Eurostar 2 for 1 promotion

MSE_Jenny · 16 November 2007 at 5:30PM

Updated 6 May 2008

If you fancy a jaunt across the channel, there are a host of ways to slash the cost of Eurostar tickets.

Get 2for1 Eurostar tickets from Ashford or Ebbsfleet

Eurostar has repeated its offer of a limited number of 2for1 tickets via its website, meaning two can travel for just £58. The offer’s valid for a standard return from Ebbsfleet International to either Paris, Brussels or Lille, or from Ashford International to Paris.

To grab your 2for1 tickets, visit the promotional page and book before 31 May 2008. The offer’s valid for travel between 6 May and 31 August 2008. Thanks to MoneySaver Moneysal for the update.

Get 2for1 Eurostar tickets at Kent's Bluewater Shopping Centre

If there's no availabilty under the first offer, and you live within in travelling distance of Kent's massive Bluewater shopping centre there's an alternative. Buy anything there and you get a 2for1 Eurostar voucher, letting you buy two tickets for as little as £58. The offer’s valid for a standard return from Ebbsfleet International to either Paris, Brussels or Lille; or from Ashford International to Paris.

To grab your 2for1 tickets, buy anything at Bluewater 1 April and 31 May 2008. Chewing gum counts. Then take the receipt down to the Eurostar shop inside the shopping centre. You'll be given a voucher with a code. To book, go to the Eurostar promotion page and enter the code.

You have to get the voucher and book your tickets before 31 May, and the offer’s valid for travel between 6 May and 31 August 2008. Thanks to MoneySaving Piblet for the update.

Free train travel for Eurostar travellers to Ebbsfleet & Ashford

Anyone with a Eurostar ticket can travel free to and from Ebbsfleet International or Ashford International, on that day. You can do it on Southeastern train services, from anywhere on the Southeastern network in Kent, East Sussex and south east London– all you need to do is show your ticket and passport. The Eurostar website has full details and a map of participating stations.

This makes the Bluewater 2for1 offer even better value, because if even if you don't live nearby, you can travel part of the way for free if you don't mind the extra journey time.
Grab tickets with Nectar points

While not the best deal out there, if you've got unused Nectar points, you can also spend these on Eurostar tickets. Standard select returns cost from 14,000 points (roughly £75 worth of points), depending on availability, to Paris, Brussels and Lille. Call Nectar to redeem this on 0870 4 100 100. Bookings must be made 14 days in advance. See full details.

For more tricks to get more from your loyalty points read the full Loyalty Schemes article

Grab bargains while you’re there

Once you’ve crossed the channel, there are some great value things to buy when you get there; as well as the usual cigarettes and alcohol. The Great ‘What to buy on a day trip to France’ Hunt has masses of MoneySavers' top tips on shopping continental style.
Look out for special offers

The Telegraph newspaper often runs 2for1 Eurostar offers. We will keep you updated when there's an offer on in the free weekly MoneySaving email.

If you have any other Eurostar cost cutting tips, please post them below. This post has been updated so some of MoneySavers' posts below may refer to an earlier offer.

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Melodyx · 19 November 2007 at 1:32PM

I will certainly see if I can get one of these deals as the standard prices are so expensive. I'll have to look out for Telegraph offers (but aren't those always with hotels rather than just the travel?) Do you know when you can go to get even a single ticket for £58? I wouldn't mind spending that without an offer but whenever I've looked on the Eurostar website tickets cost at least £150 return even when I've looked a month or two ahead, and that's with no flexibiltiy. Maybe you have to go mid-week to get the cheaper prices? It still seems much cheaper to fly which is ridiculous.

grownup1 · 19 November 2007 at 1:40PM

I think there will be an advantage to some people in booking a through ticket from a local station because you will then not be penalised for missing your booked Eurostar departure as a result of a delayed connection (hasn't it happened to us all....). This is the GNER statement on the policy and I have heard of it applying to other companies offering through tickets.

I don't know how good value the through tickets tend to be though.

alanrowell · 19 November 2007 at 6:29PM

Try pretending NOT to be British when using the Eurostar website.

By clearing the Eurostar cookies from your computer you can pretend to be any nationality and gain the benefit of cheaper fares than are available to UK folk.

