Eurostar - Change of Name on Tickets?

Firemunchkin

Hi all - my husband and I booked Eurostar tickets when they were on sale a few months ago with the intention of going away for our wedding anniversary.

Unfortunately (or not, depending on how you look at it!) the only other holiday we can get this year (with the way both of our employers have done things) is one week later.

So we'd have a long weekend away followed by a weeks' holiday the following week. It's a pretty costly month, both time and money.

So we were thinking of giving the tickets to my dad as a birthday gift, but from the Eurostar website it seems this isn't possible. They're standard tickets.

Has anyone successfully changed the name on Eurostar tickets before? If so, how?

Many thanks in advance for everyone's help.

peachyprice

Here's the thing. Eurostar don't actually check the name on the ticket against the passport the two checks are completely separate.

Myself and a fair few others here have travelled using tickets in other people's names, whether you'd want to risk that if you were giving them to your dad as a birthday present though is something else entirely.

Firemunchkin

Seriously?! Is it risky at all?

peachyprice

You use the ticket to get through the gate, just the same as any other station. Then you show your passport to passport control (French police). The two are not matched. Crazy isn't it.

I've travelled on a ticket in my son's name and my mum has travelled on a ticket in my husband's name. Never intentionally, but like you they couldn't travel and we didn't want to waste the tickets.

If you google 'eurostar wrong name' you'll find lots of other people saying the same.

Obviously it's up to you, but you might want to warn your dad that it isn't strictly kosher!

Firemunchkin

Thank you, this is really helpful!!! I knew this forum would be the best place to start!!

Firemunchkin

Sorry to keep asking about this - I do really appreciate your feedback.

My husband's colleague travels on Eurostar a lot, and she says they do check her ticket against her passport. Whilst there's a lot of forums online which give the impression it doesn't happen very often, and so there is minimal risk in getting caught with a ticket which doesn't have your name, I'm kind of risk-averse so trying to gauge opinion on this.

Has anyone travelled on Eurostar recently? What was your experience?