London Eurostar pricing on GTR

[MrJeeves]

Something interesting I've just noticed is that the London Eurostar CIV to/from Luton and Gatwick Airports are rather cheap at £5.60 for the high savers. Is this some form of holdover from the past?

For example, Redhill to LOE High Saver is £7.80, despite it being closer in distance. Obviously any price saving is unlikely to benefit most since you need a Eurostar ticket to buy one, but it still strikes me as strange.

Also, of interest, LOE to Luton Arpt Parkway is £5.60, but to Luton Airport (including DART), it's £12!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 May 2023 ==

The same pricing disparities seem to occur when looking further south based on whether it's Southern or GN/TL who set the fares.

Brighton to LOE is £8.20, but from Burgess Hill it's £12.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Tickets to London Eurostar were only supposed to be available to purchase through the Eurostar website or Eurostar UK Domestic Sales (which closed in 2018 if memory serves.)

I'm not sure why they're generally priced lower than tickets to London International, however.

 

[island]

This is all a bit academic as it is not in practice possible to get London Eurostar CIV tickets any more.

 

[MrJeeves]

This is all a bit academic as it is not in practice possible to get London Eurostar CIV tickets any more.

Yeah, I had gotten the two mixed up in my head. I think it's still interesting to see how different the prices are being LOE and International, let alone the pricing disparities between LOE and different origins/destinations.

 

[mangyiscute]

This is all a bit academic as it is not in practice possible to get London Eurostar CIV tickets any more.

Is it not? I am planning a journey from Reading to Brussels this summer, so if the CIV tickets are not available anymore that would be rather annoying. (I also want people's opinion on how early you would aim to get to St Pancras - we are taking the 08:55 eurostar so I was thinking of getting a train to Paddington that arrives in Paddington at 07:14, but I'm not sure if that's enough time)

 

[transportphoto]

Is it not?

The specific destination of “London Eurostar CIV” isn’t available, however CIV is available via “London International”.

 

[skyhigh]

Is it not? I am planning a journey from Reading to Brussels this summer, so if the CIV tickets are not available anymore that would be rather annoying.

You can get London International CIV tickets, you just can't get London Eurostar

 

[Gaelan]

Is it not? I am planning a journey from Reading to Brussels this summer, so if the CIV tickets are not available anymore that would be rather annoying.

There are two separate "CIV" destinations:
London Eurostar (CIV), code LOE, previously sold by Eurostar, now unavailable.
London International (CIV), code LNE, still available from TrainSplit and ticket offices (but not most other online retailers).

The LNE fares are generally equivalent to the standard fares, these days - the big differences are (1) in theory you have a guaranteed connection, although rumor has it Eurostar is happy to honor connections anyway, and (2) flexible tickets to LNE often have more generous time restrictions.

(I also want people's opinion on how early you would aim to get to St Pancras - we are taking the 08:55 eurostar so I was thinking of getting a train to Paddington that arrives in Paddington at 07:14, but I'm not sure if that's enough time)

Eurostar publishes an arrival time time of 90 minutes before (less on Business Premier or with booked assistance) so you should be fine.

 

[Haywain]

although rumor has it Eurostar is happy to honor connections anyway,

I can only recall one instance of Eurostar turning someone away, but that was someone who had only allowed something like 15 minutes between arrival at Kings Cross and departure from St Pancras. Naturally, it was all the fault of the delay to the East Coast (as we were then) train from Edinburgh!

flexible tickets to LNE often have more generous time restrictions.

The easier time restrictions are the main benefit of the London International tickets, as there often isn't a significant price advantage.

 

[Gaelan]

someone who had only allowed something like 15 minutes between arrival at Kings Cross and departure from St Pancras

An entirely reasonable connection time on any other service in Britain and much of the continent! But yes, Eurostar play by their own rules…

 

[island]

An entirely reasonable connection time on any other service in Britain and much of the continent! But yes, Eurostar play by their own rules…

What other services in Britain or on the continent have passport and security screening before boarding? And why are you saying these are Eurostar's rules?

 

[Haywain]

An entirely reasonable connection time on any other service in Britain

I'm transferring between those two stations tomorrow and will be allowing a good bit more than 15 minutes, and that's without Eurostar being involved.

 

[SargeNpton]

An entirely reasonable connection time on any other service in Britain and much of the continent! But yes, Eurostar play by their own rules…

Eurostar connection times are also to allow you to get through the passport controls and baggage checks.

 

[Gaelan]

What other services in Britain or on the continent have passport and security screening before boarding? And why are you saying these are Eurostar's rules?

Well yes, there’s the problem. Passport checks on the continent (where they remain!) are, AIUI, generally done onboard. In terms of security checks, again, the rest of the continent does fine without, but I’ll concede that the channel tunnel presents some special considerations here. And yeah, fair point, the blame for all of this lies with the Home Office, not Eurostar.

What is inexcusable on Eurostar’s part is a complete lack of any action to support inward connections with National Rail - no through tickets, obviously, but also zero information on their website even suggesting that such connections are possible, let alone information on how to book or assurances that tickets will be honored after a missed connection. It gives the impression of a London-centric service entirely content to ignore the rest of the UK, a far cry from the wide range of through services promised when the tunnel was built!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 May 2023 ==

I'm transferring between those two stations tomorrow and will be allowing a good bit more than 15 minutes, and that's without Eurostar being involved.

Yeah, fair point, the minimum connection time between the two is actually 31 minutes. Still, 90 is horrendous.

 

[mangyiscute]

Well yes, there’s the problem. Passport checks on the continent (where they remain!) are, AIUI, generally done onboard.

Although most of those passport checks, unlike the border with the UK, are not mandatory

 

[MotCO]

Is it not? I am planning a journey from Reading to Brussels this summer, so if the CIV tickets are not available anymore that would be rather annoying. (I also want people's opinion on how early you would aim to get to St Pancras - we are taking the 08:55 eurostar so I was thinking of getting a train to Paddington that arrives in Paddington at 07:14, but I'm not sure if that's enough time)

Is arriving at Paddington at 7.14 a bit tight for 8.55 departure from St Pancras? This is 101 minutes, and if Eurostar advise arriving 90 minutes before departure, it's not leaving you much time to alight and transfer at Paddington, and travel across to St Pancras - the tube takes 9 minutes, plus waiting time, transfer time etc.

 

[yorkie]

Is arriving at Paddington at 7.14 a bit tight for 8.55 departure from St Pancras? This is 101 minutes, and if Eurostar advise arriving 90 minutes before departure, it's not leaving you much time to alight and transfer at Paddington, and travel across to St Pancras - the tube takes 9 minutes, plus waiting time, transfer time etc.

It's a valid connection (15+40+35 mins); if the ticket is a CIV ticket you are covered; if it isn't, you should be fine anyway.

If your journey requires tight connections at the other end e.g. onward travel beyond Lille/Brussels/Paris then you may want to reconsider, but otherwise I'd go for it, if I were you.

 

[mangyiscute]

It's a valid connection (15+40+35 mins); if the ticket is a CIV ticket you are covered; if it isn't, you should be fine anyway.

If your journey requires tight connections at the other end e.g. onward travel beyond Lille/Brussels/Paris then you may want to reconsider, but otherwise I'd go for it, if I were you.

Ok perfect, thanks for the recommendation. Fortunately I am just travelling to Brussels, so any delay wouldn't be an issue on that end.

 

[MotCO]

It's a valid connection (15+40+35 mins);

Does this allow time for check-in (which presumably is the 90 minutes Eurostar advise)

 

[Hadders]

The 90 minute Eurostar check-in is only a recommendation. Officially it's 30 minutes.