Insane Eurostar prices!?

[Kittina]

OH my god!! I can't believe the cost of the Eurostar??

We went in March last year and May the year before and both times paid £60 return for the Eurostar all the way to DLP. This wasn't direct we had to change at Lille which was why it was a bit cheaper..but i've just checked the website for June this year its £389 !!! In comparison to £120 last year for 2 people? What the hell!!! Is this normal price for June? not even school holidays or the Queens Jubilee week! Mon 11th - Fri 15th...i'm so shocked

 

[DLPdaft]

its probably because the seats for June have been available for sale for months now if you phoned up, so there may only be the most expensive tickets available now.

 

[DLPDreams]

Agree with Elaine. I don't use Eurostar but I rang up DLRP mid Jan and the CM told me that the Eurostar for the half term week (I know not your week but still in June) had been booked up for the past 3 months solid. So, I'm guessing they have been on sale a while.....

It's the same with flights - we have to fly with budget airlines and unless you book when the flights are released then it's a ridiculous price

 

[BabyAriel]

Seems very expensive to me. Much cheaper if you could bear to go via Gare du Nord...not ideal I know

 

[smallpig]

we've just managed to book a £69 return for April- so they do still exist- but it was really hard to get the site to show the available routes- might be worth a call if haven't done already?

 

[Julesdis]

its probably because the seats for June have been available for sale for months now if you phoned up

That's an odd way to do things, isn't it? We booked our DLP trip in July about three weeks ago. We're flying but we looked at Eurostar prices for comparison and the website was only giving prices up to the end of April.

I did think at the time that it was strange as people will want to book transport in advance to get cheap prices, but if we'd waited for the Eurostar prices for July to be released (at least on the website) presumably the prices for flights would have increased considerably.

 

[DLPdaft]

Eurostar tickets direct fares generally go on sale online about 6 months before travel, but as I said they go on sale by phone usually a good couple of months before that. Indirect fares (ie via Lille) are available 12 weeks in advance of travel usually.

Kittina don't panic - I'm sure you'll be able to find a budget airline (Easyjet, bmibaby etc) going into CDG for a lot cheaper than the eurostar price (I'm going at the same time as you and Easyjet from Luton is still around £140 total for a couple, hand luggage for my dates). Add on around £65 (possibly less) for your transfers, and you're sorted .

 

[sammie1884]

I am really confused (and worried!) by this post! I rang eurostar last week to get prices for 17th June/18th June and they were 80 each return direct trains. We do not want direct though because we want to get there early so I asked about indirect prices and was told they are not for sale until 21st March. Have I been told the wrong information? I dont want to miss out!

 

[MummyMinnie]

I am really confused (and worried!) by this post! I rang eurostar last week to get prices for 17th June/18th June and they were 80 each return direct trains. We do not want direct though because we want to get there early so I asked about indirect prices and was told they are not for sale until 21st March. Have I been told the wrong information? I dont want to miss out!

Hi
As far as I know that is correct the indirect prices go on sale 3 months in advance - as we're waiting for them to be released for the beginning of June.

 

[sammie1884]

Hi
As far as I know that is correct the indirect prices go on sale 3 months in advance - as we're waiting for them to be released for the beginning of June.

Fab, thank you

 

[jennytablina]

Eurostar have been known to jack up prices for busier periods - June-September's a pretty busy time for DLP.

All you can do is call and check the site till the dates come up for booking and hope for the best. They are normally okay outside of summer though. I'm sure theres an alternative that'll be cheaper though (it sounds like flying is your best option currently)

 

[Kittina]

Ah - this makes a bit more sense now. Previously I think we booked within 12 weeks before so the via Lille options were available...So perhaps in a few weeks when it is 12 weeks before there will be more fares?

Also, i've never called up eurostar i've always booked online so that's a good tip.... slightly less panicked now

the flights are still quite cheap but I am absolutely terrified of flying!! I have been meaning to book myself on a short flight to try to get over it..perhaps this is it.... eep!!

 

[DLPdaft]

yes, check around the 11th March for the indirect Eurostar price .
Easyjet from Luton to CDG is very quick and very easy - you have time to sit down, buy a hot drink, drink it, then you're descending into Paris .

 

[MummyMinnie]

We have the dilema at the moment for waiting for the indirect prices to come out but our alternatives are going up all the time.
Flying has been ruled out (price wise) and so we were then thinking Eurotunnel (done loads of times so we know how it all works). Ten days ago a return was £84 for our dates and yesterday I looked and its now £138! Ferry is now the cheapest at £78.

Mind you a lot cheaper than the £778 quoted by Eurostar for direct!

 

[jennytablina]

the flights are still quite cheap but I am absolutely terrified of flying!! I have been meaning to book myself on a short flight to try to get over it..perhaps this is it.... eep!!

I realize this might not ease your fears much, I think everyone is scared of flying before they do it. But I've been on a plane about 10 times in the past 5 years and lived to tell the tale ; ) - it's very rare a flight goes wrong, plus theres tons of security at airports these days.

Disneyland Paris might be the perfect carrot on the proverbial stick to help you give it a go.

 

[Kittina]

hehe thanks all. sorry to have worried anyone else in my panic!

funnily enough I have never flown anywhere else but Paris!! (always to go to disneyland) I went once with friends when i was 15 and it was fine, went again when I was 18 and I had such a bad panic attack I got the eurostar home by myself!!

I think i'm going to try and get the flight..

 

[steve_rob]

This probably won't affect your decision, but just to let you know, Eurostar trains to non-Disneyland locations can actually be booked FOUR months in advance.

We're going on the 11th June and would be able to book the St.Pancras to Lille part of the journey on the Eurostar website for £69 per person return (we haven't, just saying that you could). However as the TGV part of the journey from Lille to DLP is still on the 3 months rule, if you go to the Eurostar site, it still will only show you the direct deals for the full journey.

 

[stargatebarbie]

can you book euro star to lille then get a ticket from lille to dlp on the day when you arrive at lille at the station how long is the journey from lille to dlp