Travel guide
Sleeping near King's Cross, St Pancras and Euston
King's Cross, St Pancras and Euston are a short walk apart, and between them they send trains to Scotland, the North, the Midlands, Kent and mainland Europe. A night nearby takes the rush out of an early departure. Here's what leaves from where, how close the stations are and Eurostar's current check-in advice – all checked on 30 October 2026.
How close are the three stations?
Very close. Eurostar's own station guide says it's less than a 5-minute walk between King's Cross and St Pancras International – the two even share a tube station. Euston is a little further: Eurostar puts it at about a 15-minute walk from St Pancras, or one stop on the tube (Victoria or Northern line, about 10 minutes' journey time by its estimate).
King's Cross St. Pancras Underground station leads directly into St Pancras International and is served by six lines: Victoria, Northern, Piccadilly, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan (TfL). Euston has the Northern and Victoria lines, and nearby Euston Square has the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines.
Network Rail warns that Euston Underground station is very busy at morning and evening peaks, and that it may be quicker to walk or catch a bus to Warren Street or King's Cross St. Pancras instead.
King's Cross: north to Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland
Network Rail says the East Coast route starts at London King's Cross and runs through Yorkshire and the North East to Scotland. On 30 October 2026, Network Rail listed these train operators at King's Cross:
- London North Eastern Railway (LNER) – London, Yorkshire and Scotland
- Lumo – London and Edinburgh
- Grand Central – London, Yorkshire and Sunderland
- Hull Trains – London, Stevenage and Hull
- Great Northern – London and Cambridge
With LNER, Lumo, Grand Central and Hull Trains all heading north from here, a hotel nearby means a short stroll to the platform for an early departure. For more on LNER routes and tickets, our sister site the LNER guide is an independent guide (it isn't run by LNER). Harry Potter fans will also find Platform 9 3/4 here.
Five of our London stays are tagged King's Cross. Point A London Kings Cross, for example, says it is just five minutes from Kings Cross and St Pancras International. You can see them all on our London stays page.
St Pancras International: Europe, Kent, the Midlands and Thameslink
St Pancras is managed by Network Rail High Speed on behalf of HS1. The station's own website and Network Rail list four train companies here:
- Eurostar – international trains to Europe, including Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam
- Southeastern – the high-speed domestic services between London and Kent
- East Midlands Railway – London and the East Midlands, on the Midland Main Line to Nottingham or Sheffield
- Thameslink – Bedford, Luton and Brighton, including Luton and Gatwick airports
For airports, Network Rail says there's a direct route to Gatwick from Platform A, a Luton Airport Express and Thameslink trains to Luton Airport Parkway, and a direct Piccadilly line journey to Heathrow of under an hour. If you're flying from Heathrow the next day, see our Heathrow hotels by terminal guide.
Two of our stays are tagged St Pancras. As always, check the map on each listing – a hotel's name isn't always a guide to exactly which station is nearest.
Eurostar check-in: how early to arrive
Eurostar works differently from domestic trains: Eurostar says all border and luggage checks take place before you depart, so you need to arrive well ahead of time. On 30 October 2026, Eurostar's help centre said for Eurostar Standard and Eurostar Plus: "Please arrive at your departure station at the time shown on your ticket." It added: "Ticket checks close 30 minutes before departure. But please ensure you follow our advice and do not arrive just before ticket checks close."
For Eurostar Premier, it said: "Eurostar Premier priority ticket checks close 15 minutes before departure." It still asks Premier travellers to arrive with enough time for all the pre-departure steps.
Eurostar's general guidance for London St Pancras was:
- Eurostar Standard and Eurostar Plus – arrive 75 minutes before departure; the gate closes 30 minutes before
- Eurostar Premier – arrive 45 minutes before; the gate closes 15 minutes before
- Accessible travel – arrive 60 minutes before; the gate closes 30 minutes before
Eurostar says these timings are just for guidance and can sometimes change, and suggests downloading your ticket close to your travel date to see the most up-to-date arrival time (help centre). Once through the ticket gates there's a security check, then your passport is checked twice – UK exit checks, then the French authorities. Boarding is announced around 20 minutes before departure.
EES: Eurostar says the EU's Entry/Exit System has been gradually rolled out from 12 October 2025 for non-EU nationals, including British nationals, and may mean registering your face image and fingerprints at St Pancras. Its recommended arrival time already allows for this. See our travel documents checklist.
