Exchanges on Eurostar

[DeeGee]

I was planning on taking the family to Paris for a long weekend. Booked everything. Got confirmations.

The wife would have been rather pregnant at the time, though, and she's decided not to go. Which is fair enough. She's told me I can either go alone or with the boy.

I've got a standard fare, Ebbsfleet to Paris. Now I have a few options for the weekend.

Go alone, keeping fare as is.
Go with the boy, keeping fare as is.

These are straightforward enough. However, if I'm going either alone or with the boy, personally I'd rather go from St Pancakes.

Is there any way I can change the origin and destination station on a fare which is exchangeable but not refundable?

Now if the boy is coming, I'd like to bring my brother instead of the wife to babysit the boy one morning.

Would I be able to change the traveller on the third ticket?

A further alternative would be to delay the trip for four months for the three of us and take the new baby.

Would this be possible as an exchange?

I can't see any way to do it online, and I don't want to spend ages wasting Customer Services' time if it can't be done.

 

[flash]

It's not possible to change names on tickets.

AFAIK tickets from UK stations are interchangeable i.e you can catch your train from Ebbsfleet with a 'from' London ticket etc.

My suggestion would be to phone / or visit and speak to an advisor - they will be the ones to best advise you.

 

[duncanp]

Yes. You can board at St Pancras with a ticket from Ebbsfleet (or Ashford for that matter)

Here is the official confirmation

https://faq.eurostar.com/faq/uk-en/question/I-ve-booked-from-one-station-can-I-board-at-another

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

You should also be able to exchange the booking to a later date at a cost of £30 per person per leg. In principle, you can do this on the internet but in my experience it seldom works so be ready to spend 15 mins or so on the phone to the call centre trying to sort it all out.:cry:

 

[flash]

You should also be able to exchange the booking to a later date at a cost of £30 per person per leg. In principle, you can do this on the internet but in my experience it seldom works so be ready to spend 15 mins or so on the phone to the call centre trying to sort it all out.:cry:

plus any difference in fare..... can be an expensive exercise!

 

[sammyg901]

In my experience (and I've seen this posted online before too) - no one checks the name on the ticket - the automated ticket scan and the passport check are two separate things....

 

[duncanp]

They could check the name on the ticket if they wanted to though.

If you use a ticket with someone else's name you do run the risk of not being allowed to travel, or even worse not being allowed to travel back to the UK.

 

[DeeGee]

Yes. You can board at St Pancras with a ticket from Ebbsfleet (or Ashford for that matter)

Here is the official confirmation

https://faq.eurostar.com/faq/uk-en/question/I-ve-booked-from-one-station-can-I-board-at-another

I'm not faffing around with exchanges now, just swallowing the cost and enjoying a lovely square to myself, and one other lucky punter.

I read this, and thought I'd tweet Eurostar to confirm. They gave me conflicting advice (I'd have to buy another ticket), so I pointed them at that page. They said they'd get back to me.

What to do? I don't want to be refused boarding at Pancakes.

 

[Wolfie]

It's not possible to change names on tickets.

Correct. However, at least in the past, Eurostar did no cross-checking of name on ticket and passport name. The UK Border Agency in Paris/Brussels will check that an individual has a valid passport and ticket but again seemed to do no cross-referencing. I was advised of that on this very forum and indeed took advantage of it - I split with a girlfriend so travelled with a friend.

However, given the enhanced security due to recent terrorist attacks, I am far from clear if that all remains the case and personally would be hesitant to risk it.

 

[Greenback]

However, given the enhanced security due to recent terrorist attacks, I am far from clear if that all remains the case and personally would be hesitant to risk it.

Agreed. I think that there would be a risk in just assuming that everything remains as it was given the constantly changing situation with security.

 

[Blinder]

In my experience (and I've seen this posted online before too) - no one checks the name on the ticket - the automated ticket scan and the passport check are two separate things....

Names are not checked on Eurostar tickets against passports. Names are just for the reference of the issuer. However FIP card numbers are placed in the booking, but do not show on the ticket