Eurostar fares - added on from Great Western starting point (merged topic)

[whole diary]

[John R]

IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), the CIV^▸ (International Convention for the transportation of Passengers) is important because if your connecting train is delayed, it guarantees passage on a later train than the one you are booked on.  Particularly useful on the outward journey up to London, where you will almost certainly be on a booked train from St Pancras.

 

[swrural]

What does CIV^▸ (International Convention for the transportation of Passengers) stand for please?  it's not in abbs.

[paul7575]

CIV^▸ (International Convention for the transportation of Passengers) = Convention Internationale pour le transport des Voyageurs.

Paul

[cholsey]

Don't think it includes transferring via London underground though.  Certainly I had to buy another ticket when Eurostar left from Waterloo.

[trainer]

I believe this ticket was also available through raileasy.co.uk and may well be still.  I have not seen it offered on other ticketing websites but that means nothing!

[Kernow Otter]

Booked an advance trip right at the edge of their availabilty last week via Eurostar, and likewise could not convince the website to do a through ticket from Cornwall, let alone Lostwithiel, to Bruges. 

Called the help line and was informed that because Eurostar's advance fares were significantly ahead of those of UK^▸ (United Kingdom) TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s, then they were unable to book both simultaneously.

Advice was to keep looking at FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s site for when suitable advances are issued, then to give Eurostar's UK rail travel office a call on 01233 617913, quote our booking number then let them book the FGW tickets on our behalf. 

Advantage of this apparently is that it is then treated as a through journey, and in the event of any delays to any part of the journey, then any onward travel resulting from missed connections either way becomes Eurostar's problem.

Great information and customer service I thought.

[JayMac]

There are a range of tickets available from Melksham to London International (CIV^▸ (International Convention for the transportation of Passengers)) all including a cross London transfer. Whether they are purchasable onboard through Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) I can't say. So if you want it from Melksham, and you have the chance before Monday grahame, I'd suggest buying at a staffed station. A Eurostar booking reference email is usually suitable evidence to show as proof you are eligible to buy the CIV tickets if you haven't got a physical Eurostar ticket.

Destination three letter code would be LNE.

http://brfares.com/#fares?orig=MKM^» (Melksham (Station code) - next trains)&dest=LNE&rlc=
http://brfares.com/#fares?orig=CPM^» (Chippenham - next trains)&dest=LNE&rlc=

Don't ask me why there are different fare types (EVS/EVR & EOS/EOR) in the system that are all unrestricted time wise. You'll want the EVS/EVR Euro High Saver Single/Return which is unrestricted. You can use this ticket on any trains to/from London and you'll note that it is particularly good value when compared with the Anytime tickets to London Paddington.

From Melksham you'll also note that there are fares via Swindon and Any Permitted. Maybe handy if timings are conducive to using the Berks & Hants route to London.

[swrural]

CIV^▸ (International Convention for the transportation of Passengers) = Convention Internationale pour le transport des Voyageurs.

Paul

Thanks Paul, perhaps one for the list Mods please?  I must warn Grahame that the Belgium to big cities in NL service has been in complete chaos.  I read the Dutch papers every day and they are about to start a renewed inter-city from Brussel to Den Haag on Feb 18th, but that is no use to you.  Travellers to Amsterdam then will have to change at Rotterdam into a Fyra that isn't, if you follow me.  The coaches are Fyra but the engine is a substitute engine fro the failing Italian engines that can operate on 25kv.

Pax are writing into the paper wanting to know why the main flow (Amsterdam) is not being catered for by running the intercities over the HSL.  Of course they are unaware of the voltage differences, poor people.

So having been informed, the accusations are now about 'civil servant and politicians' trains' because the ministries and parliament are of course in Den Haag whereas the capital city and financial centre is of course Amsterdam!

Also dark comments are being made about 'buying cr*p off the Mafia' suggesting kick backs were at play.

It's all very sordid.

