St Pancras houses a range of gift shops, small supermarkets, restaurants and pubs, including a small number of outlets in the international departures area, beyond passport control.

The mainline station opened in 1868, built by the Midland Railway Company. During its construction, the St Pancras burial ground was shut to make way for the new line, with the St Pancras and Islington cemetery opened as its replacement in East Finchley. Novelist and poet Thomas Hardy, the Far from the Madding Crowd and Jude the Obscure author who was tasked with excavating the St Pancras Old Church graveyard in the 1860s, stacked graveyards at the base of an ash tree in the Old St Pancras Churchyard. Known as the Hardy Tree, it fell in 2022 after storms that year.

Engineers William Henry Barlow and Rowland Mason Ordish led the station's design and layout. Its Victorian gothic frontage in Euston Road is the work of George Gilbert Scott. Built as the Midland Grand Hotel and completed in 1876, it is today the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London.

Before St Pancras came along, King's Cross (now King's Cross St Pancras) was a station on the original Metropolitan Railway. The line opened between Paddington and Farringdon in 1863, now part of the Metropolitan, Circle, and Hammersmith and City lines.

London St Pancras International is in the London Borough of Camden. For Transport for London (TfL) ticketing purposes, the station lies in fare zone 1.

Visitor information

• National Rail station information page.

Services

Rail services depart from different areas of the station:

• Platforms 1-4: East Midlands Railway services to Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Bedford, the East Midlands and Yorkshire.
• Platforms 5-10: International services operated by Eurostar to Lille Europe, Paris Nord, Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
• Platforms 11-13: Southeastern services to Stratford International and destinations in Kent.
• Platforms A and B: Thameslink services to destinations throughout London, the East of England and the South East, including Bedford, Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, St Albans City, Peterborough, Cambridge, Stevenage, Gatwick Airport, Horsham and Brighton.

Tube

Six London Underground lines serve King's Cross St Pancras, beneath both St Pancras and King's Cross stations:

•  CIR  Circle line to Hammersmith, Shepherd's Bush Market, Paddington, Edgware Road, Baker Street, Great Portland Street, Euston Square, Farringdon, Barbican, Moorgate, Liverpool Street, Aldgate and Tower Hill, in a roughly circular route around Central London. Beyond Tower Hill, trains continue around towards Edgware Road through The City, Westminster, South Kensington and Paddington. Some journeys may be completed quicker using other lines.
•  H&C  Hammersmith and City line to Hammersmith, Shepherd's Bush Market, Paddington, Edgware Road, Baker Street, Great Portland Street, Euston Square, Farringdon, Barbican, Moorgate, Liverpool Street, Aldgate East, Whitechapel, Mile End, West Ham and Barking.
•  MET  Metropolitan line to Uxbridge, Ruislip, Rayners Lane, parts of Buckinghamshire (Amersham, Chesham and Chalfont and Latimer), parts of Hertfordshire (Chorleywood, Rickmansworth, Watford, Croxley and Moor Park), Harrow-on-the-Hill, Wembley Park, Finchley Road, Baker Street, Great Portland Street, Euston Square, Farringdon, Barbican, Moorgate, Liverpool Street and Aldgate. Some journeys may require a change at Baker Street.
•  NOR  Northern line to Edgware, Brent Cross, Golders Green, Hampstead, High Barnet, Mill Hill East, Highgate, Archway, Kentish Town, Camden Town, Euston, Angel, Old Street, Moorgate, Bank, London Bridge, Borough, Elephant and Castle, Kennington, Oval, stations in Clapham, stations in Tooting, South Wimbledon and Morden. Change at Euston for Northern line to Goodge Street, Tottenham Court Road, Charing Cross, Embankment, Waterloo, Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station.
•  PIC  Piccadilly line to Cockfosters, Wood Green, Finsbury Park, Arsenal, Russell Square, Holborn, Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Green Park, Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge, South Kensington, Gloucester Road, Earl's Court, Hammersmith, stations in Ealing, Rayners Lane, Ruislip, Uxbridge, stations in Hounslow and Heathrow Airport. Piccadilly line services generally run slower and less frequently than the Victoria line.
•  VIC  Victoria line to Walthamstow Central, Blackhorse Road, Tottenham Hale, Seven Sisters, Finsbury Park, Highbury and Islington, Euston, Warren Street, Oxford Street, Green Park, Victoria, Pimlico, Vauxhall, Stockwell and Brixton. Victoria line services generally run faster and more frequently than the Piccadilly line.

