Eurostar Best Offers

[willc789]

Morning all, im contemplating going via Eurostar to Paris over the Chirstmas break and am curious as to what is the best way to purchase tickets for both price and convenience? Are Eurostars online sales identical to other outlets? Also roughly speaking, is there much of a saving to be had when combining hotels and travel through the same booking with then?

Cheers!

 

[Greenback]

In 2006 I made signifcant savings by booking a hotel at the same time as the Eurostar. Though some of the hotels listed were the same, or a very similar price, to the charges on other websites. I expect it's down to individual deals.

As to when and how to book, I always book online, and as soon as I can. I would expect the trains to be pretty popular over Christmas and for this to be reflected in the fares. The cheapest will probably sell out quickly.

 

[willc789]

I've seen the £69 retun offer which looks very good when you compare it to the prices that airlines have and the hastle of airports etc.

Can anyone shed any light on the boarding/check in process at St P? Ive never travelled on Eurostar and wouldnt know if its a simple affair or entering a minefield!

Cheers

 

[island]

It's relatively straightforward. You insert or scan your ticket at the turnstile (which must be done at least 30 minutes before departure), then clear security (bag X-ray and walk-through metal detector, no daft liquid restrictions). After that you go to French passport control, and then you are in the departures lounge. There are a couple of cafés and shops there. When your train is called you go up the travelator to the platform, board your train, and wait for it to leave.

 

[benk1342]

I've seen the £69 retun offer which looks very good when you compare it to the prices that airlines have and the hastle of airports etc.

Can anyone shed any light on the boarding/check in process at St P? Ive never travelled on Eurostar and wouldnt know if its a simple affair or entering a minefield!

Cheers

£69 return is the lowest available price when no special offer is on (periodically they will run £59 return specials). So if you see a ticket at that price that fits your schedule I would recommend buying it.

I find check-in and boarding at StP to be only slightly less painful than at an airport. You queue up to go through an oversized gateline, then queue up to go through airport-style security, then queue up to have your passport checked, then wait in a windowless departure lounge until your train is called for boarding. You are then and only then permitted onto the platform.

EDIT: Interesting how island and I have very different takes on the exact same process.

 

[Deerfold]

£69 return is the lowest available price when no special offer is on (periodically they will run £59 return specials). So if you see a ticket at that price that fits your schedule I would recommend buying it.

I find check-in and boarding at StP to be only slightly less painful than at an airport. You queue up to go through an oversized gateline, then queue up to go through airport-style security, then queue up to have your passport checked, then wait in a windowless departure lounge until your train is called for boarding. You are then and only then permitted onto the platform.

EDIT: Interesting how island and I have very different takes on the exact same process.

My experiences (only 3 return trips on Eurostar...) are that's the security and queueing at St Pancras are similar to a small or quiet airport unless you arrive very close to the minumum time allowed - with far less waiting around than at somewhere like Heathrow.

All my trips have been for leisure so I may be travelling at quieter than average times as I've gone for the cheapest services of the day.

 

[willc789]

Thanks for all the quick reply's, very helpful. When you purchase a ticket (standard or special offer) I presume youre given a seat allocation in the same sense of an airline or advance ticket? Is it possible to choose the seats when booking?

 

[benk1342]

When you purchase a ticket (standard or special offer) I presume youre given a seat allocation in the same sense of an airline or advance ticket? Is it possible to choose the seats when booking?

You are given a seat reservation and you can choose the seat when booking (at least if you do so through Eurostar's site).

 

[Greenback]

I've never experienced any airport style queuing at St Pancras or Brussels (I have at Gare du Nord!).

On my last trip there was a helpful gentleman hovering by the barriers to assist people like me who had not used print at home before! It was then straight through security (no queue) and into the cafe for a spot of breakfast.

Of course, there must be queues for gates and security at times, if a large number of people arrive at the same time.

 

[benk1342]

My experiences (only 3 return trips on Eurostar...) are that's the security and queueing at St Pancras are similar to a small or quiet airport unless you arrive very close to the minumum time allowed - with far less waiting around than at somewhere like Heathrow.

