St Pancras CIV?

[cholsey-choose]

Hi there,

Just a quick one, sorry if it's been answered somewhere obvious! I'm leaving on the Eurostar from St Pancras tomorrow morning at 0831.

If I want to get a CIV-protected ticket, what time do I need to be due to arrive there? I'll be coming from Oxford.

Thanks!

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

If you are coming into Paddington, the minimum connection time is 46 minutes - 15 minutes at each of Paddington and St Pancras, 15 minutes for the Tube and 1 minute(!) to get to the Eurostar/International/CIV part of the station.

If you are coming into Marylebone, the minimum connection time is 51 minutes - 15 minutes at each of Paddington and St Pancras, 20 minutes for the Tube and 1 minute(!) to get to the Eurostar/International/CIV part of the station.

So for Paddington you would need to arrive at 07:45 or earlier. At Marylebone you would need to arrive at 07:40 or earlier.

Of course there may be significant queues, especially if there is disruption, plus you have to account for check-in, security and two lots of border control(!) so I would not rely on these figures - add on at least 30-45 minutes if possible.

 

[cholsey-choose]

Thanks! I'm not too worries about actually catching the train, just want to make sure I don't have to pay if I miss it. So if I get on a train that arrives at Paddington for 730, I'll be protected?

Cheers.

 

[sheff1]

You need to factor in the Eurostar 30 min check in time as well so 0730 at Paddington will be too late.

 

[cholsey-choose]

You need to factor in the Eurostar 30 min check in time as well so 0730 at Paddington will be too late.

Ahh good call! I knew it sounded too good to be true. I need to add 45 min for Eurostar checkin.

 

[BluePenguin]

You need to factor in the Eurostar 30 min check in time as well so 0730 at Paddington will be too late.

That is Eurostars own sugestion though and is not a rule as such. 1.5 hours connection time is mich more than enough time. If everyone has to do this to allow for check in, then they are not saving themselves much time over going to the airport

 

[cholsey-choose]

That's fair -- but surely there must be some rule about what time I need to arrive at StP to benefit from the CIV protections?

 

[Mag_seven]

That is Eurostars own sugestion though and is not a rule as such.

Is it? - I always thought the min 30 min check in time was a rule not a suggestion as there is nothing to suggest on the ES website that it is a "suggestion".

https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/your-trip/check-in

Standard, Standard Premier, and Eurostar™ carte classique travellers

Check in at least 30 minutes before departure, 45 minutes at busy times like weekends and bank holidays.

 

[Merseysider]

Yes, check-in theoretically closes 30 minutes before departure.

However, in the event of delay to a prior connecting rail journey, Eurostar staff will (unofficially) allow you to check in until ten minutes before departure, the same time as their Business customers.

 

[bspahh]

I would check for a route from Oxford to Paris/Brussels/Lilles from https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml

It will suggest train times which have at least the recommended time for the connections.

 

[Haywain]

If you are coming into Paddington, the minimum connection time is 46 minutes - 15 minutes at each of Paddington and St Pancras, 15 minutes for the Tube and 1 minute(!) to get to the Eurostar/International/CIV part of the station.

If you are coming into Marylebone, the minimum connection time is 51 minutes - 15 minutes at each of Paddington and St Pancras, 20 minutes for the Tube and 1 minute(!) to get to the Eurostar/International/CIV part of the station.

These figures are only correct for domestic services. There are different interchange times for international services which are 30 minutes longer.

 

[cholsey-choose]

These figures are only correct for domestic services. There are different interchange times for international services which are 30 minutes longer.

Did you read the rest of the thread?

 

[BluePenguin]

That's fair -- but surely there must be some rule about what time I need to arrive at StP to benefit from the CIV protections?

Yes there are which members have explained above. They are talking about ticket restrictions rather than Eurostars suggested 30 minute time to allow for check in

 

[cholsey-choose]

Yes there are which members have explained above. They are talking about ticket restrictions rather than Eurostars suggested 30 minute time to allow for check in

TBH I'm a bit surprised that the CIV ticket doesn't come with an explicit condition along the lines of "customers must plan to arrive at the international station before the operator's stated checkin deadline", or something like that. My travel insurance for flights certainly has a similar condition.