[grahame]

There are a range of tickets available from Melksham to London International (CIV^▸ (International Convention for the transportation of Passengers)) all including a cross London transfer. Whether they are purchasable onboard through Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) I can't say. So if you want it from Melksham, and you have the chance before Monday grahame, I'd suggest buying at a staffed station. A Eurostar booking reference email is usually suitable evidence to show as proof you are eligible to buy the CIV tickets if you haven't got a physical Eurostar ticket.

Destination three letter code would be LNE.

http://brfares.com/#fares?orig=MKM^» (Melksham (Station code) - next trains)&dest=LNE&rlc=
http://brfares.com/#fares?orig=CPM^» (Chippenham - next trains)&dest=LNE&rlc=

Don't ask me why there are different fare types (EVS/EVR & EOS/EOR) in the system that are all unrestricted time wise. You'll want the EVS/EVR Euro High Saver Single/Return which is unrestricted. You can use this ticket on any trains to/from London and you'll note that it is particularly good value when compared with the Anytime tickets to London Paddington.

From Melksham you'll also note that there are fares via Swindon and Any Permitted. Maybe handy if timings are conducive to using the Berks & Hants route to London.

Thanks.  Silly question - if they're time unrestricted, what's the difference between the EVR and the EOR if they're both time unrestricted, apart from the price?

[JayMac]

CIV^▸ (International Convention for the transportation of Passengers) added to Acronyms/Abbreviations page.  

[JayMac]

Silly question - if they're time unrestricted, what's the difference between the EVR and the EOR if they're both time unrestricted, apart from the price?

As I said. Don't ask! I've no idea except to guess that at one time there were time restrictions on the EVR on these flows and when those time restrictions were removed the more expensive fare wasn't also removed.

[grahame]

I must warn Grahame that the Belgium to big cities in NL service has been in complete chaos. 

Thanks - I'm user to "adventure travel" ... my last journey was on Wednesday evening this week, and was rather better than most - approached on the platform to ask about my TV appearance, and just 23 minutes late into my final destination.  But I can't - usually - rival thetrout in my stories.  Perhaps I'll have a chance if I come to write up this trip ;-).

In seriousness, I'm travelling during the day and then recovering staying in a hotel overnight before I work, so delays won't be anything more than an adventure.

[grahame]

Silly question - if they're time unrestricted, what's the difference between the EVR and the EOR if they're both time unrestricted, apart from the price?

As I said. Don't ask! I've no idea except to guess that at one time there were time restrictions on the EVR and when those time restrictions were removed the more expensive fare wasn't also removed.

OK - going for the cheaper one 

[swrural]

I must warn Grahame that the Belgium to big cities in NL service has been in complete chaos. 

Thanks - I'm user to "adventure travel" ... my last journey was on Wednesday evening this week, and was rather better than most - approached on the platform to ask about my TV appearance, and just 23 minutes late into my final destination.  But I can't - usually - rival thetrout in my stories.  Perhaps I'll have a chance if I come to write up this trip ;-).

In seriousness, I'm travelling during the day and then recovering staying in a hotel overnight before I work, so delays won't be anything more than an adventure.

I could pm but I think this may be interesting to others.  You did not say where you were going in NL. It may be private (no I am not insinuating 'coffee shops' and the like  ) but I could give some tips in the same way that we have over other hotels, etc, plus experience of using the OV Kaart.

[grahame]

I could pm but I think this may be interesting to others.  You did not say where you were going in NL.

Correct 

It may be private (no I am not insinuating 'coffee shops' and the like  ) but I could give some tips in the same way that we have over other hotels, etc, plus experience of using the OV Kaart.

I'm giving a training course, and not at liberty to reveal my customer company's names or too many clues to them without their permission ... and I think I'm going to a one-IT-company town.   It's a two-hotel town though, and my client has advised which hotel I should use already, I'm through ticketed to the town's station, in walking distance of the hotel and the place of work, so I suspect that I'm now past the point at which those inputs would have been of maximal use.

As general use / reading, I'm going to encourage posts somewhere (wider?) that describe other countries systems, especially where they give us lessons / contrasts / ideas - in fact I've posted a load of those in the past!