For a touch of festive merriment, I took a day trip to France to explore their Christmas market and the surrounding area. Having taken the Eurostar, I had the freedom to bring back a few goodies, but there was one rule that caught me out on my way home.

My journey began at London St Pancras International, where I boarded the 9:01am Eurostar bound for Lille, France, a city situated near the Belgian border. The Eurostar took just an hour and 23 minutes to reach the French city, so by 11.30am I was leaving the train station ready to explore.

I spent the day wandering around Lille's Christmas Village, which boasts a charming enclosed market filled with a plethora of gifts and delectable treats, along with further festive merriment that was decorated around the city. I later wandered the quaint and cobbled streets filled with independent shops, pasteries, coffee shops and taprooms - a nod to their close proximity to Belgium.

It was a day well spent, and after a seven-hour whistle-stop tour around Lille, I made my way back to the train station to catch the 18.36 Eurostar home. But there wasn't without a stop at the local supermarket, Carrefour, that was conveniently located next to the station.

Without the luggage and liquid restrictions of boarding a plane, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take back some French delicacies to share with my loved ones over Christmas. Having devoured some of the most scrumptious French cheese at the Christmas market, the creamy product was at the top of my shopping list. But then I remembered an email I received from Eurostar before my trip.

The message was titled 'Important: Temporary food entry restrictions in Great Britain' and it stated that travellers visiting the EU cannot take cheese, along with other produce, back into the UK.

Explaining what this means for Brits visiting the EU, the email read: "The UK has introduced temporary restrictions on milk, dairy products, and certain meats from the EU. This is to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease following a rising number of cases across mainland Europe.

Travellers can no longer bring the following meats and animal products from the EU into Great Britain for personal use:

• Pork


• Beef


• Lamb and mutton


• Goat meat


• Venison


• Other products made from these meats, like sausages


• Milk and dairy products

This also includes items like sandwiches, cheese, cured meats or raw meats. Please ensure you don't take any of these products with you on your journey to London.

Some exceptions apply to infant food and special food needed for medical reasons. Please check what you're allowed to bring on GOV.UK."

While I was grateful, I remembered the email before buying the produce, I was a little gutted I couldn't take back a selection of cheese for Christmas. But of course, I completely understood why. I quickly scrapped the idea and instead focused on picking up a few bottles of wine for the impending festive period. It only felt right, considering France is known for being one of the best countries in the world for its vin!

In guidance for those wanting to bring home some plonk, the Eurostar shareson their website: "We appreciate that passengers often want to bring a few bottles back from their trip and we are happy for customers to bring unopened bottles of alcohol to take on to their destination. Any passengers with large quantities will need to contact a courier service."

They added: "Although you can bring alcohol with you and we serve alcohol on board, safety is our top priority. So, please drink in moderation. If you behave in an antisocial way which ruins the journey for other passengers or break any laws or by-laws, we might ask you to leave the train at the nearest station."

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