As the Tube is a rapid transport system designed with short journeys in mind, the trains are not as comfortable as a mainline train. However, there will almost always be seats available and luggage space is provided if you are travelling to King's Cross St. Pancras.

Ticketing: The Tube is a closed system and nearly all stations have ticket barriers. Penalty fares are in force for those caught without a valid ticket for the zones they are travelling through. An example fare for travel from Zone 6 (Heathrow Airport) to Zone 1 (the zone the station is in) is:

Oyster/Contactless (any time)	Cash (any time)
£5.60	£6.70

Travelcards (day, or period tickets which allow unlimited travel on all of London’s public transport, not just the Tube) are available and will almost certainly provide better value if you plan on using London’s transport system more than a couple of times. The cheapest option for anyone spending a longer time in London will probably be to get an Oyster card (a Transport for London travel smartcard) or to use a Contactless credit or debit card, which is always cheaper and easier than paying fares in cash. However, the Oyster card can only be returned (including getting back your deposit) after 25 hr or more of purchase. Also, your card amount is not allowed to be above £10, otherwise you need to register online to return the card. See London#By public transport and Transport for London’s website for more information on Oyster cards and other available fares.

International services

International services are operated by Eurostar to  France (Lille and Paris),  Belgium (Brussels) and the  Netherlands (Rotterdam and Amsterdam).

The international departures concourse lies towards the south of the station, with an entrance in Pancras Road near the taxi drop-off. It is about three minutes' walk from the station's Euston Road entrance, into the main shopping arcade and on the right. A queuing system may operate during busy periods.

Eurostar operates a ticket office and ticket collection services in the international departures concourse, with digital tickets also available from https://www.eurostar.com/.

A valid ticket is required to cross passport control, which you will scan at the ticket gates.

An airport-style security check is required for you and your luggage, with metal detectors and bag scanners.

You will then have your passports checked twice at St Pancras - first for UK exits and then French entry. A French check is required to enter the Schengen Area, which includes Belgium and The Netherlands. It is possible to bypass UK exit checks with the premium SmartCheck service.

A small departures area lies beyond passport control, with a tax-free shop, The Station Pantry (snacks and drinks), a Pret a Manger café and toilets.

Escalators to the platforms - above the departure lounge - open shortly before departure. Check screens in the lounge for updates.

Eurostar trains are almost 400m long. Check tickets for boarding information.

Passengers travelling with Eurail and Interrail passes require a seat reservation, which you can book for an Interrail fare.

Domestic services

Domestic trains are part of the National Rail network.

East Midlands Railway services depart from platforms 1-4 on the first floor, towards the northern end of the shopping arcade. Destinations include: Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby, Market Harborough, Leicester, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway, Beeston, Nottingham, Long Eaton, Derby, Chesterfield, and Sheffield, plus a small number of services to Lincoln via Newark Castle.

Trains to Luton Airport Parkway are operated under the Luton Airport Express brand. You can use your Contactless bank card to touch in at St Pancras and touch-out at Luton Airport Parkway, without a ticket (and vice-versa). A paper or mobile ticket is required for travel on other routes.

Southeastern Javelin (high-speed) services depart from platforms 11-13 on the first floor, towards the north-eastern end of the station, on the King's Cross side of the building. Destinations include: Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International, Gravesend, Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham, Sittingbourne, Faversham, Whitstable, Margate, Ramsgate, Sandwich, Deal, Dover Priory, Canterbury West, Ashford International, Folkestone and Folkestone West.

You can use your Oyster or Contactless card to touch in at London St Pancras International and touch out at Stratford International. A paper or mobile ticket is required for travel on other routes.

Thameslink services depart from platforms A and B, which lie beneath the terminal building down two sets of escalators. Destinations in London include: Brent Cross West, West Hampstead Thameslink, Kentish Town, New Barnet, Finsbury Park, Farringdon, City Thameslink, London Blackfriars, Elephant and Castle, Wimbledon, Sutton, Peckham Rye, London Bridge, East Croydon, Greenwich and Abbey Wood. Beyond London, major destinations include: Brighton, Horsham, Gatwick Airport, St Albans City, Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Bedford, Stevenage, Peterborough and Cambridge.

