Interail Pass - Can I get one quick 'on-line'

[Grumpy Git]

As title, is it possible to receive a 'virtual' Interail Pass on-line as I need to travel on Monday (14th Sept) and can't risk it not arriving?

The cost of the St Pancras - Brussels Eurostar return is about the same as the Interail ticket and I need to get from Lime St to Euston and back on top (for an 11 am departure from St Pancras on Monday)




Can anyone also please advise if catering has been reinstated on Eurostar since this Monday gone (7th Sept) as advertised?

 

[Mainline421]

As title, is it possible to receive a 'virtual' Interail Pass on-line as I need to travel on Monday (14th Sept) and can't risk it not arriving?

The cost of the St Pancras - Brussels Eurostar return is about the same as the Interail ticket and I need to get from Lime St to Euston and back on top (for an 11 am departure from St Pancras on Monday)




Can anyone also please advise if catering has been reinstated on Eurostar since this Monday gone (7th Sept) as advertised?

It will need to be posted but it would 100% safe to order one from myinterrail.co.uk (Ran by RDG/National Rail) They dispatch from the UK and even offer Royal Mail - Special Delivery guranteed by 13:00 next day for £10. For anyone who finds this thread in future you can of course purchase an Interrail ticket from ticket offices in most countries (Inluding Brussels Midi) for same day use. There's also a ≈£20 seat reservation fee on Eurostar as you probably know. Oh and yes catering is back https://twitter.com/EurostarJustinp/status/1302928843855089664

 

[plugwash]

Also be aware that Eurostar may have reservations available for normal tickets, but not for interrail users on a given train. I ended up changing at Lille because of this when I used one (it seemed there were reservations available on the brussels trains but not the paris ones)

 

[Grumpy Git]

Thanks, one further question, does the One County Pass (I'm going to Belgium), still cover the journey from and to my home city in the UK, (I understand I need to pay for a reservation on Eurostar)?

Edit: I can't find the option to make only a seat reservation on the Eurostar website (and I have done this previously pre-Covid)?

 

[biko]

Thanks, one further question, does the One County Pass (I'm going to Belgium), still cover the journey from and to my home city in the UK, (I understand I need to pay for a reservation on Eurostar)?

Edit: I can't find the option to make only a seat reservation on the Eurostar website (and I have done this previously pre-Covid)?

No, a One Country Pass only includes one country, although the Belgium one is an exception as it is for the whole Benelux. The pass is only valid in the country you chose. A global pass is valid in all countries, except your country of residence, but one outward and one inward journey are permitted.

Reaction to the edit: It should be possible through the Interrail website. I made the seat reservation through the website of the Belgian railways before here. They did not charge a booking fee, while Interrail did, but that might have changed

 

[Grumpy Git]

No, a One Country Pass only includes one country, although the Belgium one is an exception as it is for the whole Benelux. The pass is only valid in the country you chose. A global pass is valid in all countries, except your country of residence, but one outward and one inward journey is permitted.

OK thanks, so how can I ENSURE I can use the Eurostar 11.04 to Brussels on 14.09.20, (i.e. a seat only reservation is possible), BEFORE I commit to the Interail Pass?

 

[biko]

OK thanks, so how can I ENSURE I can use the Eurostar 11.04 to Brussels on 14.09.20, (i.e. a seat only reservation is possible), BEFORE I commit to the Interail Pass?

The site of the Belgian railways does not show any train on Monday, which suggests there is no allocation for pass holders both in 1st and 2nd class. On Sunday and Tuesday, there is some space, but on some trains only in first class.

 

[Mainline421]

https://www.b-europe.com/EN/Booking/Pass#Travel Weirdly they seem popular atm usually there's plenty available on day of travel and Eurostar at STP have looked deserted.

 

[Grumpy Git]

OK, so not possible to travel by Interail on Monday. The separate Avanti and Eurostar fares are an eyewatering £600+ return combined, so unfortunately for me it looks like a £100 Ryaniar return to Charleroi!!!

This is undoubtedly down to the fact that there are virtually no flights to Brussels atm, even the ones from LHR are few and far between.

Thanks for your help.