Pretending to be American or Austrian seems to work best - at least the last time I checked, It's especially good for one way fares where UK folk only get the full price option

Also Americans & other non-Europeans can book up to 9 months in advance compared to 5 months for Europeans

jinkssick · 21 November 2007 at 12:37AM

And this is even more incredible

Free Travel with Southeastern
To make things even easier, we’ve teamed up with Southeastern to offer free travel to all Eurostar travellers to and from local rail stations near Ebbsfleet International or to and from Ashford International from anywhere on the Southeastern network in Kent, East Sussex and south east London (London Bridge, London Victoria and others). All you have to do is show your passport and ticket or ticket confirmation/email when asked by any member of the Southeastern team.

http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/travel_information/at_the_station/terminals/ebbsfleet_international.jsp

Even when you get to Gravesend per se to get to Ebbsfleet International the fast track bus service to and from is FREE when shown with your Eurostar confirmation number.

jinkssick · 21 November 2007 at 12:41AM

Sorry just to illiterate its:

2 for 1 £58 booking using voucher from Bluewater. Then totally free travel from participating station all the way to Ebbsfleet International there and back on the southeastern train and then fast track bus. Thats incredible.

How stupid sorry MSE Jenny, im a dufus, didnt see it just thought I spotted something original. But thats makes this a hella of a bargain with travel there and back sorted.

sad_gills_fan · 21 November 2007 at 9:56AM

The voucher that you get from the Eurostar shop at Bluewater doesn't give you an individual code as such .. it's just a password .. same on every voucher as I managed to get loads!!!

The password is: Ebbsfleet

Regards

Sad Gills Fan

sad_gills_fan · 21 November 2007 at 9:58AM

The voucher that you get from the Eurostar shop at Bluewater doesn't give you an individual code as such .. it's just a password .. same on every voucher as I managed to get loads!!!

The password is: Ebbsfleet (you'll need to phone 08701 601 050)

Or, just go to www.eurostar.com/ebbsfleet and it'll take you direct to the 2for1 deal.

Regards

Sad Gills Fan

BernadetteN · 21 November 2007 at 11:34AM

jinkssick wrote: »

Sorry just to illiterate its:

2 for 1 £58 booking using voucher from Bluewater. Then totally free travel from participating station all the way to Ebbsfleet International there and back on the southeastern train and then fast track bus. Thats incredible.

How stupid sorry MSE Jenny, im a dufus, didnt see it just thought I spotted something original. But thats makes this a hella of a bargain with travel there and back sorted.

Yes that's a great price. However, for the half million or so people living in East Kent who have had their direct Ashford to Brussels service deleted from the timetable and repaced with only one indirect service per day via Lille (which Eurostar's website refuses to sell tickets for and yes I've informed Eurostar that this indirect service will not show on their online booking system), the alternative FREE train journey to Gravesend, then FREE shuttle bus to Ebbsfleet means a total journey time now from Ashford to Brussels via Ebbsfleet now takes around 4 hours, instead of the previous 2 hours before the new timtetable. So much for the new quicker high speed service, it has now become a nightmare journey for those people who previously travelled from Ashford to Brussels.

Laura_Biding · 21 November 2007 at 1:11PM

I don't know whether this is still in effect but up until recently if you travelled to Brussels via Eurostar, your ticket also gave you free rail journeys anywhere on the Belgian network.

Rylo_2 · 21 November 2007 at 2:27PM

alanrowell wrote: »

Try pretending NOT to be British when using the Eurostar website.

By clearing the Eurostar cookies from your computer you can pretend to be any nationality and gain the benefit of cheaper fares than are available to UK folk.

Pretending to be American or Austrian seems to work best - at least the last time I checked, It's especially good for one way fares where UK folk only get the full price option

Also Americans & other non-Europeans can book up to 9 months in advance compared to 5 months for Europeans

Am wondering if I'm being a complete dunce here. I travel roughly every couple of months on the Eurostar so went in to check things out. Started off as a 'Yank' and cheapest price I could see (to Brussels) on the dates I looked was $77 each way, so a return for $154 (around £75) yet I usually book a couple of months in advance as a 'Brit' and pay £29.50 each way, £59 return. This is travelling after work on a Friday and returning Monday morning, so peak period. Tried as an 'Austrian' too but can see cheapest return at €88.50, around £62, which is still more expensive. Would appreciate if someone could let me know if they've seen better since would be great to save something. Am also a little peeved that they can book so far in advance too!

Eurostar 2 for 1 promotion

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