I agree with that analogy. I still think it is too much. You should be able to turn up and get on the train. I don't want to have to arrive early or wait in any queues or go through any machines.

I recognise that this is not within Eurostar's control.

 

[zoothorn]

The waiting and queuing facilities at St Pancras are far superior to Gare du Nord which, when I used it last year, were cramped, crowded and not particularly well organised

 

[island]

I agree with that analogy. I still think it is too much. You should be able to turn up and get on the train. I don't want to have to arrive early or wait in any queues or go through any machines.

I recognise that this is not within Eurostar's control.

It does sort of raise the question of why they bother with all the security when you can drive yourself and whatever else you want into the tunnel down at Folkestone!

 

[benk1342]

It does sort of raise the question of why they bother with all the security when you can drive yourself and whatever else you want into the tunnel down at Folkestone!

Yes, and correct me if I'm wrong but can't you get on in Brussels without going through any kind of security? I've never been there but that was my impression (by analogy to the Brussels–Lille–London immigration loophole).

 

[jopsuk]

It does sort of raise the question of why they bother with all the security when you can drive yourself and whatever else you want into the tunnel down at Folkestone!

it's a while since I got the Eurotunnel shuttle, but presumably security procedures there are similar to those at the ports- on a recent trip out of Portsmouth International ferry port we got stopped at security control. I had to get out, and a bag was taken from the van and scanned. I'd guess if they wanted to they could have done a more thorough search- I sort of got the impression they had a quota to fill when on being told to walk through the metal detector to claim my bag I asked if should be taking my wallet, phone etc out of my pockets first, to answer of "oh yeah"...

 

[jon0844]

We had our car stopped to check if it had an LPG conversion, back when these were the in thing for companies to rake in grant money (now they sell you solar panels). I have no doubt they have to do some box ticking exercises, when they don't have any actual intelligence on who to target.

 

[The Barlow Boy]

I agree with that analogy. I still think it is too much. You should be able to turn up and get on the train. I don't want to have to arrive early or wait in any queues or go through any machines.

I recognise that this is not within Eurostar's control.

The way that trains are timed in and out of St. Pancras there is often only twenty five minutes left available for boarding once the security sweep, catering and cleaning are finished off the inbound train. The outbound crew often appear some 30-35 minutes before departure and boarding cannot commence until the Driver has completed the service threatening part of some complicated tests of the train's functions.

 

[WestCoast]

I've never experienced any airport style queuing at St Pancras or Brussels (I have at Gare du Nord!).

On my last trip there was a helpful gentleman hovering by the barriers to assist people like me who had not used print at home before! It was then straight through security (no queue) and into the cafe for a spot of breakfast.

Of course, there must be queues for gates and security at times, if a large number of people arrive at the same time.

Queues have become more common at Brussels Midi and Paris Nord in the past six months due to the UK Border Agency cuts. Back in July I was at Gare du Nord and the queues were much longer than they should be - French emigration was fully staffed while the UK immigration appeared short staffed with just one officer dealing solely with EU/EEA citizens. Of course, this caused problems for everyone.

 

[Greenback]

Queues have become more common at Brussels Midi and Paris Nord in the past six months due to the UK Border Agency cuts. Back in July I was at Gare du Nord and the queues were much longer than they should be - French emigration was fully staffed while the UK immigration appeared short staffed with just one officer dealing solely with EU/EEA citizens. Of course, this caused problems for everyone.

Sadly, this doesn't surprise me. But the worst queue I've ever experienced at gare du Nord was in September 2006. We arrived an hour before the departure time, but I was concerned we would get through in time! We had no time for shopping, which was very disappointing for my lady companion at the time (but not so much for me!).

 

[eastwestdivide]

You could consider Ebbsfleet as a starting point - few queues, and a room with a view after security etc, instead of the dungeon of St Pancras after security.

 

[stewy01]

Yes, you can get better offers if you try out some bundle package. They are relatively cheaper than everything separate.

