Skip to main content

 

I am travelling on a global pass one month first class fare between England (origin) France and Spain. 

I am travelling home from south of Barcelona to Newcastle, UK. I am travelling with an assistance dog which make things a little more complicated. I travelled from Barcelona Sants to Latour du Carol on the 14.30 train on Friday 21st April. I had also booked onwards travel to Paris on the night train from Latour du Carol (Pyrénées) to Paris, Fri 21st April, dep. 18.49 arriving 22nd April 06.33. My Eurostar was booked for Paris-London on Sat 22nd at 09.13. 

At 18.00 SNCF cancelled the night train and I was stranded in Latour du Carol. The staff at Latour were inexperienced and unhelpful and told me to head back to the next town (Puigcerda, 4 mins away by train, but in Spain) and stay the night, getting the train in the morning back to Latour de Carol. This was a bad idea as I arrived in puigcerda and there were no trains in the morning and no one to help. I got a cab back to Latour (€40), found the only hotel I could who'd take a dog (€108), got a lift to the station in the morning and am now on a very convoluted, long journey to Paris, via Toulouse and Bordeaux. I arrive in Paris at 8.pm to Montparnasse. The last Eurostar leaves form Gare du Nord at 8.13 and with an assistance dog, I cannot get a Eurostar train to London from Paris later than 18.30 as they need someone in London to check the dog's pet passport etc. So. It looks like I'll be stranded in Paris tonight. SNCF have told me that as I didn't book the Eurostar in the same ticket or the same time as my SNCF ticket they are not obliged to put me up in Paris, nor cover any onward travel.

 

There are no Interail pass fares left on Eurostar trains from Paris to London until Monday. The Eurostar office is closed over the wknd so I cannot ask anyone by phone. The TGV train I'm now on, from Bordeaux to Paris now gets in too late (35 mins late arriving at 8.pm to Montparnasse) to find anyone from Eurostar in person at gare du Nord (last train leaves at 20.13pm).

I need to get back to London tomorrow (which will already be a day late) Does anyone know: 

a) whether SNCF are obliged to put me up in Paris tonight and

b) what is the status of my Eurostar ticket (originally 9.13 today, missed due to French strikes and cancellations).

Are Eurostar obliged to put me, and my assistance dog on the next train (Sunday morning). There are spaces but not pass fares..

 

Thank you SO much for anyone who might be able to advise on what to do, or what my rights are. 

Cheers 🐾

Thank you for your support, I will do. I'm still processing the shockingly rude, slippery tactics by SNCF who showed zero concern for the wellbeing of a stranded customer, sending me back and forth across Paris between Gare du Nord and Montparnasse and back again on the promise of a hotel for the night that they had no intention of providing, instead shouting at me and telling me to leave. How do these people keep their jobs??? That, combined with the punitive refusal of Eurostar's baby-faced, imbecilic managers at gare du Nord to allow me to board a train, due to a pet worming cert that's 1 hour out of date....what a circus 🎪🤡...and an expensive one!! 💰💰💰

All the legislation references are great, and will come in useful...thanks again all, so glad to me home!! 🏠 ❤️🐾

Similar related question re Eurostar connections.

I am travelling early morning from Amiens to Paris and on to London. 

If I plan to take a TER train from Amiens to Paris with a 68 minute connection am I covered if this train is delayed or cancelled? The next train after this will miss my booked Eurostar.

It seems this should be covered but appreciate a check on this re both the ter train and the connection time.

You're not covered by AJC or similar agreements. However Eurostar staff is generally helpful and let you board the next train after a little talk.

Honestly it's probably faster to travel via Lille. You also avoid rush hour into Paris. The security/check-in experience is also less stressful there. :)

If you really mean early morning something like:

- TER Amiens - Lille-Flandres 05:50 - 07:07

- have breakfast, walk a little

- Eurostar Lille-Europe - London St. Pancras 08:35 - 08:57

Hello @justin1123 

You could also exchange your reservation before the departure, but you must pay a fee (usually 20 €). I suggest to install the Eurostar app and load your reservations to manage them on your smartphone.

Hello @justin1123 

You could also exchange your reservation before the , but you must pay a fee (usually 20 €). I suggest to install the Eurostar app and load your reservations to manage them on your smartphone.

 

You're not covered by AJC or similar agreements. However Eurostar staff is generally helpful and let you board the next train after a little talk.

Honestly it's probably faster to travel via Lille. You also avoid rush hour into Paris. The security/check-in experience is also less stressful there. :)

If you really mean early morning something like:

- TER Amiens - Lille-Flandres 05:50 - 07:07

- have breakfast, walk a little

- Eurostar Lille-Europe - London St. Pancras 08:35 - 08:57

Thanks for that. I will check out Lille. Connections are not as frequent, but I agree, overall it will be faster and likely smoother!

Not sure why though a missed connection would not be covered if it happened. The EU directive suggest any through ticket (eurail?) must be covered. 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for that. I will check out Lille. Connections are not as frequent, but I agree, overall it will be faster and likely smoother!

Not sure why though a missed connection would not be covered if it happened. The EU directive suggest any through ticket (eurail?) must be covered. 

 

I'm not an expert on this but:

When there's a mandatory reservation involved Interrail doesn't count as a through ticket. Then it's up to railway companies agreements (AJC) to help you or not. They're not legally required to do anything.

For example 2 high-speed trains (say TGV followed by Eurostar) would be covered by the Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC) but not TER + Eurostar.

Fortunately Eurostar has some of the most helpful staff out there.

Obviously companies lobbied hard to reduce the European law power...

Eurostar is not a participant of the AJC:

https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/internet/sbb/downloads/en/support/erstattungen/AJC.pdf.sbbdownload.pdf

But Eurostar is member of the Railteam who offers HOTNAT (Hop on the next available train):

https://www.railteam.eu/en/services-on-your-journey/hop-on-the-next-available-train-hotnat

Reply


Terms and Conditions & Privacy PolicyCookie settings