karlth

I was planning a oneway trip from Paris to London in early September for 2 adults and a 5 year child. Typed in the details into the Eurostar booking system and the price listed was:

340 pounds.

Is Eurostar really that expensive?

RM67

The further ahead you book, the cheaper it is. Early September is just a week or so away, so the fact that there are only relatively high(ish) fares left isn't that surprising.

Check to see if a return is cheaper, even if you don't need the second leg.

ira

Hi K,

Yes it is that expensive.

Lowest prices are one-day RT fares. You don't have to come back.

The earlier you book, the better your chances for the $100 (or so) RT fare.

Also check www.whichbudget.com for discount airfare.

cbo86

It cost me $150 US total for 1 adult and 1 teen. I had to book a month in advance and take an early train(before 9am)and this was for August. The earlier you book the less you pay.

xyz123

It's a lot like airline travel...one way unrestricted tickets are priced very very high to make sure business people who have to travel on a moment's notice pay the highest amount; round trips are far cheaper than buying a single one way ticket but some carry restrictions such as non refundability and booking early and staying over a Saturday night.

The cheapest, when available, are same day returns. They must sell so many of them that the last trains late at night must depart almost empty (I wonder if Eurostar has ever thought about attempting to stop this as the airlines have threatened in the pre internet days of travel agents)...so what you should do is try all sorts of combinations (return, one way, stay over a Saturday night) and as noted the earlier the better the chance to get a low fare.

flanneruk

You don't necesarily need to book far in advance

A sample booking for Sep 5 shows a day return at £67 per adult if you book now.

BUT from Sep 7,the Rugby World Cup starts messing things up, since most supporters will be based in the UK, and they'll be going home after a match and a quick overnight stay. Same applies to flights.

RM67

'They must sell so many of them that the last trains late at night must depart almost empty'

You'd be surprised.....

Most people don't want a one-way trip and most trains - even very early and very late - are relatively busy.

PalenqueBob

Yes the Rugby thing is mucking up Eurostar availability and months ago RailEurope, a Eurostar booker in U.S. issued a notice that the few weeks of the rugby thing promised to have full eurostars.

Why i don't know - would Brits go to all that effort to see a huge scrum but hey

If in the U.S. you can get a day return, if available for $94 - much better than 67 pounds even with the $15 booking fee. I suggest you call BETS (800-441-2387) and have someone there do a manual search asap if serious. They are experts IME - or go to www.raileurope.com but their site is often misleading and does not always show the cheapest available fares and they also have an $18 mailing fee that BETS i think does not. A day return is a return but you can just throw the return ticket away. In practice day returns are often only available on the very earliest trains of the day. Try to avoid weekends for best luck. I assume you have looked at www.eurostar.com for fares in pounds. A child's fare is cheaper one way than a day return.

Funtimes4all

Just for the record, you can fly from London to Paris on either Easyjet or Ryanair for a fraction of the price of a Eurostar ticket.

rkkwan

There was a similar thread about a week ago. Eurostar.com gives you different prices if you pick US as your country. And the prices will be in US$. To change the country, you need to delete the cookies their website put on your browser, and the choose again the next time you go to the website.

Check both one-way and roundtrip prices. Often cheaper to by RT and throw away the 2nd leg.

rkkwan

What exact dates are you looking at?

xyz123

...but neither easyjet or ryanair go into Heathrow which is a relatively cheap tri via tube into central London...BMI in the past did fly into Heathrow from Paris, I would suppose they still do.

Getting to central London from Gatwick is expensive but relatively direct...from Luton is a different story.

Add on the hassles of security, the checking of baggage, the one carry on rule at London airports and flying is not a great experience at least IMHO.

Sarvowinner

Last October, i flew BMI Baby from CDG to LHR on a very cheap ticket.

PalenqueBob

Yes from Heahtrow if you get a cheap flight and you're landing at heathrow flying makes sense.

but if in central London the train no doubt will be faster if not cheaper - little more than 2 hours after Nov when CTRL in England is fully operational.

And if you are a tourist you may prefer to see the 'Garden of England' - Kent from the train, then experience the 'Chunnel' and then pastoral northern France with the ubiquitous tiny villages punctuated by a soaring steeple of the local parish church - this is what most tourists come to Europe to see - not congested airports.

And factor in cost of getting to airports and in to town it may not be cheaper.

slangevar

I had the same problem two months ago when trying to book a Eurostar ticket to London for Sept. 15th (booking from the US).

I think Flanneruk is right - it's the Rugby World Cup because flights were just as expensive. I found that Thursday was half the price of Friday, so I just bumped up my trip a day. Maybe try mid-week?

janisj

&quot;<i>you can fly from London to Paris on either Easyjet or Ryanair for a fraction of the price of a Eurostar ticket. </i>&quot; - but when you factor in the extra cost to get to the remote airport, plus the time wasted w/ advance check in The eurostar is often cheaper and just about always more convenient.

alanRow

&lt;&lt;&lt; Just for the record, you can fly from London to Paris on either Easyjet or Ryanair for a fraction of the price of a Eurostar ticket. &gt;&gt;&gt;

Ryanair DON'T fly to Paris from London EXCEPT for a couple of days during the Rugby World Cup (and besides they fly to Beauvais which is half way to the Channel Ports).

also if OP is travelling during the Rugby World Cup the same high prices will apply to flights as well as the train


For the OP, try clearing the Eurostar cookies from your computer and go back to the Eurostar website saying that you are American as they can get cheap one way fares

ira

&gt;try clearing the Eurostar cookies from your computer and go back to the Eurostar website saying that you are American as they can get cheap one way fares..

We can?

I generally use the UK site, because of lower fares.

alanRow

UK website only has one rate for one way tickets - the full price of &pound;154.50 (over 300USD).

Return tickets start from &pound;59 for a day trip or long term return.

The US website has one way tickets from $67 with returns from $72 on a day return &amp; long term returns from $106.

You can also book 9 months in advance as opposed to the 4-5 months of UK folk

One interesting fare on the UK website is the &quot;Night Clubber&quot; ticket @ &pound;42 where you leave after 4:00pm on a Saturday / Sunday returning the following day before 10:30am.

PalenqueBob

US fares also have fares for Seniors 60+ starting from about $90 one way or so

and youths under 26 from about $50 or so
one way

and these tickets are fully exchangeable in Europe up until the time of the train without penalty (but subject to a seat being available in the senior or youth fare category on that train!)