Eurostar refund due to missed connections

[59CosG95]

Morning all,

As I type, I'm going to miss my Eurostar back to the UK from Paris; the Praha - Zürich sleeper (which I'm in at time of typing) is 4 hours late, as the portion of the train that originated from Budapest ran late.

As a result, I have missed my connecting TGV Lyria from Zürich HB to Paris (Gare de Lyon); me not making the Eurostar is a foregone conclusion.

Would I be eligible for a refund in this instance?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think this is going to have to be one for your travel insurance (if covered). I'd say to use HOTNAT (RailTeam's "hop on the next available train") but I doubt the Sleeper is part of that.

It probably makes sense to minimise losses by changing the tickets for the trains you will miss now rather than letting their departure time pass and losing all the value. Then you could claim from your insurance for the cost of those changes.

There is a chance the booking office at Zuerich Hbf would endorse your TGV ticket for the next one, but it's a gamble and if you lost it you'd lose the ticket's full value. They're unlikely to do anything for Eurostar.

 

[guilbert]

SBB have re-booked a Eurostar for me in the past when I've missed it due to their delay, I don't know whether they'd be so keen when it's caused by someone else though. I would see what the guard on the sleeper can do to help then go to the booking office at Zurich and explain the whole thing and see if they'll re-book you.

 

[rvdborgt]

SBB have re-booked a Eurostar for me in the past when I've missed it due to their delay, I don't know whether they'd be so keen when it's caused by someone else though. I would see what the guard on the sleeper can do to help then go to the booking office at Zurich and explain the whole thing and see if they'll re-book you.

Indeed, contact any rail staff ASAP and ask what to do or where to go.
SBB are operator of the night train in Switzerland, so it's not completely "someone else", although I suppose the delay started outside of Switzerland.

 

[miklcct]

It probably makes sense to minimise losses by changing the tickets for the trains you will miss now rather than letting their departure time pass and losing all the value. Then you could claim from your insurance for the cost of those changes.

Shouldn't the OP hope that the train will make up time and catch the connection? I suspect a travel insurance company won't pay out compensation before the connection was actually missed, as the fact of "missing connection" wasn't known before the second train actually departed.

 

[30907]

I hope they have rebooked you on the 1334 TGV....

 

[rvdborgt]

I'd say to use HOTNAT (RailTeam's "hop on the next available train") but I doubt the Sleeper is part of that.

AJC should apply.

 

[Bletchleyite]

AJC should apply.

Thanks. I wasn't aware of that. Good if it does.

 

[59CosG95]

I've ended up going via air - after being on a train for nigh-on eighteen hours, I wanted to get home quickly!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've ended up going via air - after being on a train for nigh-on eighteen hours, I wanted to get home quickly!

I did wonder if that would be prudent to avoid e.g. losing a second day off work. Hopefully the cost was low.