You are right PalQ.....the $207 Canadian is the Leisure one-way fare. Since the 1st class split into Business and Leisure, I keep forgetting to be specific. That fare in American dollars of $170 should be around $187 Canadian.....there`s about $19 extra added on for exchange and that is a terrible exchange rate.

Your info on RailEurope price increases are on the way might help me to get those tickets early. Have you read about this increase in a recent American newspaper or on-line?

I agree with you that I have found their prices always cheaper than anything on the European Eurostar sites. And they provide free shipping to me.....the tickets are usually in my mail box in three days. My location is around 250 miles north of Toronto and the office I have always reached is in Chicago.......just across the border.

Thanks for your thoughts.

It's not just the tabs, and not just at the beginning. The Beeb seem to use it any time they damn well please. Here's a story from last August:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4155500.stm

"The Beeb seem to use it any time they damn well please"

They don't.

Some of their website subs use it for headlines only. They never use it in the body of web stories, and never use it on Radio 4 or BBC-1.

The word has an odd half-life as a "headline" word, like 'shun' 'snub' and all the other bric a brac from dictionaries that bad journos use and no-one else does.

Unless you're a headline writer for a tabloid (or want to pass youirself off as one), using the term flags you as precisely the kind of fake slang user that 'Frisco' users sound like.

goldwyn - i'm a retired travel writer for for years specialized in European travel and especially European train travel. I have contacts in Raileurope who tell me that RE is revising all their prices in light of the decline of the dollar. Italy and France railpasses increased a few bucks a few weeks ago - all point to point prices, except those from Trenitalia, increased a few bucks yesterday. Eurostar prices were the only point-point save Italy not to increase. While no one has told me that Eurostar prices are due to increase imminently i just figure that the prices discrepantcy between US or Can $ prices and those in Europe is so great why wouldn't they increase them a bit - after all the current prices have been in effect for three straight years now.
Q for you - do you not have to pay VAT on purchases thru RE in the US that you would have to pay in Canada? Tickets of any type in US are not taxable but i believe they are in Canada - may not that be a reason while US has been usually cheaper until the recent surge of the Looney?
Best wishes - i love Toront-ah! Love Don Cherry in all his bluster.

PalQ: I paid the same amount in Canadian $ last year for the 1st class tickets and that was when the looney was much lower. Rail Europe`s exchange rate was close then.......but not now. And in answer to your question .....I do not pay any taxes on those tickets sent to me from Chicago. It is quite the deal really and no shipping to pay.

Eurostar tickets through their own website and not RE are cheaper for 2nd class return same day ( $97 Canadian vs RE`s $114 Canadian). It is only the first class and business they charge more for.

Your views on the possible price increase does make sense with the drop in the US dollar but sometimes it is certainly not in effect here. Our local bookstore (large chain nationally) still bring books in from the US with price codes on for example: $20.00 US and in Canada $35.00. They appear not to have even acknowledged there has been a change in the looney.

Don Cherry! What can one say.....what a figure he cuts. The red velvet jacket with high collar and stiped tie the other night were a "designer" touch. Oh Boy....whatta guy. And did you know how he made out in The Greatest Canadian challenge last year? Seventh and he even surpassed Gretsky who came in 10th. Two hockey guys in the top 10......we canucks sure love our game. I was surprised also at your Greatest American who came in 6th!

I think I shall take your words of advice and buy my Eurostar tickets early.....just in case. Thanks again.

FMI, how early can one purchase Eurostar tickets? For example, could I purchase now, for a journey next May?

Jim

Well though you see six months i believe you may be able to reserve for nine months in advance and be guaranteed the fare, but not the exact time as schedules could change by a few minutes. To be sure call BETS (800-441-2387) as they will find a definitive answer to that question. Six months for sure maybe nine is my info.