You can use your Contactless card (touch in, touch out) on much of the network, but not all of it. Check before you set off, because a paper or mobile ticket may be required instead.

Next door, London King's Cross (KGX), has the following National Rail services:

• Grand Central - destinations in Yorkshire and the North East, including Peterborough, Wakefield Kirkgate, Halifax, Bradford Interchange, York and Sunderland.
• Great Northern - destinations in the East of England, including Stevenage, Peterborough, Cambridge, Ely and King's Lynn.
• Hull Trains - destinations in Yorkshire, including Doncaster, Selby and Hull.
• LNER - destinations in the East Midlands, North East and Scotland, including Stevenage, Peterborough, Lincoln, Leeds, York, Durham, Newcastle Central, Edinburgh Waverley, Dundee and Aberdeen.
• Lumo - destinations in the North East and Scotland, including Stevenage, Newcastle Central and Edinburgh Waverley.
• Thameslink - destinations in the East of England, including Stevenage, Peterborough and Cambridge.

King's Cross is next to St Pancras on its east side; you simply walk out of one station, cross the narrow Pancras Road, and enter the other.

Nearby London Euston (EUS) has the following National Rail services:

• Avanti West Coast - destinations in the West Midlands, North West, North Wales and Scotland, including Milton Keynes Central, Birmingham New Street, Crewe, Llandudno Junction, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Oxenholme Lake District, Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Haymarket/Waverley.
• Caledonian Sleeper - destinations in Scotland overnight, including Glasgow Central, Edinburgh Haymarket/Waverley, Fort William, Inverness and Aberdeen.
• London Northwestern Railway - destinations in the South East and Midlands, including Watford Junction, Hemel Hempstead, Tring, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton and Birmingham New Street.
•  LIO  London Overground (Lioness line) - destinations in north-west London including Queen's Park, Wembley Central, Harrow & Wealdstone and Watford Junction.

Euston is west of St Pancras and around a ½-mile (800-metre) walk along Euston Road. It is signposted. It's possible to catch the Tube between the two, but this will more than likely take longer than walking.

Road transportation

The station is in the south-eastern corner of Camden in the inner north of London, adjacent to southern Islington, and to Bloomsbury and Holborn-Clerkenwell in central London.

By bicycle

See also: London#By bicycle

Biking is a viable option for some, but London does not have a contiguous cycleway network, so you will often be biking among traffic. London offers a bicycle hire scheme, with a day pass allowing an unlimited number of 30-min rides costing £2 (as of October 2020).

Wait

There is a limited amount of seating inside the train station.

If you are waiting for the Eurostar, you will have to wait in the main train station until 90 minutes before your departure time. At your designated time, you will be able to queue up for security and passport checks. Then you will wait in the Eurostar waiting area, which also has limited seating (but fewer thieves).

Eat and drink

There are about 30 shops in or adjacent to the station selling food and beverages. If you need a cup of coffee, a salad, a sandwich, or a snack, then you'll find plenty of options.

If you are taking the Eurostar, the food selections are more limited, and the prices higher, in the Eurostar waiting room. They are also more limited on the train itself, so you should try to either bring your food with you or buy something in the main station before going into the Eurostar waiting area.

Sleep

There is a cluster of budget hotels nearby in Bloomsbury, as well as some splurge hotels in this corner of Camden. Great Northern Hotel is the oldest of London's railway hotels, built by the namesake railway company for the King's Cross station and opened in 1854, while St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel is the rebirth of the former Midland Hotel that operated the space 1873–1935, inside the heritage-listed St. Pancras station building. The latter is definitely outside the budget of many travellers, but for architectural aficionados this is one hotel that should be stayed in at least once in a lifetime. The real budget option is YHA London St Pancras.

If you don't need to sleep close to the station, there are hundreds of options elsewhere, easily in reach on foot or by public transportation.

Stay safe

The train station and its environs attracts pickpockets and luggage thieves. Unattended luggage is not permitted. As much as possible, keep one hand on your bags, your valuables securely out of sight, and look alert.

Nearby

• Bloomsbury and Camden are obvious places to visit for travellers trapped here.