London/Paris Eurostar prices -- selecting US vs. UK (vs. France)

yes, indeed it's cheaper if you book from UK web site in pounds. It's ok to book from UK site even if you live in US.

I (in US) just booked my Eurostar ticket from UK web site, price is 59 pounds, and it's $120 in US site. Do your math.

Thanks, jz166.

By the way, I've tried France as my domicile and oddly, the prices come up in GBP (not EUR, as I'd expect). Same prices though, it looks like. I guess I can try with some other country to see if there's some mispricing.

Right now, the cheapest I see is 49.50 GBP x 2, or 99 GBP for my itinerary. I'm leaving Saturday early morning and returning early Monday morning.

Any other strategies for lowering the price are very welcome.

By the way, I'm expecting to pick up the tickets at the train station since there's not enough time to get them delivered. Any potential complications?

Thanks very much!

I travelled on the Eurostar recently and collected my tickets at Waterloo. There are automatic ticket machines where you just insert your credit card. The only thing is that you need to know your booking reference to do this, otherwise (like me) you have to join the nasty queues.

Thanks JH.

I guess a potential issue is that US issued credit cards may not be readable with the machines in Europe anyway -- I've had this sort of problem before so maybe I'll end up queuing anyway.

Anyway, I've about a two-hour connection between Heathrow and Waterloo. It looks tight, but I might as well give it a try. We'll see how this all goes.

I take it that the fastest way is Heathrow Express to Paddington and then switch to Tube?

Based on Ira's advice this is exactly what I just did... ordered them from the UK site. It's a setting you have to select the first time to the site... if you're on the US site you will need to go into your browser and delete the Eurostar cookies and cache and start over.

I ordered my tix online, then when it came to mailing address I gave my US address... but selected that I would pick up the tickets at the station.

Then you get a confirmation page and an email.

I saved about $80 this way for 4 adults.

~kat

Great, thanks skatter.

I think that my time reading this site is being paid back in terms of reduced costs of traveling.

I want to post my experience with Eurostar.com. I just spend about 45 mins trying to find out the most economical way to book my tickets.

I checked both UK & US websites (which is a nuisance as I have to delete my cookies in order to do so).

For the outbound Paris-London:
UK website - £30 pp
US website - $60 pp

For the inbound London-Paris:
UK website - £30 pp
US website - $75 pp

They are the exact same trains.
With the current exchange rate, 1 GBP = 1.88856 USD
£60 = $113

Interestingly, I went to RailEurope.com website and check their prices. There are many different Leisure fares, with the cheapest Leisure fare (#5) being $45 one-way (based on return).

However, for my outbound train, I only qualify for Leisure fare #4, which is $60 one-way.
For my inbound train, I will qualify for Leisure fare #5.
Therefore, I assume I can get the r/t ticket for $60 + $45 = $105

HOWEVER, the rules for all the Leisure fares state:
< Return ticket must be purchased, in the same fare category. >
Therefore, I don't think I can travel outbound on a Leisure fare #4 ($60) and return inbound on Leisure fare #5 ($45).

It seems to me that when I try to check out on the RailEurope website, there is no indication that the above combo (Leisure 4 + Leisure 5) is not allowed. I wonder if anyone has tried that? I doubt someone will really check my tickets that closely, but in the end I decided not to "cheat", and therefore I bought my tickets from Eurostar.com UK website for £60.

[I guess one can argue that I am still "cheating" by buying my tickets on the UK website even though I live in the US.]

Hi OP,

>[I guess one can argue that I am still "cheating" by buying my tickets on the UK website even though I live in the US.]<

I wouldn't be one of them. They offered their tickets at a particular price. You purchased them.

One thing sometimes overlooked is that if you have any kind of rail pass then you can get a major discount on the Eurostar, even when your pass is not for France or the UK. Sometimes if you are taking several major train trips in one country, it can prove cost effective to go ahead and get the saver pass for the appropriate number of days in that country (and the second person gets half price on his pass) and then get the savings on the Eurostar as well. Of course, it takes some major checking and a bit of advanced math to figure out if this is worth it.

I have checked both the UK and US site, and our tickets come out to the same price. But, the schedule on the UK site is a lot more flexible.

To get the cheapest fares on the US site you have to travel at limited times. The UK site is wide open, especially for the Monday that we return to London. The fares are the same all day.

I think I might try to order from the UK site. I am Canadian, but if it works for Americans, I don't see why it wouldn't work for us.

