MisterT
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The tickets are on sale at www.nsinternational.nl, but it seems like the site is a bit busy at the moment, as making an actual booking seems to trigger an error message.
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Amsterdam Eurostar
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AlexNL
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They're experiencing some technical difficulties. Eurostar said on Twitter that tickets will go on sale "later tonight", but this has since been deleted. Eurostar's website now says "Sales open Thursday morning, 22 February."
What a shambles. Months if not technically years to get ready and they cannot get a few tickets on sale on time, needing two extra days now to get it working.
Still, as long as the press and VIPs had a nice jolly this morning though, that's OK.
Still, as long as the press and VIPs had a nice jolly this morning though, that's OK.
AlexNL
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Eurostar are now confirming that the ticket sales opening is being delayed until the 22nd.
2392
Member
Out of curiosity, especially since the budget airlines did for the regional Euro Stars. I ask is it or will it be possible to get a through regional tickets from say Newcastle Upon Tyne? Not only to Amsterdam of course.......
AlexNL
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You can already buy tickets from Newcastle to Amsterdam, so I expect that you will also be offered the direct Eurostar train if it is a sensible combination.
2392
Member
I pretty well suspected as much. Though you never know on occasion the weird and wonderful terms & conditions that could be applied.
How is that done?
Whenever I try UK destinations, I get redirected to SNCB site, where UK destinations don't exist. :/
AlexNL
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You'll have to book using Eurostar's UK website, you'll have to pay in pounds.
As far as I've understood, this is because RDG (ATOC) does not want to incur currency conversion fees.
And just like that, I do the exact same steps and it doesn't redirect me anymore...lol.
StephenHunter
Established Member
Well, if we didn't all try to get the tickets at once... IT provider should have been prepared though.
Well I've had enough of this, gonna go down KFC instead.
Reminds me of my own experience when SNCF and DB started selling TGV/ICE tickets to Paris. I managed to buy the journey to Paris online, but the system would not sell me the return leg. In my lunch break I cycled to the station and tried to buy the ticket in ticket office. The agent could not sell the ticket either. She even called their tech support. When she hung up she was furious, because she was told to send me away and we should try again tomorrow.
Then she got an idea and managed to pull up a special fare on the overnight train, so I went to Paris by TGV and back home in the sleeper car (and got a few more hours in Paris than planned).
Good Luck
Charly
P.S.: DB currently also has a problem selling their London offer: If you put in your BahnCard (our Railcard equivalent) you will not be offered the special fares, but only the regular fare (which for me is more than 200€ one way). The issue in known and they are working on it for quite some time now. Lets see, if they get it sorted out.
On Twitter they are fending off people asking "what time will they go on sale now" with just a generic "tomorrow morning". So I guess they plan on just slipping them out on sale when not too many people are continually trying to get them, and hoping that lets their clockwork server stay up.
Just bought a ticket for the very first London>Amsterdam train, using www.nsinternational.nl
(Eurostar, on the other hand, not showing their *own* direct trains. Wtf?)
(Eurostar, on the other hand, not showing their *own* direct trains. Wtf?)
Yep got mine from the Netherlands operator at about 7am this morning, then went to eurostar.com to change my seat (using the six character reference you get from nsinternational.nl not the seven character one).
Eurostar are still telling people "some time this morning, we can't say exactly when". Odd!
Eurostar are still telling people "some time this morning, we can't say exactly when". Odd!
Aha, nice tip, just done the same now.
bunnahabhain
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Curiously you can book London-Amsterdam but cannot book London-Brussels on the same train, because its required "for Brussels to Amsterdam passengers". Erm, righto then. :/
What do Eurostar do to prevent people buying a London-Brussels ticket and staying on the train? I don't recall on board checks after stops like Lille and there is usually an empty seat somewhere. Perhaps they will have to introduce them?
bunnahabhain
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Well I suspect they're probably hoping to sell enough tickets to double sell seats, or not as the case may seem. If they're advertising it as a quicker train to/from Brussels then arguably it should (will?) be bookable, but for the last few days it doesn't show up during searching from London to Brussels, and in their twitter diatribe with me they claimed if I wanted to go to Brussels I needed to catch a Brussels service...which surely the Amsterdam train is?
AlexNL
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As far as I know Eurostar are planning to offer Brussels-Amsterdam v.v. in competition with Thalys so I guess it's safe to assume that there will be ticket checks between those cities.
Thank you for the tip on this; I’m really pleased to have bagged two seats on the inaugural public service using the NS site.
AlexNL
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The Eurostar site is now also offering the direct service.
theageofthetra
Established Member
I am tempted to use this for a Country festival in Amsterdam on 25th August. The one way on the 08.30 is coming in at Eur 48 - is that cheaper than me using my FIP (non protected)?
AlexNL
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I've noticed a few things:
- Eurostar don't seem to offer "Any Dutch Station" tickets for their direct service yet.
- When planning a trip to Rotterdam, you're sent to "Rotterdam Centraal Eurostar". Something similar happens in Amsterdam. From the "Eurostar" station the planners think you'll need 20 minutes to transfer to the main station, which might mean that you get offered a later connecting service.
For example, I'm looking at a trip from London to Breda (my hometown).
I am offered the direct 8:31 service to "Rotterdam Centraal Eurostar", where I would be arriving at 12:32. The journey planner then recommends a 20 minute walk to "Rotterdam Centraal", followed by a wait for the 13:14 train to Eindhoven, which arrives in Breda at 13:37 - a reasonable 4h06 later.
In reality, there is no separate "Rotterdam Centraal Eurostar" station, you'll just stop between all the other trains. There is a train to Breda at 12:44, 12 minutes is more than enough to make that connection. I could be in Breda around 13:07, which is only a 3h36 journey!
I think that Eurostar and NS are shooting themselves in the foot here, as the journey they recommend takes longer than needed - and thus might be putting people off from choosing the train over flying.
- Eurostar don't seem to offer "Any Dutch Station" tickets for their direct service yet.
- When planning a trip to Rotterdam, you're sent to "Rotterdam Centraal Eurostar". Something similar happens in Amsterdam. From the "Eurostar" station the planners think you'll need 20 minutes to transfer to the main station, which might mean that you get offered a later connecting service.
For example, I'm looking at a trip from London to Breda (my hometown).
I am offered the direct 8:31 service to "Rotterdam Centraal Eurostar", where I would be arriving at 12:32. The journey planner then recommends a 20 minute walk to "Rotterdam Centraal", followed by a wait for the 13:14 train to Eindhoven, which arrives in Breda at 13:37 - a reasonable 4h06 later.
In reality, there is no separate "Rotterdam Centraal Eurostar" station, you'll just stop between all the other trains. There is a train to Breda at 12:44, 12 minutes is more than enough to make that connection. I could be in Breda around 13:07, which is only a 3h36 journey!
I think that Eurostar and NS are shooting themselves in the foot here, as the journey they recommend takes longer than needed - and thus might be putting people off from choosing the train over flying.
edwin_m
Veteran Member
Is this extra time in case passport checks for arriving passengers are in force? Does this also happen in Brussels or Paris?
JonathanP
Member
The Deutsche Bahn Journey planner enforces a 17 minute exit/transfer time in Brussels, and 20 in Amsterdam.
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