Practical tips for Eurostar travel

Having travelled by Eurostar more than a few times now,  I've picked up a few ideas about how to make experience pass as smoothly as possible. Here are my top ten tips for travelling from London:

1. Firstly, if you're travelling from another UK mainline station you can book a through ticket via the Eurostar site (eurostar.com). This will almost certainly save you money, possibly lots of it. Just click on the United Kingdom tab when searching and find your local station. 
2. On arrival at St Pancras the Eurostar terminal is well signposted and there's a nice sized area outside the barriers to gather yourselves. Here you will also find the help desk and the collect at station ticket terminals. There are quite a few gates and they'll have particular trains showing on the screens above them but you can use any that are open if the queues are shorter. (Update: the queueing system has changed a little since Brexit and the pandemic so is actually now a little smoother)
3. BUT before going any further get yourself ready for the security check the other side of the ticket barrier. There's very little room once through the gate so empty your pockets now. If you have a coat you will have to take it off for the check so put all your loose items; phone, coins, keys, wallet etc., in its pockets, otherwise put it all in your hand luggage or even a carrier bag. 
4. Have your tickets and passports ready. If you've printed your own tickets you'll need to have the QR code showing so you can press it up against the reader on the barrier - this takes a couple of seconds so don't take it off until the light goes green and the barrier opens.
5. The security check area is, as I said, immediately after the gate. Hopefully you'll have read and acted on point 3 and are completely ready to proceed. You'll need a tray. They are kept under the conveyor so grab one and put your coat in it with your bags on top. If you've got a suitcase get another tray for that and push them up towards the x-ray machine. Walk through the metal detector and collect your belongings from the other end of the belt. Remember to push your trays towards the end where they'll get swallowed up and sent back to the start. Not doing this annoys other people. Move away towards passport control before even attempting to put all your stuff back where it belongs but preferably wait until you get all the way through. The checks are much less onerous than at the airport but getting ready cuts time and allows a brief smug smile to pass across your lips.
6. This is not really a tip but there are two passport checks, UK and France, out and in, and of course your passport is already in your hand by now isn't it? Join the right queue - all windows will take EU passports, only one or two will take non-EU ones (edit: sadly that is now the window you want). Hand it over open at the appropriate page and wait politely. Try to avoid getting in the queue behind the thoroughly disorganised person with at least two massive suitcases because there's always one.
7. When you get through to the waiting area you can finally reorganise yourself at your leisure. You won't need your ticket again but make a note of which coach you are in and check the screens for boarding notices. There are two travelators up to each of the platforms and getting the right one will depend on your coach number. Incidentally, coach 1 is always nearest the exit in London, while coach 18 (or 16 in the new e320 trains) is always nearest in Paris - useful to know if you've got a tight connection.
8. Once it's announced that your train is boarding, people will rush. Everyone has a reserved seat and there's plenty of time so rushing seems unnecessary, but if you have a large case you'll need space on the luggage racks by the entrance doors to your coach. However, there's usually another rack just inside the carriage and medium cases will fit in the above seat racks so assuming you aren't the person with two massive cases getting in everyone else's way, you can confidently saunter along and take your seat once all the hullabaloo has died down. 
9. Going to Brussels? Look out for the escalator halfway along the platform at Brussels Midi if you're making a connection for an onward train, it'll save you time and hassle.
10. Exiting Gare du Nord Paris is just like any other regular station, but when coming back it has one of the most uncomfortable waiting areas going, so try not to get there too early!

Overall, travelling by Eurostar is quick and hassle-free and hopefully these tips will aid restful travelling. 

Any comments, thoughts or suggestions, even corrections are most welcome.