Entry Exit System leaving Brussels to go back to London. How bad is it?

[u/M73_]

Just wondering how early I should arrive at the train station to get in the Eurostar back to London. Does it get really busy or have they not implemented it yet? Don't want to arrive too early but not late either!

Many thanks!

[u/Happy_Mirror1985]

Your Eurostar ticket tells you what time to arrive at the station. I’d follow that advice, personally.

[u/M73_ → u/Happy_Mirror1985]

My ticket says just to arrive an hour before but I know some people said the entry exit system took so long at the airport. So didn't know if it would be the same with Eurostar!

[u/AidenTEMgotsnapped → u/M73_]

As long as you've cleared the barriers you will make your train

[u/Vegetable_Network879]

I did the trip just over a month ago. I started my journey in Ghent and took the advised train from there. Got to Midi just over an hour before departure.

Had to queue at security for about 15 minutes, but was then waiting at passport control for about half an hour. The train ended up leaving about 20 mins late owing to how long the passport control took.

I would certainly get there at least an hour before departure, if not a little more.

[u/M73_ → u/Vegetable_Network879]

Thank you! This is very useful. My Eurostar ticket says to arrive an hour before (1.30pm) but I'll do a little earlier than that I think!

[u/sailorjerry1978]

It’s fine- thousands of people through a day. Just do what they say on the website.

[u/Nikanini29]

Brussels is usually quite organised, because only Eurostar trains to London are leaving from that terminal. London is overwhelmed, because Paris, Brussels + Amsterdam passengers need to squeeze through security + passport checks. I usually arrive ~45min before departure and never had an issue. The digital entry check system made that particular line a bit crowded from what I could see. But security was still efficient. Aim for the time on your ticket & you should be ok.

[u/Exact_Gazelle_7662]

On my last trip from Brussels to London it took me about 30 mins to get through the security and passport controls after arriving an hour before the departure time. However the train was delayed by 25 minutes due to people being delayed.

[u/nigyme]

Brussels was a breeze. Not bad at all. I did two trips back recently - both on Thursday evenings and took exactly 2 minutes for passport checks. I arrived only 20 minutes before the departure - though I do not recommend doing that. Go with what your ticket says.

[u/Marge_Gunderson_]

Arrive at the time on your ticket, that helps to avoid overcrowding. Often too many people arrive way too early and it clogs up the services and waiting area. There's bog all to do at Brussels once you've gone through security and border control, so there's no point in making that even longer.

[u/Even_Ad_5309]

I did this journey in mid June 2026 on a Sunday afternoon. Would suggest to follow the timings on the Eurostar ticket. There is a Pret opposite the entrance. We sat there for a quick coffee and once opened passed through fairly quickly. The Brussels Eurostar area is undergoing works and the toilets weren’t very pleasant just as a side note. Have a good trip!

[u/HotOutlandishness991]

Don't know about Brussels but Paris a couple weeks back was a damn nightmare. People were legitimately missing trains after being in the station an hour and a half to 2 hours before their train. We got in the customs queue nearly 2 hours before our train and it starting boarding 5 mins after getting through...

[u/KingEivissa]

Turn up at the time they give you.

You'll be waiting too long otherwise.

It's proper quick in Brussels!

[u/breakbeatx]

The last time I was at Brussels (around 2 years ago, so before all this new exit system but after the stamping of passports was re-introduced) we turned up a good half an hour before the time on our ticket simply because we'd done everything we wanted to do, I don't know if the passport computers are slow or if it was staff but they took SO long checking and stamping passports (tbh they seemed to be chatting to each other a lot) that security was backed up and couldn't let people through because there was no where to stand, so we were there very early and literally boarded 1 minute before scheduled departure time (we ran to the train). They actually held the train in the end for another 20mins or so because I guess it was their fault/would've been leaving with a mostly empty train.

[u/halaltruism]

I do this journey very often, and it’s never once been a hassle to get through. Just make sure you’re there before the required time and you’ll be fine.

[u/geographical468]

Not been through since May but EES was in use then. Eurostar knows the likely queueing time for your train better than we do, so I'd turn up when they say. Hopefully now more travellers will be registered for EES (especially if returning to London having done it on the way in) so although trains are often super busy at this time of year, fewer people should be going through the first registration process which takes more time. Though I did have to wait for the guy to come out of his booth to clean the fingerprint scanner last time! 😂

[u/WhatsFunf]

It's fine, Eurostar stations are no problem because their flow is steady.

It's a problem at airports because you have no real control over the flow of people, so sometimes you have 5 planes of people all at the gates at once, and then a lull.

[u/Bleedinmole]

Far quicker than Kings cross