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| How Passes Work Plan Your Rail Trip Compare Ticket Costs Using Your Pass Choose and Order |
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Routes: The Eurostar zips you from downtown London through the "Chunnel" to downtown Paris (15+/day) or Brussels (10/day) in 2.5 hours, faster and easier than flying. Main stations are London St. Pancras, Paris Nord, and Brussels Midi/Zuid. Some departures also stop at Ebbsfleet, Ashford, Calais, or Lille. London — Amsterdam by rail takes 5 - 6 hours between city centers, with connection to a local train (not Eurostar) in Brussels. To compare London — Amsterdam flights, see www.easyjet.com.
Bonus Rides: Tickets between London and Brussels include travel to/from any Belgian city at no additional cost within 24 hours of the Brussels Eurostar arrival or departure (but not on Thalys express trains). Just show the Eurostar ticket when boarding the other train(s). You can also connect free to/from Ebbsfleet and Ashford on the Southeastern Railway network (around Kent) and on Fastrack bus links between Ebbsfleet and local stations nearby.
Security: Check-in is required 30 minutes before departure for security screening. Carry-on luggage is limited to two large bags and a small day bag per person. Bags must be tagged with your name and address. Smoking, animals except guide dogs, and dangerous materials are not allowed. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Kids under 4 are free when they share your seat.
Classes: Eurostar's three classes of service are Standard (second), Leisure Select (first), and Business Premier. I choose Standard class to save money. Leisure Select costs about 50% more (no youth or senior discount) and gets you a little more leg and elbow room, a newspaper, a small meal, and power plugs at seats. Business Premier class is only for serious business travelers willing to spend $425 one way. A wide range of fares is sold for each class of seating (just like with the airlines).
Reserved Tickets: Unlike most trains in Western Europe, Eurostar is not covered by railpasses and always requires a separate, reserved ticket. If you're ready to commit to a travel date and time, you may book some tickets up to 9 months in advance, but more commonly starting 6 months out. There's no deadline to purchase, but the number of seats available at each fare is limited and the lowest fares sell out first. Prices are lower for roundtrip travel; child, youth or senior travelers; and travelers with a valid railpass (see Tips for Passholders). Within each category, multiple fares exist and the early bird gets the best price. Fares also vary based on the direction of travel. To see the best rates available when you're ready to buy, simply start the buying process.
Fares: The chart below reflects the range of fares for Standard (second) class travel between London and Paris or Brussels. Online ordering systems will show a more limited selection of fares available for specific departures. Fares sold in Europe are similar to U.S. rates but not necessarily the same. You can order them through www.eurostar.com and print tickets at home or pick them up at your departure station. You can also order by phone with a European agent: London 011-44-8705-186-186, Paris 011-33-8-92-35-35-39, Brussels 011-32-2-528-28-28. To take a car through the Chunnel, visit www.eurotunnel.com.
Roundtrip vs. Open Jaws: Roundtrip discounts require travel between the same pair of cities in both directions (e.g., Paris-London-Paris). Open-jaw travel (e.g., Paris-London-Brussels) must be booked as two one-way tickets.
Refunds: Unless you pay full fare (about $300 one way in standard class), tickets are not refundable. (Just a few are 25% refundable.) Some fares allow you to exchange your ticket once before departure, but others do not. If allowed, you'll pay the difference between the original ticket price and the fares available on the date of exchange and may also pay a fee. Be sure of your plans before you reserve.
| Eurostar Standard Class Fares: London, Ebbsfleet, or Ashford to/from Paris or Brussels | |||
| Fare Name | Approximate One-Way Fare Range | Who Qualifies | Refund or Exchange |
| Full Fare | $300 | Anyone | Exchanges allowed. Full refund up to 60 days after departure date. |
| Leisure Flexi | $190 - 225 | Anyone | Exchange allowed even after departure date, with a fee. 25% refund at place of purchase up to 3 days before departure. |
| Value | $100 - 165 | Anyone | No refund or exchange. |
| Day Trip | 1st class only, not available in Standard | Anyone traveling roundtrip in one day. | No refund or exchange. |
| Passholder | $85 - 155 | Traveler with valid, active railpass for England, France, or Belgium. | One exchange allowed before departure for same route of travel. No refund. |
| Senior | $100 - 155 | Age 60 or over on date of travel. | No refund or exchange. |
| Youth | $65 - 155 | Under age 26 on date of travel. | No refund or exchange. |
| Child | $50 - 100 | Ages 4–11 on date of travel. | One exchange allowed before departure for same route of travel. 50% refund at place of purchase up to 3 days before departure. |
| Wheelchair User or Companion | $50 | Wheelchair user and (maximum) one companion. | Reserved space is in first class. Exchanges allowed. Full refund up to 60 days after departure date. Companion fare also available for a companion to a blind traveler (who pays regular fares). |
| Wheelchair User Child | $40 | Wheelchair user aged 4–11. | |
| Seats are limited at each rate. Fares are subject to change. Prices lower to/from Calais or Lille. First class costs about 50% more. Roundtrip discounts also available in each category. Rick Steves' ETBD does not issue Eurostar tickets at this time. | |||
Travel with a Passholder discount ticket must take place during the validity period of a railpass that covers one end of that day's Eurostar route (Britain, France, or Belgium). This trip does not use one of your counted travel days on a flexipass. However, both flexi- and consecutive-type passes must be validated. For instance, if you have a Passholder ticket from London to Paris and a Eurailpass for use on the continent, then you must have the Eurailpass validated at the station in London before boarding the Eurostar train. Class of service for this trip (first or standard) need not match your railpass.
Passholder discount tickets for Eurostar are sold in the US through the same agents who book passholder reservations. They are also available in local currency (starting about £50 or €75) at select European locations including Eurostar departure stations, the Eurostar office near London's Victoria station, Euraide offices (Munich Hbf and Berlin Hbf stations), and by phone to the European numbers above, but not on the Eurostar website. The Passholder fare is often the best rate for adults age 26+. Those who qualify for youth/senior/child discounts should test different options to find the best rates before ordering a ticket.
English Channel by FerryThe old-fashioned way of crossing the Channel is cheaper than Eurostar, but twice as complicated and time-consuming.
Ferry only:
Dover–Calais is served by P&O Ferries (tel. 0870-600-0613, www.posl.com) for about £20 - £40 each way, travel time 70 – 90 minutes.
Travel Harwich–Hoek van Holland by Stena Line for about £25, 6 hours or overnight (tel. 0870-570-7070, www.stenaline.co.uk).
Brittany Ferries serve Poole–Cherbourg, Portsmouth-Cherbourg, and Portsmouth-Ouistreham, starting at about £40 one-way or roundtrip (tel. 0871-244-0744, www.brittanyferries.co.uk).
DFDS Seaways runs overnight services daily from Newcastle to Amsterdam (tel. 0871-522-9955, www.dfdsseaways.com).
All phone numbers in UK. Search and book these ferries and more at www.aferry.to. £1 = about $1.65.
Bus/ferry combo: from London to Paris, Brussels, or Amsterdam, full fare is £40 one-way, £55 roundtrip; special offers as low as £15; 8 hours to Paris or Brussels; 10-12 hours to Amsterdam on Eurolines (tel. 0871-781-8181, www.eurolines.co.uk).
