Eurostar
 

Could someone advise how far ahead must one book/reserve Eurostar tickets?

Thx.

s

Tickets are prices like airline tickets. Popular trains are more expensive, off hours trains are less. If you wait until the last minute it can cost 2 or 3 times as much as if you buy tickets in advance. And the number of lower prices tickets can be limited.

I would start looking at prices/options as soon as your dates are set.

If price is not a factor, you can postpone booking tickets if seats are available.

You can goto www.eurostar.com to get a feel for the price behavior vs. time. You will notice that the cheapest non-flexible tickets disappear first, then the semi-flexible tickets -- leaving the most expensive fully-flexible tickets for last minutes buyers.

I believe they start selling tickets 90 days before your date of travel.

How early one can buy tickets online depends on the vendor sites.


As of today

The www.eurostar.com allows booking up to December 13, but not December 14th, so it looks like 240 days ahead.

The www.sncf.com allows booking up to August 15, but not August 16, so it looks like 120 days ahead.

The www.raileurope.com (gulp) allows booking up to December 13, but not December 14th, so it looks like 240 days ahead.

greg...i just went onto eurostar.com and there arent any dates past Aug...how do you get it to give you sales to Dec?

I want to book for Sept but cant figure out how.

Thanks!

<<< greg...i just went onto eurostar.com and there arent any dates past Aug...how do you get it to give you sales to Dec? >>>

Clear the Eurostar cookies from your computer, then go back into the Eurostar website and pretend to be American.

well, i did just that and still only get Aug dates...weird.

I get dates to Dec 12.

<<< well, i did just that and still only get Aug dates...weird. >>>

Was the first screen a screen asking for your country of residence and giving a choice of UK, US or Belgium followed by a drop down menu for other nationalities

Yup, selected United States and still only get Aug dates...weird.

I had the same trouble - couldn't book more than 120 days ahead. But I needed to, in order to be sure I could synchronise my car drop-off with my Eurostar departure.

Eventually found 2 sites that allowed me to go beyond 120 days: www.railplus.com.au and www.raileurope.com.au

twoflower, thank you...did they charge more?

Thanks for all your input.

Could someone advise how much luggage is allowed per person on the train?

s

As much luggage as you can carry yourself,, its a train,, the less you have to lug and store the better, no one will do it for you. I don't recall being able to " check bags" we dealt with our own. Their are porters to hire who will help you ( at least in England we saw them) but on the train you store your luggage by doors on racks or by your seats if small enough.

I was only able to book 90 days out myself a few years ago, so I booked on day 90 and got a great price.

Play with dates and times to manipulate for best prices, travel during tues, wed, and thurs is generally cheaper then other days. Also different departure times during day are cheaper.
Book a return ticket even if going one way as they are cheaper( usaully do confirm for your dates if so)

Try MorganB's guide: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34752919

& also www.seat61.com for independent advice

Citizens of non-European Economic Area countries must complete a landing card before arriving at Eurostar check-in. Landing cards are available from dedicated desks in front of the check-in area and from Eurostar staff. This card must then be handed to UK Immigration staff.
You may carry with you on Eurostar trains 2 items of baggage per person, plus 1 small item of hand luggage. http://www.eurostar.com/UK/x_euro/le...on/baggage.jsp

Raileurope usually books 9 months ahead - but at times when schedules are not loaded from Eurostar train company then it could be less for a period of time.

But usually nine months.

&quot;<i> . . . how much luggage is allowed per person on the train?</i>&quot; :)

New to European train travel, right? There are no porters - nor checked luggage. You can take as much as you want. But you must be able to get it on the train, and be able to lift it either on to the racks at the end of each car or into the overhead racks.

Actually Eurostar trains do have checked luggage - at about 15-20 pounds a bag and you check it in London (there are signs in the station for Eurostar Baggage depot) and retrieve it in Paris.

But most trains in Europe no longer do but Eurostar does.

PalenQ,

when did u last travel on Eurostar?

Nobody asked me to check my luggage last week - neither did they ask the lady ahead of me at the security check who passed through security with a baggage cart (which she desparately needed).