Gundy-

I believe that eurostar.com noticed this pricing "problem" a few months ago and had fixed it since. So, yes, the prices are pretty much similar these days, be it the UK or the US website.

I've been looking at this for obvious reasons.

The UK site is cheaper for the trains I may want (unless I'm doing something wrong).

For Jul 1 (d. 12:09) + July 4 (d. 6:37), UK quotes 59.50 + 39.50 = 99 pounds.

US quotes $150 + $120 = $270. Using a 1.8 exchange rate, the difference is about $90.

I've not booked anything yet because I've not finalized my itinerary.

But just a heads up. 5 minutes of your time can save you $90.

After deleting cookes and temp files, be sure to close that browser and open a new one.

Actually now that I think about it, there were some previous threads on using US sites that could beat the Eurostar price. Remind me again what those threads are? I should look at them. Someone gave a # to call, if I remember.

Thanks.

Moral of story: Don't neglect potential US/UK mispricing on eurostar.com (at least for now).

Well, maybe not quite 5 minutes -- if you've a lot of cookies saved or something.

But, hey, if you want to save money, anything is worth a try....

Eurostar fares in $ thru RailEurope are often cheaper than UK fares except on Fri, Sat, Sun; otherwise RE's $90 return fare can't be beat i believe - check both and see what's the best, but to say that UK fares often better is not always true. RE's youth fare (under 26) of $45 one way for example, or the passholder fare (British, French, Benelux and Eurail passes $75 on any train is a bargain - about $95 when i last priced in UK. RE does charge a $15 per order booking fee. I usually get my Eurostar tickets through Budget Europe - call them (800-441-9413) for expert service and price comparisons - the lady there who has booked Eurostar for several years can even play around with seat selection. Anyway cheaper tickets are hard to book as the date nears so advance booking is imperative to guarantee a good fare.
And yes you can mix fare levels such as leisure 4 and 5 as mentioned above thru RE as i've done it thru Budget Europe, a RailEurope agent. Again, Linda at Budget Europe is a real Eurostar whizz and can answer all your questions.

Search under poster PalQ. He/She mentioned some company which may get a better deal.

Hi 111,

For a while you could buy the tickets at www.raileurope.com for less than at www.eurostar.com.

Great, thanks. I'll research more after work today.

[You must be thinking -- this guy actually works? ]

Budget Europe is open 9-5 EST M-F, so I missed them.

I'll try again tomorrow.

I've not had the time to look at raileurope yet.

Haven't looked at raileurope in a while -- but this is weird. The interface has changed completely.

When I put in Jul 2-4, round-trip, afternoons for both, I get a screen for Jul 2 first, and some of the 2nd class fares are higher than the 1st class fares.

Then the cheapest fare on that page is $284 USD. (Just one-way?)

I didn't bother pricing the return.

I'll report back after I've checked BudgetEurope.

>...some of the 2nd class fares are higher than the 1st class fares.<

That's because they are discounting the fares.

Discounting the 1st class fares, you mean, ira?

I don't really get it....

Just reading PalQ's post again:

"Eurostar fares in $ thru RailEurope are often cheaper than UK fares except on Fri, Sat, Sun"

Well, 7/2 is a Saturday....

But I guess I'll continue my hunt tomorrow with BudgetEurope. It doesn't hurt to call to see what they offer.

Thanks again.

Some first class fares are only $20 more than a 2nd class fare in a few situations - like on Fri, Sat Sun, RailEurope fares that is - $170 for first class and cheapest 2nd class $150 - and in first class you get a full meal with Champagne or wine - worth the $20 probably. Expect more first class deals as i just read that Eurostar has had trouble filling first class and has actually converted some first class carriages to second class - i wonder if they havn't changed the seating some second class travelers may actually sit in first class seating, sans meal of course.

Interesting. As usual how these companies price tickets is really a mystery to me.

I really don't care, but there's always a nagging suspicion that if I understood the nuts and bolts I would be snagging all these bargains (which is of course not true!).

Hi 111,

>...how these companies price tickets is really a mystery...<

Like the airlines, the train people have found that it is better to put someone into a seat, even at a very low fare, than to have the seat empty; so they have sales when they see that the train will not be filled.

((I)

PS,

I caame across one sale where a 1cl compartment for two was cheaper than a 2cl T3 for two.

I can see that part of the argument -- but then I guess I've always wondered why they don't always have last-minute sales (because the plane/train/etc. is usually not completely full).