 

[Capybara]

Given the rules regarding passports and scanning etc I'm surprised anyone is that bothered about St Pancras to be honest. You only need to turn up half an hour before the train leaves and by the time you are through you'll have ten minutes' wait at most before you can get on the train. I've been three times this year and Brussels has been worse if anything.

 

[island]

Yes, and correct me if I'm wrong but can't you get on in Brussels without going through any kind of security? I've never been there but that was my impression (by analogy to the Brussels–Lille–London immigration loophole).

I haven't ever boarded at Brussels so I can't say.

 

[Wolfie]

Yes, and correct me if I'm wrong but can't you get on in Brussels without going through any kind of security? I've never been there but that was my impression (by analogy to the Brussels–Lille–London immigration loophole).

WRONG! As a regular traveller to Brussels by Eurostar I can safely say thet everyone goes through the security checks. The immigration loophole is completely different and relates to the Schengen rules - as both Belgium and France are in Schengen the UK Border Agency cannot challenge someone who is legitimately inside that area and ostensibly travelling solely within it. The concern was that said someone could then stay on a train post Lille - the last time I used the service there were checks both on the train by Eurostar staff after Lille - presumably anyone using the loophole would have been put off at Calais even if the train had to be specially stopped - and by the UK Border Agency at St Pancras.

While not as bad as at Paris Gare du Nord I am afraid there are often quite long queues for both security and immigration at Brussels Gare du Midi. The design of the Eurostar area (essentially long and thin) really does not help.

 

[Oscar]

Try booking Eurostar to Paris or Brussels at www.b-europe.co.uk if you want a cheaper ticket - the Eurostar £69 return costs around £59 bought from this Belgian Railways site.

 

[es373]

Reason for the security? Channel tunnel security order as set out by the DfT. try getting in to the depot! Every day I walk through an arch and have my bag xrayed, security pass is scrutinised too.

It's a very good practise to have as keeps staff on their toes.

 

[cle]

£59 sale on at the moment. Use Quidco for a little more off too.

 

[91101]

The concern was that said someone could then stay on a train post Lille - the last time I used the service there were checks both on the train by Eurostar staff after Lille - presumably anyone using the loophole would have been put off at Calais even if the train had to be specially stopped - and by the UK Border Agency at St Pancras.

This happened one day last week on train 9161, which was nearly an hour late into St Pancras as a result of having to have the guy taken from the train at Calais.

Wolfie, do many people use Eurostar for Brussells - Lille trips? Surely Thalys caters for this?

 

[Golghar]

Wolfie, do many people use Eurostar for Brussells - Lille trips? Surely Thalys caters for this?

There are TGVs serving this route as well.
The last time I took the Eurostar from Brussels to St.Pancras UK Immigration at Brussels Midi asked to see my ticket and stamped it. Tickets were not checked on the train but on arrival at St.P all tickets (but no passports) were checked to see if they had these stamps on them.
As a thought experiment I worked out how someone entitled to free movement within the Schengen area but not to entry into the UK could evade UK immigration. Of course he (for lack of a gender-neutral pronoun) would need an accomplice who was entitled to entry into the UK.
(i) potential immigration control evader (henceforth PICE) buys a ticket from Brussels to Lille and boards train at Brussels
(ii) accomplice buys two tickets from Brussels to London and has one of them stamped by UK immigration while boarding
(iii) once on the train accomplice hands over stamped ticket to PICE

NB: I am leaving Ashford and Ebbsfleet out of the equation.

(iv) at St.Pancras PICE leaves the train ahead of accomplice and exits after having shown his stamped ticket.
(v) accomplice exits and proffers unstamped ticket. As he is entitled to enter the UK he can't be apprehended as an illegal entrant and as he is in possession of a valid ticket he isn't a ticketless traveller either.

I'm sure someone tried this since June (that's when I last travelled by Eurostar) and that's why they introduced checks on the train itself. But PICE can still hide in the loo and take the stamped ticket from accomplice shortly before the train reaches St.Pancras.

I have worked out similar "thought experiments" relating to Stansed Airport where passengers arriving from the UK and Eire get mixed up with other passengers before immigration control but as this is a rail forum I'll let those be.