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Booking Eurostar seat reservations with a compensation voucher

  • February 23, 2026
  • 4 replies
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P
Full steam ahead
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I asked the following question of AI.  However I thought it would be wise to get some human input before proceeding!

Basically my wife and I traveled from Lille to St Pancras in January on Eurostar and were subject to a   delay which meant we were able to claim e-vouchers by way of compensation.   

I shall shortly be purchasing Interrail passes for the two of us for travel in September, with the first leg being on Eurostar from London to Paris.  So my question is - can I use our e-vouchers to part pay for our seat reservations?

The answer I got back from AI was - yes.  However this could only be done through Eurostar itself and over the phone.   It also advised that normally there would be a £12 booking fee.  However since there was no other way of making this booking that I should request that this booking fee be waived.   

Would you agree with this?  Anything else that you think I should take into account before moving forward on this?

 

Thanks in anticipation.

Peter

Best answer by ralderton

Depending on the circumstances of your delay, you should’ve been offered the choice between cash, and a voucher (usually a higher amount than the cash offer). So if you were entitled to cash and weren’t offered it, there’s a case for going back to Eurostar and asking them to swap it, although that will be difficult.

There’s no harm asking Eurostar to waive the phone booking fee, but I see no reason why they should. There’s no promise that you should be able to use a voucher to buy a reservation.

It depends on the agent I guess. If you don’t like the first answer, hang up and call again. 

4 replies

ralderton
Railmaster
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  • ralderton
  • Railmaster
  • Answer
  • February 23, 2026

Depending on the circumstances of your delay, you should’ve been offered the choice between cash, and a voucher (usually a higher amount than the cash offer). So if you were entitled to cash and weren’t offered it, there’s a case for going back to Eurostar and asking them to swap it, although that will be difficult.

There’s no harm asking Eurostar to waive the phone booking fee, but I see no reason why they should. There’s no promise that you should be able to use a voucher to buy a reservation.

It depends on the agent I guess. If you don’t like the first answer, hang up and call again. 

R
Railmaster
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  • rvdborgt
  • Railmaster
  • February 23, 2026

I recently read a report from someone who booked by phone, using a voucher, without having to pay a booking fee.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
P
Full steam ahead
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  • petershotts
  • Author
  • Full steam ahead
  • March 27, 2026

Well that was not great!  

I just telephoned Eurostar and was told that it is not possible to use vouchers for reservations using Interrail passes.  He read out to me the guidance which specifically said that Interrail pass reservations were excluded.

 

Peter

R
Railmaster
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  • rvdborgt
  • Railmaster
  • March 27, 2026

Well that was not great!  

I just telephoned Eurostar and was told that it is not possible to use vouchers for reservations using Interrail passes.  He read out to me the guidance which specifically said that Interrail pass reservations were excluded.

Only published terms and conditions are valid. Unpublished "guidance” isn't.

In their conditions of carriage, Eurostar say, for travel from/to London:

The Eurostar e-vouchers offered under this clause can be used for payment towards future bookings with Eurostar International Limited on Eurostar London Routes services and/or Eurostar Continental Routes services and are subject to Eurostar International Limited’s e-voucher terms and conditions.

For their continental trains, they don't mention how you can use vouchers (or I missed that).

I can't find the "Eurostar International Limited’s e-voucher terms and conditions”, so do ask Eurostar where they have published them. I do find this page, which only mentions online booking as a way to redeem vouchers. But since it's just an answer to a FAQ, you can't expect it to be complete.

In short, I haven't found anything that limits the use of Eurostar vouchers.

I'd just call them and try again, and if they come up with this guidance again, then ask where it has been published.

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
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