A flow of frustrated Eurostar passengers turned up at stations in London and Paris today, desperate to find out whether they would get home for Christmas.
"We had a good time in London, but now I've had enough of it," said Sonia Van Waelam, a 49-year-old from Brussels, stranded at St Pancras International station in London.
She was due to have returned home on Sunday and be back at work at the Interior Ministry on Monday.
"I hope I will be home for Christmas, otherwise I will have to swim [across the Channel]," she told Reuters.
Trains have been suspended over the past three days after they were unable to cope with extreme winter weather. Eurostar said it hoped a partial service would resume on Tuesday. [ID:nLDE5BK0KI]
Modifications were being made to the snow screens and snow shields in the trains' locomotives after six trains, carrying 2,500 passengers broke down, five of them in the undersea tunnel linking Britain and France.
Passengers travelling on the Eurostar between London and Brussels were also affected.
Many were hoping to return home to spend Christmas with family and friends.
Jan Den Teuling, a 60-year-old architect, was due to travel to Brussels later this week, but said his remaining time in London would be spent searching for alternative arrangements rather than visiting tourist attractions.
"We were due to see Westminster Abbey, some museums and Notting Hill today, but I will have to spend the time trying to book a plane," he said.
"For me, this is a disappointing day. I cannot enjoy my holiday now."
Philippe De Vandiere, due to have travelled on Sunday, discovered all flights home to Paris were booked until Thursday, when the price trebled to about 300 pounds one-way.
The 25-year-old broker has suffered disruption with Eurostar in the past, but he said: "This is the worst disruption -- and just before Christmas too."
In Paris, Matthew Schulte, 22, from Melbourne, Australia, had been on the train on Saturday when he was kicked-off with his friend.
"We were just here for four days," he said. "It might be two weeks."
Daniel Hill, 24, from London, was due to have left on Monday.
"It's annoying and frustrating, especially this close to Christmas," he said.