It’s Friday afternoon in London Town. You’re sitting in the office watching the clock, waiting for the weekend to kick off. You’ve got an urge to head out of the city, but can’t face a cattle truck commuter train. What do you do? Why not make the most of your location and hitch a ride on a star.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A SUPERSTAR

That’s what I did nearly ten years ago when I still lived in London. Rather than getting out into the countryside, I decided to get out of the country, taking my first ride on Eurostar. I was amazed to discover this year is already the high speed train’s fifteenth birthday.

AU REVOIR TO SPLENDID ISOLATION

More than thirty services a day leave from St Pancras International in London, making it much more difficult for little Englanders to feel a sense of splendid isolation. Traveling at up to 186 miles per hour, Eurostar gets you to Paris in just over two hours. If that seems too far away, Brussels takes only 1 hour 50 minutes and Lille in Northern France a mere 1 hour 20 minutes; about the same time as your average commute. And it won’t be a guilt trip either: Eurostar is the first train operator in the world to offer travelers the chance to buy carbon neutral journeys.

JUST IN TIME FOR DINNER

If you leave straight after work, you’ll arrive in Paris, Brussels or Lille just in time for dinner. To help ensure a first class weekend, here are three restaurants in the three Eurostar cities that’ll take your tastebuds off the rails.

Lille: Oui Fooding 13 Rue de Bouchers 59000

We say yes to fooding too. This concept restaurant likes to mix it up with a constantly changing menu of bistro favourites. Playing with your food is encouraged, and the puddings are oh la la fantastic.

Paris: Guillaume 32, Rue de Picardie, 75003

Slap bang in the middle of the Marais bar hopping area, this three storey restaurant is a great place to start the weekend. Not only is the food great, but the discount champagne available in the bubble hour will really make your weekend fizz.

Brussels: Bazaar Rue des Capucins 63, Marolles, 1060 

Bazaar is the best place to combine dinner and dancing in town. Upstairs it’s an extravagant restaurant with kitsch décor and unusual dishes fare like ostrich in port wine. In the former monastery cellar, downstairs, DJs spin and eclectic mix of tunes.