Eurostar FIP

[d1672]

Hi,

Just called International Rail (1557) for a FIP single from St Pancras to Brussels for 25/01/2017 and the quote was £55.50. Couldn't believe it, what a hike that is. Does anyone know what they are charging at St.Pancras ?

Thomas

 

[reb0118]

I take it that's for "Standard Premiere?"

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

 

[d1672]

Hi,

Yes £55.50 single for standard premiere. ATOC guide dated April 2016 says £44.00. That was up from £38.00. If £55.50 is correct, then that is an increase of £17.50 since March 2016.

Thomas

 

[MrGrumpy]

By the sound of it, they're trying to peddle the "Any Belgian Station" ticket which is £52.50 plus they charge for postage which is probably £3.

The fare to just Brussels Midi is £44 Standard Premier e/w.

I thought I'd give IR a go last December for a trip to Germany and they tried to sell me seat reservations on the ICE at 8 euros each which is not required on FIP/Coupon plus £3 postage so I didn't bother and bought the tickets at the Trainseurope counter at St Pancras instead.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Just for your reference...

 

[d1672]

Hi,

Thanks for that. However, I phoned Festiniog Travel for out 25/01 and return 13/02 and they wanted £125 for the return including their charges. So I didn't bother. So there maybe a price hike in the offing.

Thomas

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

Apols for my ignorance but what is 'FIP'?

 

[MrGrumpy]

Hi,

Thanks for that. However, I phoned Festiniog Travel for out 25/01 and return 13/02 and they wanted £125 for the return including their charges. So I didn't bother. So there maybe a price hike in the offing.

Thomas

There's no price hike coming up. The prices were changed back in April after staying stagnant for quite a few years and they are a considerable hike to what FIPs used to be.

Obviously it's not always convenient for everybody to head for St Pancras to buy their tickets direct from Eurostar so will have to either put up with IR trying to sell unnecessary products or face a hefty %age in booking fees. I think with IR you'll need to be quite insistent and precise with what you want and don't want, unlike DB who were very good at getting you the correct ticket without actually asking you (oh the days of rose-tinted specs).

Have you tried giving Rail Canterbury or Trainseurope a bell? On the three occasions I've bought FIPs from TE they've waived their charges!

 

[furnessvale]

Apols for my ignorance but what is 'FIP'?

Railway staff travel. Without looking it up, the exact meaning of the initials escapes me, probably French anyway.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

Railway staff travel. Without looking it up, the exact meaning of the initials escapes me, probably French anyway.

Ah, thanks.

 

[Please Explain]

I paid £53 for an any Belgian station - STP for next Thursday, bought from Eurostar at STP yesterday.

I always buy from Eurostar direct and its fast and easy to do at St Pancras. Obviously that's not ideal for those that don't live in the South East but I can heartily recommend Rail Canterbury for those who don't. I used them to book a bunch of reservations and TGV tickets for myself and my mate (who does not have FIP) when we were traveling all over France in the summer for the Euros and found them to be excellent. Phone was answered straight away and the staff knew what they were talking about. Tickets came through in the post a few days later. So for this, I did not grudge paying their booking fee.
International rail on the other hand were a complete nightmare, on hold for ages, staff hadn't a clue what I was on about and kept trying to sell me unwanted and unnecessary products and worst of all they have a premium rate number!
As others have said, do not waste your time and money with them. ATOC, sorry RDG now! Please take note!!

I can also speak highly of the Trainseurope desk at STP. I have used them many times for solo trips, but when I went to them to make the reservations for our euro trip they told me that their booking system could not reserve seats together for someone with FIP and someone with out, hence I went to Rail Canterbury on that occasion.
The best thing about Trainseurope (until yesterday anyway..), was that they did nit charge a booking fee for rail staff. However, since the move from the EMT travel centre to the arcade, by ES check in, (they double as a tourist info desk, you would never know they sell euro rail tickets..), they have now told me that there is a mandatory £10 minimum booking fee for everyone. Don't know if this is an official change of policy or just an uninformed staff member. Couldn't book my IC TEOZ reservations to Clermont-Ferrand in the end as their printer was "broken", so will do it direct with SNCF now when, (if..) I get to Paris... :roll

 

[bkhtele]

Thanks for the useful advice

 

[Blinder]

The fares shown on RDG web-site are the correct ones and they are the fares charged when booking at Eurostar Counter or through Rail Canterbury (plus 10% fee min £10).

Depending on what ticketing system IR, TE, or FR use, and i believe that it is the DB system, then the fares are charged in Euros and are then converted by the agent at a rate so that they do not get stung when paying their Euros bill in 6 weeks time... so 1.05 - 1.1 to £1 would be fair.

Although IR are not supposed to charge a booking fee, as this is paid for by RDG, they do get you by the premium rate number, plus they tend to want to send the tickets by special del at £9.00 charge.

If you ring Eurostar telesales for FIP tickets, then they will refer you to Rail Canterbury

 

[d1672]

Hi,

Thank you everyone, I was well and truly stung, because I ended up paying £83.20 for a standard return with Festiniog Travel. And worst of all it was my own fault for not asking you, the experts.

Thomas

 

[D1009]

The fares shown on RDG web-site are the correct ones and they are the fares charged when booking at Eurostar Counter or through Rail Canterbury (plus 10% fee min £10).

Does the "plus 10% min £10" apply to Rail Canterbury only or both of them?

 

[D1009]

Does the "plus 10% min £10" apply to Rail Canterbury only or both of them?

To answer my own question and that of the OP, I've just been to St Pancras and bought a standard premier FIP single to Brussels for 24/12/2016, and was charged £44.