Euston: the West Coast main line and the sleeper
Network Rail describes Euston as the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line, with trains to places such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Its list of train operators at Euston on 30 October 2026 was:
- Avanti West Coast – intercity trains between London, the Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland
- Caledonian Sleeper – sleeper trains between London and Scotland
- London Northwestern Railway – London, the Midlands and North West England
- London Overground – local trains; TfL's Lioness line runs between Euston and Watford Junction
Caledonian Sleeper also has a London Euston guest lounge for Caledonian Double and Club room tickets, so check what your ticket includes.
Three of our stays are tagged Euston. The Euston Square Hotel says Euston, King's Cross St Pancras and Eurostar are "on our doorstep", and The Wesley Euston, on Euston Street, describes itself as one of the hotels near Euston Station.
Camden
One of our London stays is in Camden: voco London Camden Lock, which IHG says is about a four-minute walk from Camden Town Tube station. Camden Town is on the Northern line, which also calls at Euston and King's Cross St. Pancras – handy if your train leaves from either.
Handy extras
- Left luggage: Network Rail lists a left-luggage service run by Excess Baggage Company at King's Cross, St Pancras and Euston – useful if you check out of your hotel hours before your train. Check opening times before you rely on it.
- Book the night before: for an early Eurostar, LNER or Avanti departure, staying within walking distance takes the morning Underground out of the equation.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to walk from King's Cross to St Pancras?
Eurostar says it's less than a 5-minute walk between King's Cross and St Pancras International, and they share a tube station.
How far is Euston from St Pancras?
Eurostar puts it at about a 15-minute walk, or one stop on the tube (Victoria or Northern line).
How early should I get to St Pancras for Eurostar?
Arrive at the time shown on your ticket. On 30 October 2026 Eurostar's guidance for St Pancras was 75 minutes before departure for Standard and Plus (gates close 30 minutes before) and 45 minutes for Premier (gates close 15 minutes before) – see Eurostar's check-in page.
Does LNER leave from King's Cross?
Yes. Network Rail lists LNER at King's Cross for trains between London, Yorkshire and Scotland.
Which station does the Caledonian Sleeper use in London?
Euston. Network Rail lists Caledonian Sleeper at Euston for sleeper trains between London and Scotland.
Which of these stations has trains to Gatwick?
St Pancras. Network Rail says there's a direct route to Gatwick Airport from Platform A (Thameslink).
Sources
We wrote this guide from these pages, checked on 30 October 2026. Rules, timetables and hotel details change — please check with the operator before you travel.
- London King's Cross – facilities, shops and parking information — Network Rail , checked 30 October 2026
- London St Pancras International – facilities, shops and parking information — Network Rail , checked 30 October 2026
- London Euston – facilities, shops and parking information — Network Rail , checked 30 October 2026
- East Coast route — Network Rail , checked 30 October 2026
- East Midlands route — Network Rail , checked 30 October 2026
- When to arrive at the station — Eurostar , checked 30 October 2026
- What time should I arrive at the station? — Eurostar Help Centre , checked 30 October 2026
- London St Pancras train station guide — Eurostar , checked 30 October 2026
- What's the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES)? — Eurostar Help Centre , checked 30 October 2026
- Guest Lounges — Caledonian Sleeper , checked 30 October 2026
- StopPoint 940GZZLUKSX – King's Cross & St Pancras International (TfL Unified API) — Transport for London , checked 30 October 2026
- StopPoint 940GZZLUEUS – Euston (TfL Unified API) — Transport for London , checked 30 October 2026
- StopPoint 940GZZLUESQ – Euston Square (TfL Unified API) — Transport for London , checked 30 October 2026
- StopPoint 940GZZLUCTN – Camden Town (TfL Unified API) — Transport for London , checked 30 October 2026
- Lioness line routes (TfL Unified API) — Transport for London , checked 30 October 2026
- Point A London, Kings Cross — Point A Hotels , checked 30 October 2026
- Euston Square Hotel – official site — Euston Square Hotel , checked 30 October 2026
- The Wesley Euston — The Wesley , checked 30 October 2026
- voco London Camden Lock — IHG Hotels & Resorts , checked 30 October 2026
- St Pancras International – official website — HS1 / St Pancras International , checked 30 October 2026
