petertenthije
10-26-2003, 10:18 PM
Eurostar TGV vs Deutsche Bahn ICE-3
I have been on the Eurostar train between Brussels Midi/Zuid* and London Waterloo last week. In the past I have had a few rides on the ICE-3 of the Deutsche Bahn. In this post I shall be comparing them.
http://207.44.222.57/images/images2/p/pjgttogb-eurostar-3231.jpg.71749.thumb
TGV Eurostar. (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=36999)
http://www.railpictures.net/images/i/ice3.JPG.85995.thumb
ICE-3 Deutsche Bahn. (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=23709)
Preparations.
Booking a trip is easy enough on both trains. You can go to the train station and book the trip. Having said that, it is not advisable to do that with the Eurostar. You’d most likely get no seat as most seats are sold way in advance. Another thing that should be noted is that the prices are sky-high when you want a last-minute trip. This is not the case for the ICE-3. Here you can literally show up 10 minutes in advance and buy your ticket. I have done so quite often.
Boarding
The ICE-3 is most defintaly the easiest to board! You can board it just like you would board a normal train, but then again, it IS a normal train. Sure, its fast and it does not stop everywhere but there is not much of a difference between the ICE-3 and a local train going international.
The Eurostar is very different! More like an airline than like a train really. You must show up at least half an hour in advance. First you must go through security. Your bag(s) go through a X-ray machine and you have to show your ID. After that you must wait in the lounge (no photography allowed) for a short period till the train leaves. This is quite modern with lots of stainless steel and marble. Actual boarding starts 15 minutes before departure. All seats are assigned, so you can’t choose a nice window seat. Unfortunately I ended up with a “window” seat with no window.
The cabin.
This is of course where the matters get important for the traveller. And, I must admit, the TGV can’t compete with the ICE-3. The ICE is in another league alltogether.
The first impression of the Eurostar is rather dissapointing. It does not look like it is the flagship of the fleet. It looks like a normal train. The seats are comfortable, mind you, but it just is less comfortable than the ICE. The cabin is also narrower and you particularly notice that in the aisle. Bare in mind that this is an international long-distance train, most passengers will probably be carrying bags and suitcases around, the aisle can only barely handle them.
http://207.44.222.57/images/images2/k/klaar-pjgttogb-eurostar-2klas.jpg.26514.thumb
TGV Eurostar 2nd class. (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=37048)
http://www.railpictures.net/images/i/ice3-2deklasse.jpg.35251.thumb
ICE-3 Deutsche Bahn 2nd class. (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=32947)
The information in the train is also limited. There is a, very good, intercom. The announcements come over clearly. Having said that, the language skills of some of the personnel is really sad. On the way back we had an excellent announcer. On the way to London though we had someone who is totally incapable of international speech.
All announcements are made in Dutch, English and French. The Dutch and English of the first announcer was Crap with a capital C. In particular the Dutch was incomprehensible. I like to think my Dutch is quite good, but I did not understand a word of it! It’s a good thing the announcements came in French and “English” too! (This does explain why the Eurostar is advertised in England with the catch phrase “J’aime le train”.)
Another bad thing is that the announcements closely follow eachother. By the time you realise the French is over and the Dutch has started, the Dutch announcement is almost over! In the ICE-3 they wait 5 seconds before repeating an announcement in another language.
The best form of information on the ICE-3 is a LCD display above the entrance. This display is as wide as the train and informs you of destinations, amenitities etc. This is one form of information that the Eurostar misses, and that is a real shame. Especially considering the language skills of some of the announcers. By showing the information in Dutch/French/English on the LCD display the Deutsche Bahn prevents a lot of confusion.
In German trains each train and 1st and 2nd class has a radio build in. You can listen to that free of charge, provided you have your own headset (or buy one in the train). This is another feature the Eurostar misses. In the 1st class of the ICE-3 there are even personal televisions in each seat! Here to the Eurostar can’t compete!
