"Eurostar Three Capitals" 10-car half-set emu No.3213 (SNCF owned) and No.3999 (EU-UK owned spare set) at St.Pancras International, 03/09 by Hugh Llewelyn

Starting May 1, high-speed Eurostar “Chunnel” trains will link London with Lyon, Avignon and Marseille. The trains initially operate three days a week, increasing to five days a week during July and August, back to three in September, and once weekly in November and December. Trains leave London early in the morning and return in the afternoon. At other times, you can reach Provence from London by taking Eurostar to Lille Europe and transferring there to a TGV. However, the new direct trains are about an hour faster and avoid the hassle of changing.

— Ed Perkins, editor