Time to exit Eurostar station at Ashford?

[eastwestdivide]

Anyone any experience of exiting from a London-bound Eurostar at Ashford? How long does it take to get through formalities, assuming some customs official doesn't take a dislike to my appearance?
I'm booked on a Eurostar back from Paris, with destination Kent, and debating whether to go on into London and come back (potentially quicker), or hop out at Ashford for two trains to my destination (definitely cheaper). I've heard that sometimes the exit formalities at St Pancras can be a bit time-consuming.
This will be a Saturday night, the 19.13 from Paris, 2007 Ashford, 2039 St Pancras.

Thanks.

 

[Oscar]

There are usually no exit formalities when arriving from Paris. There are often exit formalities for trains from Brussels and Lille due to the "Lille loophole" problem.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Sounds good to me. Thanks.
Did it once in the early Eurostar days, and wandered through without seeing a single uniform, but I didn't know if things have been tightened up since then.

 

[Oscar]

I must add that my statement above is only based on experience at and knowledge of St. Pancras but I imagine the situation at Ashford is the same.

 

[steamybrian]

I have travelled on the 1913 Paris- Ashford on several occasions which is easy for me to change there for a local train to my home station of Tonbridge.
Exit from a Eurostar at Ashford is very quick and no formalities. Do consider it is a l-o-n-g walk from the Eurostar (to SE trains) is from platform 3 down the escalator or stairs through the subway up stairs to the south side (International) booking hall, then down more stairs, along the subway to platforms 1/2 for South Eastern up trains.
If you have heavy luggage it can be tiring.

 

[cgcenet]

Have you considered ferry from Calais to Dover? Maybe not the quickest journey time, but it has no perverse doubling back via London, and has frequent crossings; it is probably the cheapest option (with walk-up fares).

 

[eastwestdivide]

Have you considered ferry from Calais to Dover? Maybe not the quickest journey time, but it has no perverse doubling back via London, and has frequent crossings; it is probably the cheapest option (with walk-up fares).

Yes and rejected. I'm coming from further afield, and the saving would be negated by another day away.
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I have travelled on the 1913 Paris- Ashford on several occasions which is easy for me to change there for a local train to my home station of Tonbridge.
Exit from a Eurostar at Ashford is very quick and no formalities. Do consider it is a l-o-n-g walk from the Eurostar (to SE trains) is from platform 3 down the escalator or stairs through the subway up stairs to the south side (International) booking hall, then down more stairs, along the subway to platforms 1/2 for South Eastern up trains.
If you have heavy luggage it can be tiring.

Thanks. One rucksack only, and that's not really a long walk compared to what I'll have been doing the previous week!

 

[paul1609]

Anyone any experience of exiting from a London-bound Eurostar at Ashford? How long does it take to get through formalities, assuming some customs official doesn't take a dislike to my appearance?
I'm booked on a Eurostar back from Paris, with destination Kent, and debating whether to go on into London and come back (potentially quicker), or hop out at Ashford for two trains to my destination (definitely cheaper). I've heard that sometimes the exit formalities at St Pancras can be a bit time-consuming.
This will be a Saturday night, the 19.13 from Paris, 2007 Ashford, 2039 St Pancras.

Thanks.

Im usually in my car driving home 10 minutes after the train is scheduled to arrive. Unlikely to be any formalities

 

[eastwestdivide]

Thanks one and all. Case closed.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Just to confirm others' experience, the 2007 Eurostar arrival was into Ashford 2 mins early at 2005, and I was on the SE platforms, after buying a ticket in the subway machine, at 2011.