Possibly Simple Chunnel Question
 

Hi all:

When I bought my Eurostar ticket online, I had to choose between having it shipped to me or picking it up at the station. The instructions said for Americans to request pick-up at the station, while everyone else could have it mailed to their domiciles.

I am an American in Paris, and chose to have it sent to me here. I assumed the special requirement for Americans was because Eurostar just didn't want to have to ship to the States. Now I realize that this makes no sense, as they offer shipping to the rest of the world (I think).

I have the ticket now, but will I run into any problems at the station(when I show my passport, for example)? Should I call Eurostar and fix this?

In my experience, picking up my Eurostar tickets at the station (Waterloo) meant putting my credit card into a machine and the machine spitting out my ticket.

We always do it that way because we're so last minute, there's never time for them to post our tickets to our home address.

In other words, don't worry. You have your ticket. There is nothing to fix.

Fix what? The instruction re Americans are assuming an American is physically IN the United States and transatlantic postage is expensive. They didn't mean Americans need special tickets. You are in France - therefore your country of origin is FRANCE not USA.

I was kinda surprised at janis' snippy answer? SHe is usually so helpful...

I wonder if it's because I used "American" and "special" in the same sentence.

In any case, I originally titled this thread "Possibly Stupid Chunnel Question." Maybe I should have stuck with that.

Maybe it's the term Chunnel ! It makes most European cringe

LOL, why do you say that? What do people say instead? (other than Eurostar)

How do people call the train using the tunnel under the Channel : the Eurostar (that's its only name) - Chunnel is an americanism

So since she's an American she rightly calls it the Chunnel - we Americans don't use Britisms in any other context - we say we're going to the bathroom or toilet not loo - we drive trucks, not lorries and we use the Chunnel not Channel Tunnel for the tunnel the Eurostar goes under when traversing the English Channel.
to Brits it's the Channel Tunnel, to Yanks it's the Chunnel!
when i hear Brits say they're going to the Big Apple i don't cringe even though no New Yorker would use the term - variances in words are what makes language interesting.

Back to OP - there is never anyone personally checking tickets at Eurostar check-in - you insert them into a machine so it wouldn't matter any way, and it doesn't matter either as you have a valid ticket.

I say Channel Tunnel as that is what it is.

"Chunnel" is an Americanism? Do tell.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/d...00/2511653.stm

OK - I ask (in all honesty) what on EARTH was snippy about my post?

<i>Fix what?</i> That's what I meant - fix what? What is broken?

<i>The instruction re Americans are assuming an American is physically IN the United States and transatlantic postage is expensive. They didn't mean Americans need special tickets.</i> I was merely explaining why is makes adifference where the requst is coming from.

<i>You are in France - therefore your country of origin is FRANCE not USA</i> Seems obvious to me . . . .

And even though &quot;chunnel&quot; makes me cringe (and I'm an American) I didn't mention that. I was actually trying to help.

For some reason, the tabloids tried to get people to say &quot;chunnel&quot; right at the beginning. I'm sorry to see the Beeb at the time using the same barbarism.

It makes me cringe too.

So as i couldn't get Robespeter's link to work it seems the word Chunnel is indeed a British creation - and now only Americans use it????

No, janis, your reply didn't seem too snippy to me when I first read it. You sounded slightly annoyed, but I think the comment could have been read both ways. I'm sure you WERE just offering help.

PalQ--Forgive me for asking, but I'm intensely curious: did you type 'Robespeter' as a joke (we are talking about americanisms, after all) or was it a typo?

Thanks to everyone for advice on this topic; it may have been a dumb question, but better safe than sorry.

PS-- IMO, 'Big Apple' belongs only in old songs and guide books. If someone said it to me in real life, I'm sure I'd wince.

imeldamarcos72: not a joke but just as a silly thing i've done in the past to this MVP - most valuable poster.

Gotcha, PayPalQ.

(well, I tried)

Hate to intrude on this discussion but this is about the Eurostar that goes through the Channel Tunnel. Was looking for an answer to my simple question too.......usually buy my Eurostar tickets from RailEurope as I am in North America but this time I do not like the exchange rate they are allowing for the Canadian dollar versus paying in American dollars.

So I went to the Eurostar main website to check for the charges on the same ticket. RailEurope quotes $206 Canadian dollars for a 1st class one-way ticket and Eurostar quotes 149 British pounds (about $307 Canadian). Same date, same time........how come the huge difference?

Often the case because there is little correlation between RailEurope prices in US or Can and those in Europe - different marketing.
RailEurope has been significantly cheaper much of the past two years (in spite of those who often claim on this forum that RE &quot;marks prices up 30% over what you'd pay in Europe&quot;)
RailEurope is supposedly due to adjust their prices up in the near future - their prices have been static for three years now and with the dollar falling you'd better hop on any cheap fare from them - price guaranteed once issued of course and can reserve up to nine months in advance. I always recommend BETS (800-441-2387), a RailEurope agent for their Eurostar expertise in booking as i've used them for years. Travelers planning trips on Eurostar in several months could potentially lock in those $90 return fares now and could be a even better bargain several weeks from now. The $207 Can 1st class fare you mention sounds like Raileurope $170 one-way discounted Leisure first class fare.
Why are RailEurope's Eurostar prices often way lower than the UK? Beats me but it's true!