LONDON CONNECTIONS - London 2015 - page 732

under age 12, youths under age 26, seniors age 60 or older, adults booking months ahead
or traveling round-trip, and rail pass holders. The early bird gets the best price in each cat-
egory. If you're ready to commit, you can book tickets as early as 4-9 months in advance.
A tour company called BritainShrinkers sells one- or two-day tours to Paris, Brussels,
or Bruges, enabling you to side-trip to these cities from London for less than most train
tickets alone. For example, you'll pay £ 129 for a one-day Paris “tour” (unescorted Mon-
Sat day trip with Métro pass; tel. [phone], www.britainshrinkers.com ). This can be
a particularly good option if you need to get to Paris from London on short notice, when
only the costliest Eurostar fares are available.
Buying Eurostar Tickets
Because only the most expensive (full-fare, non-discounted) tickets are fully refundable,
don't reserve until you're sure of your plans. But if you wait too long, the cheapest tickets
will get bought up.
Once you're confident about the time and date of your crossing, you can check and
book fares by phone or online. Ordering online offers a print-at-home eticket option
(see www.ricksteves.com/eurostar or www.eurostar.com ) . You can also order by phone
through Rail Europe at US tel. [phone], or through Eurostar (tel. [phone],
priced in euros). In Britain, tickets can be issued only at the Eurostar office in St. Pancras
International Station. In continental Europe, you can buy your Eurostar ticket at any major
train station in any country or at any travel agency that handles train tickets (expect a
booking fee). You can purchase passholder discount tickets at Eurostar departure stations,
through US agents, or by phone with Eurostar, but they may be harder to get at other train
stations and travel agencies, and are a discount category that can sell out.