Everything just like a normal train - no constraints.

PQ: Maybe first class has checked bags - I've never done Eurostar 1st so dunno

But otherwise, one does carry on their own bags

I have been misunderstood my post which i will clarify

You can, if you want, check luggage on Eurostar trains and retrieve it in Paris or Brussels upon arrival

Nearly most folks carry their bags on with them and their is ample room for luggage on the train

But if you want or have a ton of stuff you can (not must) check the luggage for a fee - a service that used to be common on European trains in general but rarely is now.

eurostar is one of the rare trains you can, if you want, check luggage thru to the other station

and i believe bicycles are included in that as well - these you would have to check i believe.

But it isn't like on an airplane where one checks their bag, and it goes on the same flight and one (hopefully) gets it when they land.

From the eurostar website:

&lt;&lt;f you are travelling with additional items of baggage as well as large or bulky items such as trunks, bicycles etc or sporting and collectors’ weapons or knives, it is necessary to register these items. You can do this at London St Pancras International, Paris Gare du Nord, Brussels Midi/Zuid or Lille Europe.

This service applies only between London – Paris, London – Brussels and London – Lille in both directions and applies to no other Eurostar destination or beyond those stations listed above.

Your baggage will be forwarded on the <u>next available departure, space permitting. However, our guarantee is that your baggage will be available to collect at your Eurostar destination station within 24 hours after registration</u>. &gt;&gt;

It would behoove someone who needs the bulky or prohibited on the train stuff to check it at St Pancras eurostar baggage check more than 24 hours in advance of their train to be guaranteed it will be there when they arrive - that's if it's important - if you leave it in Gare du Nord Customs office (i think you have to clear the bags thru Customs as you are entering the Schengen zone in France) i wonder how long you could leave it there before incurring the daily storage fee (if) - thus anyone needing to store items like this some days in Paris may look into the check a bag ahead scheme - useful for things like bicycles that won't fit in the regular storeage lockers in Gare du Nord.

Of course you don't have to clear bags from Britain to France through Customs.

Schengen has got nothing to do with Customs. Britain joined the European Common Market and remains the stoutest proponent of the principles of free trade that the Market pretends to stand for. How can you possibly have Customs barriers, inside a free trade area, unless it's one of those silly pretend free trade areas like America goes in for?

What Britain didn't sign up for was letting a Spanish immigration official decide who's allowed into our country. The Schengen countries are happy about that, which is why they make it so difficult to get in. We're not, which is why we have Immigration - but not Customs - barriers between us and the Schengen countries. And why they have Immigration - but not Customs - barriers between them and us.

That, by the way, is why British posters on this board get picky about the widespread misuse of the word 'Customs' by American posters. Everyone arriving in Britain from anywhere other than the Irish Republic has to go through immigration. Only a small minority of arrivals need to go through Customs.

immigration and customs to me is one and the same - for people and their luggage

why are the spot Customs check upon arriving in U.K. and rarely at other Euro free trade borders?

I was saying maybe have to go thru Customs because in the old days when you checked bags or bikes on the Boat Train to Victoria they did indeed wait in Customs until you showed up to claim them

I understand now that this has changed - probably - even though a bloke who thought the Eurostar Ebbsfleeet station was on the Channel itself may not be the final word IMO

&quot;<i>immigration and customs to me is one and the same - for people and their luggage</i>

Totally not the case. Even in the States - one goes through immigration and customs at different points during the arrival process.

I generally assume the folks who use &quot;customs&quot; when really asking about &quot;immigration&quot; are fairly inexperienced travelers and just haven't experienced either one very often. Now what is your excuse? ;)

Dumb?

eurostar you go thru Immigration in Paris and then walk thru Customs in St Pancras? At least there's Customs officers there you pass by who pull some aside for thorough checks

They are labelled Customs though i guess i'm too dumb to realize that that sign means nothing?

Customs will keep an eye out for &quot;people of interest&quot; (i.e., people they think might be drug smugglers and the like) at any point of entry to the country, but since everyone arriving off the Eurostar is coming from elsewhere within the EU, no-one else has to go through any customs formalities. There is a difference.