But I guess that's because there're always people with super-flexible schedules who can just pick up and go on a whim.

Maybe the real reason is that people's behaviors would change as a result -- they'd start to expect last-minute sales and procrastinate if there're always last-minute sales.

I'd love to understand what the thinking is -- or if there's a black box that does all the calculations.

By the way, what's T3?

By the way, ira, now that I think more about it, I don't necessarily buy the argument that you discount 1st class fares because you can't fill up first class.

Well, unless 2nd class is really full, of course.

I mean, if you're eurostar, you'd want to maximize total revenue - costs, right? So what's the alternative? This person must at least buy a ticket (if he/she wants to get on the train). So why offer that person a first class ticket at a cheaper price than a second class ticket? You'd have to offer more services and the person would be paying less.

Unless, of course, second class is full.

Ok, I guess then there's the other part of the argument, if prices drop to 0, everyone will want the train. It's an extreme case, but I can see part of the point again.

You generate demand that might not have been there. (But still, 1st < 2nd? It's still a little puzzling.)

It's definitely interesting.

Ira: can't get a T-3 for 2 unless you pay for all the three berths thus the 1st class double could be cheaper.

Hi Pal,

What I meant was one could have bought 2 tickets in a 1Cl dbl for less than 2 tickets in a 2cl T3 with another person sharing it.

Hi 111,

Consider this: 2cl is full, 1 cl is x% full. The train's cost is now paid, but there is no profit.

As long as you sell the 1cl ticket for more than it costs to clean up after the passengers, you make more money than not filling the seats.

Yes, I thought of that too, ira -- but when I looked yesterday, neither 1st nor 2nd was full (for that train I wanted).

(How would I know 1st < 2nd if that weren't the case?)

So it's not as simple as what you're saying, though I can see the general drift.

Bascially what I'm saying is -- it doesn't make sense to price 1st < 2nd if you take a passenger who'll want to travel (or needs to travel), but it may make sense to price 1st < 2nd if you're looking at a group who's looking to travel.

They may think that they're getting a lot of nice amenities cheaply so they end up traveling in 1st whereas the alternative is that they don't even think about traveling in 2nd.

But still it's a bit bizarre, I must say.

Ira: my mistake i should have realized that but i didn't.
At Paris airport not long ago i was behind two Yanks in line would wanted to buy tickets to Angers - the clerk gave them the second class price and then said, since they were obviously over 60 that first class would be cheaper! filling up empty first class seats by enticing oldsters to travel. I've noticed this on Nice-Paris train in winter when first class was full of oldsters and most had special reduced ticketes - the PREM fares that are cheaper than normal fare in second class.

That certainly adds a wrinkle, PalQ....

No senior discounts in 2nd class?

Well that was a few years ago but at that time apparently that was the case - they didn't even know about the senior discount and didn't have to buy the usual Senior discount card but the clerk just said 'it's cheaper to go first class if you're a senior' so guess there was no discounted second class ticket. Yes, weird.

Very interesting -- I guess I learn something every day.

I still haven't called Budget Europe -- but will try to call later (and before 5).

I got my tickets 180 days in advance for $94 per person. We bought the round trip Leisure Fare with no intent on going back to London.

I buy them through an agent in Hawaii who helped me get them the last time I went, and I have my 2nd set for this trip in hand already.

Visit www.meleterc.com or e-mail her at TERCMele@aol.com. Mele is the name of the agent, and she is quite nice and helpful.

The cheaper tickets go quickly, so I recommend getting them as soon as your dates are firm.

Jules

Thanks, link is pretty useful -- but it also tells me that I won't qualify for the cheapest fares (because my outbound will be on a Saturday).

I might call them anyway just to compare.

You can actually book 9 months in advance though it says 180 days - but the train time may be changed if schedules change. But with some of RailEurope's very cheap fares, such as the $90 round trip it seems inevitable that this could go up as it's so much cheaper than what you can buy in Europe you may want to lock it in - non-refundable or non-changeable however. the $94 is a day return (but if just going one way the $90 round trip would be $4 cheaper if it fits into your schedule with its time restrictions (Mon-Thu between 11am and 3pm). yes the cheap fares can be very hard to book, especially the $45 one way youth fare.

BTW, 111op -

I don't know if you paid any attention to my trip report, but I went for 1st class in my recent trip because it was $170 vs $150 2nd-class. For that extra $20 I got a "free" breakfast, which was enough for me to skip lunch and saved me time looking for food when I got into Brussels.

