Eurostar Tickets - buy online or onsite?
 

Hello!

It's time again for me to plan my travel this June. I'm looking to buy a one-way Eurostar ticket from London (probably Waterloo) to Paris Gare du Nord, and will be traveling with a friend. Should I buy the ticket...

1. From www.eurostar.com (they are advertising $104 starting one-way tickets London-Paris)

2. At the train station in London (sometimes I do this and notice that it's cheaper to buy tickets onsite rather than in advance)

3. Buy it along with a RailEurope 2-person Saver Pass because of the additional Eurostar discount (http://www.raileurope.com/rail-ticke...d-pricing.html)

From Paris, my friend and I will be traveling together from France to Benelux, Spain, and possibly to Germany & the Czech Republic. Yes, it's a lot of traveling, but we don't have time constraints. We also might fly from city to city if that's a cheaper, more efficient option.

At this point, I'm thinking a Saver Pass might be the best deal. I'm aware of the extra fees (seat reservation) that I have to pay for high-speed trains with this pass. I'm also aware that the UK doesn't count when using the RailEurope pass.

We don't really have any time restraints, as long as the ticket is in June (even that might be flexible).


I'd appreciate your advice!

Thanks.

In my experience it has always been cheaper to buy the eurostar tickets as far in advance as possible. They can be horribly expensive at the station.

First, the Eurostar now departs from St.Pancras station instead of Waterloo.

Second, like airplane tickets the earlier one books the cheaper the tickets. Don't buy them the day of travel.

I don't know about Saver Passes, but the cheapest seats I've seen are 59£ round trip. Just discard the return fare.

It's too early to book . It used to be 60 days out but I think it's up to 90 now.

Also as stated above it's iften cheaper to book a return ticket rather than a one way

Book as early as you can as soon as you are sure of the dates. The same seat increases greatly in price the closer to travel date. Those trains are always nearly full so you won't get any deals on last minute seats.

<<< 2. At the train station in London (sometimes I do this and notice that it's cheaper to buy tickets onsite rather than in advance) >>>

The only way you will pay less as a walk-up fare is if you are using a website like raileurope to get your online prices

If you use a local website like http://www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com/ and book some 8-12 weeks in advance most of the long distance fares will be substantially cheaper

RailEurope just launched a special promo on Eurostar ticekts for travel thru September 2009 - starting at $82 one way and can book no for a guaranteed $82 fare i guess. Again always check www.eurostar.com for fares in pounds. Either way you retrieve your e-ticket at St Pancras station in London. I always advise contacting www.budgeteuropetravel.com and having them do a manual search as Raileurope.com IME does not always show the cheapest fares and Fodorites have said they may even send an e-mail back that they price is higher (as they apparently do not operate in real time)- you could call RailEurope for a manual search but then you'd pay 10% for that privilege (call Byron at budget europe IMO - he's an expert and very helpful as many here have attested to!) But don't wait once you find a great ticket as they can go quickly. As per a railpass passholder fares of about $90 could be higher than the $82 special - but a railpass for your type of trip i highly recommend looking into. You can also ask about railpass Eurostar fares - perhaps they are on sale to - don't know.

Thanks everyone for the info. Yes, I just realized that Eurostar now departs from St. Pancras station. June is still far away...I'll buy the tickets as soon as I possibly can.

If you are sure of your dates then secure the lowest price tickets now. London-Paris trains are getting more and more full and thus cheaper tickets harder to secure - esp if on a Bank Holiday weekend or any Fri, Sat or Sun.

If you have a pass and get a passholder fare then in theory it can be changed once up until the time of the train - assuming seats in that fare category still exist and may well not so you may have to pay to change it - better than the Leisure type fares that cannot be changed nor refunded i believe.

If under 26 or over 59 the Youth and Senior fares can be good deals and also i believe can be changed once subject to seats being available in that fare class.

Hi PalenQ,

Thanks so much for the info you have provided. I just tried to buy tickets on eurostar.com, and avalon and emily71 are right -- I can't book more than 90 days in advance. At least, the website won't let me purchase tickets for June.

I'll continue to research...and thank you!

You can book up to nine months in advance thru RailEurope - and note their current special so if prices there are comparable to what you find at eurostar.com hop on tghem - if not wait IMO

Thanks again, PalenQ! Will look into it...

Again be flexible on your travel time - of day and day of week if possible and don't just search one train but many - two trains many hours to paris

Tue-thur often have much more availability of cheaper fares - esp on Paris trains - demand is still lower on Brussels services i believe.

PalenQ...when I visit the raileurope website it is only offering the special until Aug 31...can you provide the link to Sept fares??? Thanks so much!

nan - i must have been wrong about the expiry date - or where i saw the info was wrong (or i remembered wrong what i saw) or? Call Byron at Budget Europe 800-441-2387 for the definitive word - that's what I would do If it were me - and IME he's very helpful - have a manual search done IMO.

That Raileurope.com offer isn't working for me. I'm going to be traveling 1 way from London to Paris on the 22nd of August and - according to their site you can book up to September - have tried to purchase a ticket, only to get an error message saying that No valid schedules returned for the requested itinerary. I guess maybe I'm too far out to book the ticket?

No you are not too far out - REurope books up to nine months in advance. That said Raileurope.com does not always show what is really available and possible.

> That said Raileurope.com does not always show what is really available and possible.

I called BudgetEurope and spoke to Byron today, he confirmed what PalenQ said above.

Thanks.

Byron was my HERO!!! and he put together everything so nicely! When i go back he will receive my business again!!!!

Raileurope.com offer isn't working for me. have tried to purchase a ticket, only to get an error message saying that No valid schedules returned for the requested itinerary.>

Yes for some reason this is not at all unusual and one reason i advise talking to a real person and have them do a manual search. Cannot trust raileurope.com to show all the available fares it seems