 

[BluePenguin]

Is it? - I always thought the min 30 min check in time was a rule not a suggestion as there is nothing to suggest on the ES website that it is a "suggestion".

https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/your-trip/check-in

Another has already answered this above but just to add that it is now a rule but a suggestion. For this reason in terms of connection time, it should not be taken in the same way as check in for a flight.

As already mentioned Eurostar allow Business Premier customers and people who are late to check in and board 10 minutes before. Allowing 2 hours before your train to get to the station on time is certainly very sensible, however it is important that readers know that it is not be it or end all. As they say time is money and a lot of passengers' aim is to get to their destination as quick as possible from the time they leave their origin

 

[sheff1]

However, in the event of delay to a prior connecting rail journey, Eurostar staff will (unofficially) allow you to check in until ten minutes before departure, the same time as their Business customers.

Someone who plans their connecting journey without allowing for the "suggested" Eurostar check-in time is relying on the unofficial later check-in being allowed even if the 'connecting' train ran to time. Presumably an unofficial arrangement could be withdrawn at any time.

>>>
Investigating further, I am not convinced that 30 mins is a suggestion rather than a rule.

Clause 9 of the Eurostar Conditions of Carriage states:
"Before boarding a Eurostar train, you must check-in at the automatic gates or at the booths or if necessary via ticket checks at boarding. You must check-in before the Check-in Time Limit we indicate, as explained in clause 18."

Clause 18 states:
"You must comply with the Check-in Time Limit indicated by us (the “Check-in Time Limit”). This means you must arrive at the check-in at least 30 minutes, or other minimum period which we may specify* from time to time, before your scheduled departure time as stated on your ticket".
and
" If you arrive after the Check-in Time Limit, we reserve the right not to allow you to check-in and board your train."


* The 10 mins check-in is only specified for Business Premier and Eurostar carte blanche travellers.

 

[johnnychips]

When our train from Donny was late we rang Eurostar and they passed our names on to the staff at the business check-in. Excellent customer service.

 

[Merseysider]

Someone who plans their connecting journey without allowing for the "suggested" Eurostar check-in time is relying on the unofficial later check-in being allowed even if the 'connecting' train ran to time. Presumably an unofficial arrangement could be withdrawn at any time.

You misunderstood what I was saying.

Allow an extra 30 minutes to check in, obviously, but if the train suffers a moderate delay getting to London then the passenger will still be checked in if this 30 minutes is breached.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Whilst the minimum connection time for St Pancras itself is 15 minutes, that for St Pancras International or London International (CIV) is given as 35 minutes. Similarly, that for Marylebone is only 10 minutes.

BRTimes.com gives explicit connection times to St Pancras International/London International of 45 minutes from Paddington (50 minutes before 0700) and 23 minutes from Marylebone (28 minutes before 0700).

Adding those together, you get 95 minutes from Paddington (100 before 0700) and 68 minutes from Marylebone (73 before 0700).

Using those times, for an 0831 departure, you'd need to catch the 0523 from Oxford, changing at Didcot Parkway, to get to Paddington at 0622 or the 0601 direct to Marylebone, arriving at 0723.

 

[paddington]

I've arrived at St Pancras 45-60 minutes before Eurostar departure many times, and the queue has been so long and slow that I still haven't scanned my ticket with 15 minutes to go, and overhead conversations indicating that people on the same train are way further behind me in the queue. Never had a problem.

On busy trains if they enforced the 30 minute check in time, the trains would leave half empty, or the departure lounge would be completely packed with an extra 500 people who don't really need to be there yet.

 

[island]

Eurostar staff are possessed of common sense and are not afraid to use it. They will do their best to accommodate latecomers but they also cannot work miracles.

What cannot of course work is everyone desirous of joining a certain train arriving precisely 30 minutes before its timetabled departure time.