Is the Trainline app any good? We book a Eurostar journey from London to Lille

What is Trainline? The app everyone seems to be using to travel around Europe, with celebrity ambassadors from Tan France to Emma Roberts, has piqued my interest. It is, in fact, the leading independent rail and coach travel platform, apparently making it easy for folk like us to search, book and manage all our journeys in one place. It serves over 40 countries and counting.

So I downloaded the app and used it for the first time in just two, taking a day trip from London St. Pancras International to Lille Europe. Here’s what the whole step-by-step process was like.

While this journey was complimentary, all thoughts and opinions are our own

Trainline app review

In this Trainline app review, we tested booking a Eurostar journey from London to Lille.

How to book a train on Trainline

You can make your bookings via the app or the website. I decided to do it on the website because I like working with a bigger screen. I searched for my destination, Lille, on the homepage and was taken to a variety of route options. 

Selecting my desired trip, I changed my mind about the outbound journey by the time I reached the payment method. I wasn’t able to edit it there and was required to start over. Thankfully, the process wasn’t lengthy, though the page did take time to load. Perhaps it was my connection. Or I should have just stuck to the app. 

Upon finalising my booking, I was told at the end that my ticket would arrive immediately. I could download the PDF to my phone, or access it via the app. I tried both and was confused: all I received was a booking confirmation. Wasn’t there meant to be a QR code? 

It turned out that I needed to add our passport information. This message, in my opinion, was not obvious. Right after inputting it, the QR codes came through via email and I was also able to access them on the app. 

How to scan a Trainline ticket

This was the easy part and the thing I liked the most about the Trainline app. I simply had to click ‘View Ticket’ and scan at the Eurostar gate. There was no issue, and it was the same as taking the Eurostar normally. 

I liked that there were real-time updates throughout on the app, including platform information. This helped as it saved me from checking the boards.

So far, so smooth.

What the journey is like on Trainline

It’s exactly the same as if you didn’t use Trainline: remember, Trainline isn’t an actual train line. It’s a digital platform which you’ll basically use for convenience and the best prices. 

I boarded at St. Pancras International, arriving at the terminal around one hour before departure, as suggested by Trainline’s app (I checked Eurostar’s website, which suggested more, but I think if you’re a seasoned traveller, you don’t need to come THAT early. Go with the Trainline estimate).

The journey was good. Lille is surprisingly close. Our journey took less than an hour and a half, less than the time it takes to get between some parts of London (ahem, Richmond). A day trip option I’d not previously considered but a great one.

Where we went for the day

Since it was a day trip, I scoured the tourism board website and various blogs for the perfect five-hour itinerary. We walked along the main shopping streets (and popped into their Westfield), stopped by the famous Palais des Beaux-Arts, and squeezed in a one-hour guided tour of the old town, including stopping at Meert for Lille’s famous waffles and pastries (the patisserie dates back to 1761). The queue was long, but worth it.

Lunch was a tough decision as I could only choose one place. We settled on Babe, a restaurant with raw but warm décor, and loved the Maroilles (a tasty deep-fried cheese that’s a northern speciality). The wine was only eight euros and was also superb. A top-value lunch spot.

Lille ticked my box for food, culture, and ease of access. I’d definitely come back next time for the weekend, as the five hours flew by and we didn’t have time to see it all. I zoomed through the Palais des Beaux-Arts, and it deserved way more than an hour. We’d also like to do the one-hour Unique Tour of Lille by Convertible 2CV, which has rave reviews.

What was the return journey like?

It was the same. Lille Europe station is much smaller than London St. Pancras International, so you don’t need to arrive as early as the whole process took less than 10 minutes to check. It’s right in the city centre too. If you do end up being early, there’s one small newsagent/cafe inside if you want to pick up a magazine and a drink.

Frequently asked questions: Trainline app

Overall, how good is Trainline?

Let’s start with the dislikes. For me, it was the ads. There are lots of them, and I felt it slowed my search down, at least on my desktop. There’s also a booking.com screen which automatically pops up each time you perform a search (unless you uncheck it). That was annoying.

I guess the pros outweigh the cons. Trainline pulls together and highlights the best price for your journey. So while I went for the easy, direct route, if I’d gone for something requiring multiple modes of transport, it would have been much easier to collate the best journey for the lowest price.

The live updates also meant everything I needed was open on one single app, so it was indeed convenient.  

Overall, I would use Trainline again, but for a more complicated journey, probably around the UK or across a few European countries. Oh, and I’d do the whole thing on the app.

Find out more about Trainline

But wait, there’s more…

• Here’s what it’s like to travel to Scotland on a Caledonian Sleeper Train
• Flying to Greece this year? We review Wizz Airlines and bring you the full lowdown on the journey
• And read our Eurostar London to Amsterdam review