 

[skifans]

Could also consider ferry. It doesn't help in your situation this time but there is an interrail pass app, however, it can currently only be used for the Italy one country pass. I guess they might add more in future though: https://www.interrail.eu/en/interrail-passes/interrail-mobile-pass

 

[radamfi]

Maybe Flixbus? If London to Brussels is too expensive you can try London to Gent or Antwerp. Day and overnight journeys available.

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

The IR Pass Fare is quota-controlled and, as noted, there doesn't seem to be any availability on Monday to Bruxelles/Brussel. The train may be largely empty but the quota for IR is taken already. You could try risking that seats do become available (pre Covid, more availiability sometimes comes the day before travel), but otherwise FR to Charleroi is probably the way to go. Another option, if you get the IR pass in time, is to take the night boat from Harwich to the Hook which has pass fares (and quite cheap cabin accommodation). But you would need to have an IR Global Pass to use the Avanti/Anglia to get there.

 

[Alfonso]

London to Rotterdam on the 11.04 on Monday is currently £75. Any good?

 

[shredder1]

I`ve bought interrail on the day at tickets offices, not sure if that helps, the last one I bought was in Warsaw

 

[Grumpy Git]

London to Rotterdam on the 11.04 on Monday is currently £75. Any good?

So Eurostar have caught the British disease of charging MORE THAN double the price to leave the train at the half-way point (at Brussels @ £199) when the cost for the full journey to Amsterdam on the same train is only £75. Which educated idiots come up with these policies?

 

[Alfonso]

So Eurostar have caught the British disease of charging MORE THAN double the price to leave the train at the half-way point (at Brussels @ £199) when the cost for the full journey to Amsterdam on the same train is only £75. Which educated idiots come up with these policies?

I used to travel to Brussels for work quite a bit, and was less, er, price sensitive, when work needed me there than if I was travelling for leisure. In those days I could use BMI regional or Flybe if Eurostar was scalping but as you say at the moment there's not much choice bar KLM to Schiphol then train or Ryanair to Charleroi. Eurostar has to compete against lots of cheap flights to Amsterdam with a 4 hour journey but few flights to Brussels with a 2 hour journey.

 

[Grumpy Git]

It appears that there is a zero Interail quota on Eurostar on any Monday!

What a stupid decision when the trains are apparently running "almost empty" according to reports?

 

[30907]

So Eurostar have caught the British disease of charging MORE THAN double the price to leave the train at the half-way point (at Brussels @ £199) when the cost for the full journey to Amsterdam on the same train is only £75. Which educated idiots come up with these policies?

Market forces, dear boy - as someone didn't say. As there are no exit controls at Brussels, and nothing to prevent you finishing short, I might be tempted.

Alternatively, so long as you don't mind 2nd class (!), and extra changes, you can travel to Lille on the 11.04 and forward by normal trains.

 

[jamesontheroad]

A global pass is valid in all countries, except your country of residence, but one outward and one inward journey are permitted.

Is it country of residence, or nationality?

I live in Sweden but hold UK and Irish citizenship. When I used a Global InterRail Pass for the first time last year, it seemed that there was nothing stopping me taking more journeys within Sweden. Once the pass had been purchased, the passport was the only thing validating my journeys.

 

[Alfonso]

Is it country of residence, or nationality?

I live in Sweden but hold UK and Irish citizenship. When I used a Global InterRail Pass for the first time last year, it seemed that there was nothing stopping me taking more journeys within Sweden. Once the pass had been purchased, the passport was the only thing validating my journeys.

It's supposed to be residence, not nationality

 

[biko]

Is it country of residence, or nationality?

I live in Sweden but hold UK and Irish citizenship. When I used a Global InterRail Pass for the first time last year, it seemed that there was nothing stopping me taking more journeys within Sweden. Once the pass had been purchased, the passport was the only thing validating my journeys.

It's supposed to be residence, not nationality

Yes, I double checked and it is the country of residence that counts, see https://www.interrail.eu/en/interrail-passes/what-is-interrail/travel-your-own-country

 

[Grumpy Git]

I'm flying out now but will be returning on the 14:52 Brussels-St.Pancras Eurostar next Friday afternoon.

Is there any way to book a through ticket all the way to Liverpool Lime Street as the Eurostar UK website does not allow this currently (Seat 61 has a note about this non-functionality)?

Is it possible to do this at the Eurostar booking office at St. Pancras station as will be near to there later today?

