London Eurostar CIV on TVMs

[30907]

Waiting for a train to Bradford the other day, I spotted a new-looking (white) TVM at the platform entrance at Accrington and, having a few minutes to spare (and no-one else queuing), I checked it out.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the walk-up fares to LOE/LNE showing up - is this a first for a TVM, or does it just mean I've never thought to check before?

 

[thebigcheese]

I thought you needed to present a valid Eurostar booking when making the ticket purchase...I'd assume it's an error???

Edit: Although good if it's going to be rolled out to all TVMs as the CIV tickets are often cheaper than to London Terminals

 

[LexyBoy]

I thought you needed to present a valid Eurostar booking when making the ticket purchase...I'd assume it's an error???

I would assume so, the same as the machines which would sell over 60s concession tickets to all and sundry (without a note as to restrictions either).

Edit: Although good if it's going to be rolled out to all TVMs as the CIV tickets are often cheaper than to London Terminals

Are the tickets only valid with Eurostar (or other international) tickets, or is it simply a requirement to show a E* ticket to buy them I wonder?

 

[pemma]

Are the tickets only valid with Eurostar (or other international) tickets, or is it simply a requirement to show a E* ticket to buy them I wonder?

Given if you purchase tickets for, say Stockport to Paris from Eurostar.com you won't have the London to Paris ticket until you collect it from a Eurostar TVM at St Pancras it can't be that a Eurostar ticket needs to be produced with a London CIV ticket.

 

[lyndhurst25]

Have you actually tried to buy one of these London Eurostar CIV tickets from the TVM though? Northern TVMs have various destinations on them (Douglas IOM being one example) but won't allow you to proceed all the way to actually buying the ticket.

 

[30907]

The tickets are only valid for travel with a connecting international ticket (does a Dutchflyer count BTW?) but there's nothing to say you can't buy one without - last time, I was asked to quote the ES (or in this case DB) booking reference but it wasn't recorded on the ticket IIRC. Will check next time I'm in Accy.

 

[lyndhurst25]

The tickets are only valid for travel with a connecting international ticket (does a Dutchflyer count BTW?) but there's nothing to say you can't buy one without - last time, I was asked to quote the ES (or in this case DB) booking reference but it wasn't recorded on the ticket IIRC. Will check next time I'm in Accy.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/44929.aspx suggests that Dutch Flyer or tickets to Calais also count.

 

[Muzer]

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/44929.aspx suggests that Dutch Flyer or tickets to Calais also count.

Oh, really? So I could get a Swaythling to London International ticket, Oyster across London and then use the London Terminals to Calais ticket? That sounds good.

 

[LexyBoy]

The tickets are only valid for travel with a connecting international ticket (does a Dutchflyer count BTW?) but there's nothing to say you can't buy one without - last time, I was asked to quote the ES (or in this case DB) booking reference but it wasn't recorded on the ticket IIRC. Will check next time I'm in Accy.

It is certainly possible to purchase them without showing any evidence of an international ticket - I have done so - but I believe they should not officially be sold without such.

If it is the case that they are only valid with (at least evidence of) an international ticket, then I expect lots of TIRs/PFs/otherwise annoyed passengers who believed they had a bargain ticket.

 

[Haywain]

Oh, really? So I could get a Swaythling to London International ticket, Oyster across London and then use the London Terminals to Calais ticket? That sounds good.

"Tickets to "London International" also include the London Underground across London (if necessary) to St Pancras (or Liverpool Street, Charing Cross or Victoria)."

 

[Muzer]

"Tickets to "London International" also include the London Underground across London (if necessary) to St Pancras (or Liverpool Street, Charing Cross or Victoria)."

Oh, cool! Forgot about that. Though from Waterloo, unless I'm on HS1 I probably won't need it (I can go to Victoria from Clapham or Waterloo East).

 

[Paul Duck]

The london terminals to Calais ticket does not work. I contacted ATOC about it last year, and they have updated 'The Manual'.

 

[Hadders]

There are two ways of getting to Calais:

The 'day trip' route: P&O NOT HS where CIV tickets do not apply.
By Eurostar (isn't there one service a week that stops at Calais?). I think this is what the national rail website is referring to when it says that CIV tickets are applicable on tickets to Calais.

 

[lyndhurst25]

There are two ways of getting to Calais:

The 'day trip' route: P&O NOT HS where CIV tickets do not apply.
By Eurostar (isn't there one service a week that stops at Calais?). I think this is what the national rail website is referring to when it says that CIV tickets are applicable on tickets to Calais.

Why the mention of Dover, Victoria and Charing Cross on the National Rail website then?

 

[Muzer]

Why do CIV tickets not apply on the ferry Calais route? It's Rail & Sail. Where is it stated (in public)?

 

[Hadders]

Why do CIV tickets not apply on the ferry Calais route? It's Rail & Sail. Where is it stated (in public)?

I have no idea but iirc there were a few lengthy threads on the Calais ferry tickets last year and I think it was mentioned in one of them that CIV did not apply.

 

[30907]

Why the mention of Dover, Victoria and Charing Cross on the National Rail website then?

Because the site hasn't been updated properly? Not exactly unusual for the text pages of NRE!

 

[lyndhurst25]

Because the site hasn't been updated properly? Not exactly unusual for the text pages of NRE!

I thought that they claimed to be "definitive source of customer information for all passenger rail services"!

 

[TEW]

Have you actually tried to buy one of these London Eurostar CIV tickets from the TVM though? Northern TVMs have various destinations on them (Douglas IOM being one example) but won't allow you to proceed all the way to actually buying the ticket.

I had a look at the CIV tickets on the Parkeon TVM at Beverley and it would let me go all the way to the payment screen, and presumably would have let me buy the ticket. The only option available was a First Class fare, so not such great value.