The main difference between the 1st and 2nd class on the Eurostar is that the in 1st seats are 1+2 whereas in 2nd class the seats are 2+2. This is also the case in the ICE. Therefore the seats are wider, as is the aisle. The main colours in the Eurostars 2nd class is a very tacky yellow, whereas it is a dark red in 1st. This does make the 1st class rather dark.
http://207.44.222.57/images/images2/p/pjgttogb-eurostar-1klas.jpg.95460.thumb
TGV Eurostar 1st class. (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=37000)
http://www.railpictures.net/images/i/ice5.JPG.75321.thumb
ICE-3 Deutsche Bahn 1st class. (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=23712)
Internationally the French are well known for fast trains and good (but expensive) food. Here the Eurostar really shows its origin! The train does go faster then the ICE-3, the top speed during the journey was 300kph (+/-190mph).
I must admit that I did not try the restaurant onboard either train. It is clear though that the French have made better preparations. At the beginning of the journey the chef came buy with a small menu with the option, ranging from a coke with chocolate bar to a small meal. This was not done on the ICE. The Eurostar also had 2 restaurants where the ICE only has one (the ICE has less carriages though).
The ride
The Eurostar is the more quiet train. This has probably to do with the place of the engine. The Eurostar/TGV has a separate engine vehicle. The ICE-3 has the engine under the floor. Therefore the ICE has a rather annoying high pitched whistle sound, in particular when accelerating. The ICE is the more stable train though. The Eurostar bumped a bit up and down. This, however, may have been caused by the track so I will give the Eurostar the benefit of the doubt.
Conclusion.
It is hard to compare these trains. Its not like you are comparing a BMW 7-series with a Renault Clio. We are more talking about a comparison between a BMW and a Mercedes. Two very luxurious trains each with their own advantages.
The Eurostar is faster, quieter and has a beter canteen. The ICE-3 has a much more comfortable cabin and a smoother ride. If I had to choose between separate trains, than the ICE-3 would win.
*Yes, I realise that Midi means Central and that Zuid means South. For some odd reason this station has different names. The French speakers call is Midi and the Dutch speakers call is South. Belgian logic I suppose.
I have been on the Eurostar train between Brussels Midi/Zuid* and London Waterloo last week. In the past I have had a few rides on the ICE-3 of the Deutsche Bahn. In this post I shall be comparing them.
http://207.44.222.57/images/images2/p/pjgttogb-eurostar-3231.jpg.71749.thumb
TGV Eurostar. (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=36999)
http://www.railpictures.net/images/i/ice3.JPG.85995.thumb
ICE-3 Deutsche Bahn. (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=23709)
Preparations.
Booking a trip is easy enough on both trains. You can go to the train station and book the trip. Having said that, it is not advisable to do that with the Eurostar. You’d most likely get no seat as most seats are sold way in advance. Another thing that should be noted is that the prices are sky-high when you want a last-minute trip. This is not the case for the ICE-3. Here you can literally show up 10 minutes in advance and buy your ticket. I have done so quite often.
Boarding
The ICE-3 is most defintaly the easiest to board! You can board it just like you would board a normal train, but then again, it IS a normal train. Sure, its fast and it does not stop everywhere but there is not much of a difference between the ICE-3 and a local train going international.
The Eurostar is very different! More like an airline than like a train really. You must show up at least half an hour in advance. First you must go through security. Your bag(s) go through a X-ray machine and you have to show your ID. After that you must wait in the lounge (no photography allowed) for a short period till the train leaves. This is quite modern with lots of stainless steel and marble. Actual boarding starts 15 minutes before departure. All seats are assigned, so you can’t choose a nice window seat. Unfortunately I ended up with a “window” seat with no window.
The cabin.
This is of course where the matters get important for the traveller. And, I must admit, the TGV can’t compete with the ICE-3. The ICE is in another league alltogether.
