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[briantopp]

Hi,

I've booked a break for next March (Monday to Thursday) for my wife, our kids and me but been a massive wally and didn't see that based on the existing Eurostar timetable there is no direct return on a Thursday.

I now have a conundrum that I'm hoping you lovely and more experienced people will be able to help with. I'm commited to getting a direct train out on the Monday as I don't think the kids (4 & 2 years old) will cope with the wait at Lille so option 1 would be stick with the booking as it is and wait until 92(?) days before our return date to buy the direct ticket out and the return ticket via Lille. Alternatively I can pray that Eurostar put on a direct return on a Thursday!

The other option is to upgrade to an extra day and then aim to get the £69 returns on the day that Eurostar release them. Would this be the most sensible option and how good are my chances of getting the cheap tickets? I know that this would lead to extra costs for food etc but if I can get the Eurostar cheaper I'd probably be better off overall.

Finally, does anyone know if the extra I would have to pay for changing my booking would include the taxes and handling fees as without these the difference is only 30Euros but with them it's 56Euros? I also booked through the Irish site but live in England, I assume that I can only change my booking based on the Irish prices and by calling the number on my booking confirmation?

Thanks in advance for anyone who can help dig this numpty out of a hole! 

[stifle]

Eurostar sales open 4 months ahead, approximately. But there are no £69 fares. These have been abolished.

Any changes to your booking will mean you pay the difference between the price you booked at and the then current price of whatever package you want. If the offer you booked under has expired you cannot keep it if you change.

[littlebitofpixiedust]

They used to run a direct on a Thursday but havnt for some time we also used to visit sun-thurs but now usually travel back on a Wednesday, it won't hurt to call DLP and get ask fora quote to add a day onto booking I've amended my bookings on many occasions and it hasn't cost too much but they quote first and usually ask me to email a confirmation prior to them authorising the booking change.

I am interested stifle when did the £69 Eurostar seats become abolished? I rang them 2 days ago and they didn't tell me anything about this  Eurostar do have a habit of chopping and changing things lately. Am I right in thinking it is direct service on Mondays, Wednesday's, Fridays and Sunday's only now?
It does state on their website they run daily in school holidays.

[HildeKitten]

The cheap fares still exist, they're just not as common anymore.
Generally they are reserved for special actions etc.
It's the same in Belgium, you can still get the € 75 ticket, just not all the time.

Personally I would ring DLP and see how much it would cost to add an extra day, and inform about what the cheapest Eurostar tickets would cost. If you find that those prices are well within the boundaries of what you are willing to spend, by all means, go for it

If not, I'd just change in Lille. I understand about how it worries you with little kids, but Eurostar/Thalys stations are generally really nice and well equipped stations, so it won't be as bad as it seems now in all likelyhood.

I just have one tip: be at the stations in time! Like not 30 minutes before departure, but at least an hour. If there is a change in your itinerary you are very likely to catch it in time
By doing that back in 2008 I avoided ending up having to sleep in the train station (my train got changed because of floods, and the one I got on was the last one that day, if I hadn't been there an hour before departure and informed myself I would have been stuck). Also: if you have questions once in the station: do NOT hesitate to ask. Because when my train got changed nothing was announced and I only found out because I went and asked around and got told to get onto the earlier train.
Mind you that was the Thalys, not the Eurostar. From my experiences traveling from Brussels to London and back, I find that the Eurostar has MUCH better customer service!
But still, these are things to keep in mind anyway.

[stifle]

I understood that the minimum Eurostar return fare was now £72. If that isn't true I will be happy to be corrected.

[frostie]

There are definitely cheap fares out there.
I got Eurostar direct in August for £57.50 adult and £41 child London to Disney.
£34.50 adult and £25 child Disney to London.
Bargain!
I booked in February for August.

[briantopp]

Many thanks for all the advice. I think I'll hold off until the date that the Eurostar tickets are for sale is announced and then make some calls to see what is affordable.