 

[skifans]

I'm flying out now but will be returning on the 14:52 Brussels-St.Pancras Eurostar next Friday afternoon.

Is there any way to book a through ticket all the way to Liverpool Lime Street as the Eurostar UK website does not allow this currently (Seat 61 has a note about this non-functionality)?

Is it possible to do this at the Eurostar booking office at St. Pancras station as will be near to there later today?

You can't get a through ticket anyone but if you have the Brussels to London Eurostar ticket you'll be able to buy a London to Liverpool civ ticket from St Pancras ticket office, which is usually cheaper then standard tickets and gives additional protections in the event the Eurostar is ruining late.

 

[Grumpy Git]

You can't get a through ticket anyone but if you have the Brussels to London Eurostar ticket you'll be able to buy a London to Liverpool civ ticket from St Pancras ticket office, which is usually cheaper then standard tickets and gives additional protections in the event the Eurostar is ruining late.

Thanks.

So I guess I can buy both this afternoon at the same ticket office at St. Pancras?

 

[skifans]

Thanks.

So I guess I can buy both this afternoon at the same ticket office at St. Pancras?

I believe the Eurostar ticket offices (https://help.eurostar.com/faq/uk-en...-Eurostar-ticket-offices-at-the-stations-open) are all still closed due to covid, and even before they closed there was a £10 fee for using them. I'm not certain but I don't think the UK domestic ticket office at St Pancras will be able to sell a Eurostar ticket. I think you'd therefore need to buy the Eurostar ticket online - you can get a pdf file to print or show in your phone. You'll then need to show the Eurostar ticket to the UK domestic ticket office, and be explicit that you want a civ ticket from London International (or at least, to check if that's cheaper then other options).

 

[AlbertBeale]

I believe the Eurostar ticket offices (https://help.eurostar.com/faq/uk-en...-Eurostar-ticket-offices-at-the-stations-open) are all still closed due to covid, and even before they closed there was a £10 fee for using them. I'm not certain but I don't think the UK domestic ticket office at St Pancras will be able to sell a Eurostar ticket. I think you'd therefore need to buy the Eurostar ticket online - you can get a pdf file to print or show in your phone. You'll then need to show the Eurostar ticket to the UK domestic ticket office, and be explicit that you want a civ ticket from London International (or at least, to check if that's cheaper then other options).

Re the Eurostar ticket office - not only have they never wanted to sell tickets to other than their own choice of a limited range of destinations on the European mainland (which always seemed bonkers in terms of encouraging international rail travel) but now (as pointed out here) they even discourage you from buying their own tickets from their own ticket office, by charging a premium. I understand that anyone trying to buy there who says they have some reason why they have difficulties with on-screen things will be allowed to buy them without the added £10; though they don't advertise that fact.

 

[Grumpy Git]

Went to the ticket office at Euston this afternoon.

The teller said because Friday is all off-peak, it's no cheaper with a CIV fare to Liverpool, so £64.40 or maybe less if there are any special fares still available?

I'll take my chance and buy it on-line when I'm approaching St Pancras.

I got a £53 fare today for the 17.07 only 30 minutes before departure.

 

[skifans]

Went to the ticket office at Euston this afternoon.

The teller said because Friday is all off-peak, it's no cheaper with a CIV fare to Liverpool, so £64.40 or maybe less if there are any special fares still available?

I'll take my chance and buy it on-line when I'm approaching St Pancras.

I got a £53 fare today for the 17.07 only 30 minutes before departure.

Just checked and that could well be the case if there aren't any of the cheaper advances left, which might well be the case. Best of luck for your journey.

 

[30907]

Went to the ticket office at Euston this afternoon.

The teller said because Friday is all off-peak, it's no cheaper with a CIV fare to Liverpool, so £64.40 or maybe less if there are any special fares still available?

I'll take my chance and buy it on-line when I'm approaching St Pancras.

I got a £53 fare today for the 17.07 only 30 minutes before departure.

Yes, now you can get walk-up standalone offpeak singles, things have changed.

 

[Grumpy Git]

The fare on my Eurostar train next Friday (18th) has dropped to £140.00 since I paid £169.50 for mine on Friday. Is there any way to re-book and get a refund on the original ticket?

Edit: no is the answer having read the T&C's, bugger!