The first impression of the Eurostar is rather dissapointing. It does not look like it is the flagship of the fleet. It looks like a normal train. The seats are comfortable, mind you, but it just is less comfortable than the ICE. The cabin is also narrower and you particularly notice that in the aisle. Bare in mind that this is an international long-distance train, most passengers will probably be carrying bags and suitcases around, the aisle can only barely handle them.
http://207.44.222.57/images/images2/k/klaar-pjgttogb-eurostar-2klas.jpg.26514.thumb
TGV Eurostar 2nd class. (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=37048)
http://www.railpictures.net/images/i/ice3-2deklasse.jpg.35251.thumb
ICE-3 Deutsche Bahn 2nd class. (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=32947)
The information in the train is also limited. There is a, very good, intercom. The announcements come over clearly. Having said that, the language skills of some of the personnel is really sad. On the way back we had an excellent announcer. On the way to London though we had someone who is totally incapable of international speech.
All announcements are made in Dutch, English and French. The Dutch and English of the first announcer was Crap with a capital C. In particular the Dutch was incomprehensible. I like to think my Dutch is quite good, but I did not understand a word of it! It’s a good thing the announcements came in French and “English” too! (This does explain why the Eurostar is advertised in England with the catch phrase “J’aime le train”.)
Another bad thing is that the announcements closely follow eachother. By the time you realise the French is over and the Dutch has started, the Dutch announcement is almost over! In the ICE-3 they wait 5 seconds before repeating an announcement in another language.
The best form of information on the ICE-3 is a LCD display above the entrance. This display is as wide as the train and informs you of destinations, amenitities etc. This is one form of information that the Eurostar misses, and that is a real shame. Especially considering the language skills of some of the announcers. By showing the information in Dutch/French/English on the LCD display the Deutsche Bahn prevents a lot of confusion.
In German trains each train and 1st and 2nd class has a radio build in. You can listen to that free of charge, provided you have your own headset (or buy one in the train). This is another feature the Eurostar misses. In the 1st class of the ICE-3 there are even personal televisions in each seat! Here to the Eurostar can’t compete!
The main difference between the 1st and 2nd class on the Eurostar is that the in 1st seats are 1+2 whereas in 2nd class the seats are 2+2. This is also the case in the ICE. Therefore the seats are wider, as is the aisle. The main colours in the Eurostars 2nd class is a very tacky yellow, whereas it is a dark red in 1st. This does make the 1st class rather dark.
http://207.44.222.57/images/images2/p/pjgttogb-eurostar-1klas.jpg.95460.thumb
TGV Eurostar 1st class. (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=37000)
http://www.railpictures.net/images/i/ice5.JPG.75321.thumb
ICE-3 Deutsche Bahn 1st class. (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=23712)
Internationally the French are well known for fast trains and good (but expensive) food. Here the Eurostar really shows its origin! The train does go faster then the ICE-3, the top speed during the journey was 300kph (+/-190mph).
I must admit that I did not try the restaurant onboard either train. It is clear though that the French have made better preparations. At the beginning of the journey the chef came buy with a small menu with the option, ranging from a coke with chocolate bar to a small meal. This was not done on the ICE. The Eurostar also had 2 restaurants where the ICE only has one (the ICE has less carriages though).
The ride
The Eurostar is the more quiet train. This has probably to do with the place of the engine. The Eurostar/TGV has a separate engine vehicle. The ICE-3 has the engine under the floor. Therefore the ICE has a rather annoying high pitched whistle sound, in particular when accelerating. The ICE is the more stable train though. The Eurostar bumped a bit up and down. This, however, may have been caused by the track so I will give the Eurostar the benefit of the doubt.
Conclusion.
It is hard to compare these trains. Its not like you are comparing a BMW 7-series with a Renault Clio. We are more talking about a comparison between a BMW and a Mercedes. Two very luxurious trains each with their own advantages.
The Eurostar is faster, quieter and has a beter canteen. The ICE-3 has a much more comfortable cabin and a smoother ride. If I had to choose between separate trains, than the ICE-3 would win.
*Yes, I realise that Midi means Central and that Zuid means South. For some odd reason this station has different names. The French speakers call is Midi and the Dutch speakers call is South. Belgian logic I suppose.