Shrinking horizons, shrinking pounds

Simon Calder’s Travel Week [The Independent]( September 30, 2022 [View in browser](   [The Independent]( [The Independent]( Ashford International station in south-east Kent has a problem. It is not international, unless you count the Eurostar trains that whizz past at 186mph. The same applies to Ebbsfleet International in north-west Kent. Empty quarter: Eurostar area at Ashford station in Kent Both stations have cavernous halls for international passengers en route to Paris and Brussels. But the Channel Tunnel train operator closed both stations at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Even though travel demand has returned, only the London St Pancras hub remains open. The Transport Select Committee wanted to know why such valuable infrastructure has been mothballed, reducing the travel horizons of the good people of Kent. So the chair, Tory MP Huw Merriman, asked Eurostar’s chief executive, Jacques Damas, to explain. In his two-page reply, Mr Damas did not hold back on explaining the forces ranged against the train firm. Perhaps the fact that today is his last day in the job before retirement helped his pen flow more freely. [While financial pressures and engineering issues have contributed to Eurostar’s woes, the main problem is Brexit](. The British insisted on becoming “third country nationals” after leaving the EU. That means border officials must carry out extra passport checks. “The stamping of British passports by Continental police adds at least 15 seconds to individual passengers’ border crossing times,” he wrote. “Even with all booths manned, St Pancras can currently process a maximum 1,500 passengers per hour versus 2,200 in 2019.” Cutting capacity by 30 per cent and pushing up fares, he wrote, may not look the greatest business strategy, but it has stifled demand and prevented St Pancras becoming entangled in absurdly long queues [as Dover was earlier this year](. Opening the Kent stations would spread resources even more thinly and add demand that cannot be met. So they will remain disconnected from Europe until at least 2025. “Eurostar cannot currently pursue a strategy of volume and growth. We are having to focus services on those core routes which make the maximum contribution per train and to charge higher prices to our customers.” Transport expands the sphere of life; Brexit has shrunk it. And the new government has also shrunk your pounds. Having bought an expensive Eurostar ticket, your problems are only just beginning. Last Monday morning, as sterling plunged to its lowest value ever against the dollar, [the bureau de change at St Pancras was charging almost £109 to obtain €100,](valuing the pound at less than 92 euro cents. [How to make your holiday money go further as value of pound plunges]( Ah well, you could always stick to British trains. Except for [the biggest national rail strike for four decades]( tomorrow. The coordinated action between rail unions will erase 89 per cent of trains from the schedules. Other stoppages are available later in the week, including by Aslef train drivers on Wednesday 5 October, and an RMT re-run on Saturday 8 October. If you manage to travel by rail in the coming eight days, do write: a postcard will suffice.   [Get inspired...]( Danish island-hopping]( Exploring Denmark’s Coastal Land by bike and boat makes for a stripped-back Scandi adventure [I'm an image]( [Amsterdam's best boutique hotels]( Where to stay in the Dutch capital for chic design, smooth service and on-point location [I'm an image]( [Silver solos]( Meet the 60- and 70-something travellers setting off on independent adventures Tip of the week: Airport security by appointment in Berlin Berlin is the most popular German city break destination from the UK, attracting thousands of visitors every week. On the way home, jump the airport queues by making an online appointment for your security check. [BER Runway]( is a remarkable free service that invites passengers to choose a slot to go through security, allowing you to breeze past other travellers. You can nominate any time between an hour and six hours before your flight departure. No need to turn up on the dot: 10 minutes either side of the appointment is fine. [How to spend an ideal weekend in the German capital](   Deal of the week: Train in Spain from capital to coast for less Spain has the most extensive high-speed rail network in Europe. Thanks to budget operators competing with Renfe, the state-run train firm, fares on key routes can be extremely low. A week today, 7 October, [Ouigo]( will start running five return journeys a day between Madrid and Valencia. Over the next 10 weeks, one-way fares of €9 (£8) are easily available on the 220-mile link. Ouigo is part of French Railways (SNCF). Another “open access” operator, [Iryo]( (a joint venture between Trenitalia and the Spanish regional airline, Air Nostrum) starts running on the flagship Madrid-Barcelona line on 25 November. It will join the competition on Madrid-Valencia on 15 December. For more information, see the October edition of the [European Rail Timetable](. [A weekend in gastronomic heaven in Valencia](   Question of the week: Is a 2023 trip to the US unaffordable? Q We booked a week in Boston next summer before sterling collapsed against the dollar. Should we cancel and go elsewhere, or hope the pound recovers? A [Sterling has fallen by as much as 25 per cent against the dollar]( this year, and the economic fundamentals do not suggest an immediate recovery. Fortunately there are many ways to economise – starting with the biggest cost, accommodation. You could set up a house-swap with someone in the Boston area who wants to head for the UK to take advantage of the amazing value. But if that doesn’t appeal (or doesn’t materialise), a cheap chain hotel or rented apartment in the suburbs could be the best solution; thanks to Boston’s excellent public transport, you can access downtown easily. Then it is simply a matter of choosing all the economy options. From Boston airport, take the free Silver Line bus to the city centre (with connections to anywhere else in the Boston), rather than a cab. Excellent free attractions include many of historic sights administered by the National Park Service. And if anyone in your party happens to be named Isabella, they qualify for free lifetime admission to the superb Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Watch my film on how to spend 48 Hours in Boston]( STAT OF THE WEEK 50p The saving on inflight hot drinks for easyJet passengers who bring a reusable cup on board. The move by Britain's biggest budget airline is part of a much wider [package aiming to reduce waste and hit net zero aviation by 2050](. What you might have missed... - World's longest flights: [As Auckland-New York takes off, here are the other record-breaking nonstops]( - Sustainable Spain: [Barcelona station to get major green upgrade]( - Closing down: [Doncaster-Sheffield airport is to end passenger operations within weeks]( SIMON'S DIARY       Every day from Monday to Friday I tackle a top travel story, or explore a topic in more detail than usual in ‘Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast’ – available free on [Spotify](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Pocket Casts]( or [Acast](.         Every day from Monday to Friday I tackle a top travel story, or explore a topic in more detail than usual in ‘Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast’ – available free on [Spotify](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Pocket Casts]( or [Acast](.         I find the easiest way to rush out stories is to tweet them. It’s also an easy way to contact me. My direct messages are open and I read all DMs, though regrettably I can’t respond to every one. Let me know your thoughts [@SimonCalder](         I find the easiest way to rush out stories is to tweet them. It’s also an easy way to contact me. My direct messages are open and I read all DMs, though regrettably I can’t respond to every one. Let me know your thoughts [@SimonCalder](         Each Saturday and Sunday I take questions live at 5.30pm British time on Instagram Live – from wherever I happen to be in the world – so please do come and say hello. Follow me on [@Simon_Calder](         Each Saturday and Sunday I take questions live at 5.30pm British time on Instagram Live – from wherever I happen to be in the world – so please do come and say hello. Follow me on [@Simon_Calder](         Or you can find me on TikTok. Come and have a look at what I have been up to as I bring you top travel topics and report on the latest changes in a minute or less via [@caldertravel](         Or you can find me on TikTok. 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