High-speed international rail service Eurostar offers cheap train tickets to travellers willing to book last-minute. How does the process work, and is it really worth it?
Eurostar has seen a noticeable hikes in prices since Brexit and Covid-19: until recently, passengers could book a single journey from Brussels-Midi to London St Pancras for as little as €44. Now, the cheapest journeys seem to be €57 – even at off-peak times, mid-week and as far ahead as January next year. This amounts to well over €100 for a round trip – or €300+ when booking last minute – making quick, cheap flights to Heathrow ever more appealing.
But for anxious flyers and the climate conscious, train is still the preferred method of travel. And Eurostar Snap might be just the ticket for those wanting to save a few euros.
Eurostar Snap offers tickets to London, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Paris, Brussels and Cologne with a discount of up to 50%. Passengers choose their destination, travel dates and either a morning or afternoon slot up to 14 days before travel on London routes and up to eight days on continental routes.
"With Snap, Eurostar aims to reach a target audience that is more spontaneous and flexible in their travelling habits: by booking tickets up to two weeks in advance. It also allows us to sell seats that would otherwise potentially stay empty and thus encourages a broader public to go green and take the train," Eurostar spokesperson Celine Ronquetti told The Brussels Times.
Ticket prices range from €45 to €60 between Brussels and London, and €25 and €39 between Brussels and Paris – a seemingly good deal, especially during peak holiday periods.
Eurostar trains at St Pancras station in London on 30 December 2023. Credit: AFP / Belga
The catch? As with any game of roulette, there are risks involved, and the entire system depends on availability and flexibility. With Snap, you only find out your exact train time 48 hours in advance: you may be given any train within your morning or afternoon slot.
The tickets are also non-exchangeable, non-refundable, non-transferable, non-cancellable, standard class and for adult passengers only. Seat selection is not offered, and there is no guarantee of sitting together when travelling as a group.
In addition, there is a chance there may not be Snap tickets on your chosen day as there are only a limited number available and they sell like hot cakes. This is a consistent source of frustration to passengers who may then be forced to buy exorbitantly expensive regular tickets at the last moment.
Will cross-Channel competitors drive down prices?
Virgin Trains signed a deal with French manufacturer Alstom last week for 12 new high-speed trains to rival Eurostar on routes across the English Channel from 2030. Italy's state-owned railway Trenitalia, UK start-up Gemini, (partnering with Uber), Spanish consortium Evolyn, and Dutch-run company Heurotrain have also all placed bids to launch train services across the Channel. Virgin, however, is currently the only applicant which has secured both trains and funding.
If Virgin secures a final deal to use the Channel Tunnel (to be announced in October), the company will be the first major competitor to challenge Eurostar's monopoly since it began operating in 1994.
In response to whether competition will drive down Eurostar's prices, Ronquetti said that "growing cross-Channel rail is a race which Eurostar is firmly in." However, she underlined that Eurostar is "not a low-cost product and prides itself on being an exclusive, premium experience with exceptional service."
She added that, despite Eurostar often being perceived as expensive, children under four travel for free, there are often promotions on certain routes, and there are no hidden fees on luggage, credit card payment or seat allocation.