I used to buy frequently Eurostar tickets. I noticed that the prices are cheaper on the French site at www.voyages-sncf.com. It costs 69 EUR for a round trip (with Saturday night stayover), and 69 GBP on the British Eurostar.com site.

Hi, I want to report back on my experiences. I still haven't bought my ticket.

Right now, the return train has gone up by 10 pounds (so fare now 59.50 + 49.50 = 109 rather than 99 before).

BudgetEurope quotes a 2nd class fare of 150 for the outbound (142 for 1st class, lower, in fact). This doesn't include the booking fee (I think $20 rather than $15 -- it's $15 + $5).

I do want to say that Linda was very nice to me.

Sncf gives 89.25 + 74.25 = 163.50 euros.

Didn't call MeleTerc -- or rather, called them but didn't leave a message.

I've not redone the UK/US tests for Eurostar, but right now Eurostar UK is still the best option. I used some approximate exchange rates and I believe sncf is slightly pricier than Eurostar (but close).

Thanks, yk, for the tip. I think that Eurostar 1st class on the outbound is still about 30 pounds more (?) so I doubt that I'll be taking it.

I want to keep the costs down since it's only for a long weekend.

By the way, Eurostar Paris gives the same fares as SNCF. The price in Euros must be within $10 of the price in pounds, I'm pretty sure, though the UK site is still cheaper, as I mentioned.

Eurostar US still shows 150 + 120 for 2nd class.

So now that the pound price has gone up by 10 pounds, the price difference between US and UK is $70 for this example.

By the way, did want to add that Linda asked if I was over 60 or under 26. I don't know how you'd book senior or youth fares on eurostar.com.

Also, she could get me some perks for the same eurostar fares I could get (but I'd be going first class) on the US site.

And your mileage may vary.

So just to summarize, I think that for the trains I want, eurostar.com (with residence set to UK) is best.

After a few days of diligent fare watching, I've just bought my tickets. I thought that I'd offer a few of my observations. I no longer compared the US and UK rates, being relatively sure that UK dominates in this example -- but throughout I tried SNCF as well, and the rates stayed pretty constant.

1. I tried calling a few travel agents, including the ones listed on this thread, and I was basically always quoted 150+120 US. When I called STA Travel yesterday, they asked if I was a student or under 26. When I said no, they referred me to raileurope.com, and the fares there were terrible (unless I did something wrong).

2. Trains could become special for no discernible reason to me. Right now, you can get the cheapest round-trip fare at 59 pounds for 7/2-7/4 if you pick the 15:11 and 9:10 trains (29.50 each), but yesterday these trains were just like any other trains.

Unfortunately the outbound is just too late for me (it gets in around 7 pm) -- I only have a few hours to take advantage of the sales in Paris. I thought about taking the return but finally didn't (see below).

Yesterday (?) the 13:09 and 8:11 (?) trains were on special.

3. But finally, today the 6:26 return train was 10 pounds cheaper again (at 39.50).

So I finally was able to book exactly the trains I wanted (12:09/6:26) at 99 pounds, the price I saw last week. If I waited more, perhaps the prices would have dropped. But I decided that I was wasting enough time watching these fares. As far as I could tell, the lowest rate (29.50) will require at least 21 days advance purchase, so I'll have to buy before this Saturday comes around anyway.

So basically I wasted a week to get the trains at the prices I wanted (I was stubborn), but I hope that I learned a few lessons that might be useful to someone else reading this.

Am i missing something? 99 pounds at about 1.9 $ to pound would be about $190 - far more than the $150 round trip thru Raileurope for peak travel? You say you were quoted $150 plus $120 or $270 but that is wrong because the $150 Leisure II-3 fare is round trip, available on any train any day if available - can't see why you were quoted $150 + $120??? Call me stupid but what am i missing?

Well, PalQ, I was quoted $150 + $120 + fee. You could always call them and see what fares they quote you.

As you know, not all fare classes are available on all trains.

In any case, in the best scenario, let's say you're right, and indeed BudgetEurope could sell me a round-trip ticket at $150. But they had a $15 + $5 fee, so the ticket is at $170.

I paid 99 pounds, or about $182-3 (depending on what exchange rate you use), so I'm not too concerned about a $13 difference. Of course, I'd be chargrined that I need hearing lessons.