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Eurostar have changed the departure time for my train - can I get a refund for my connections?

  • September 8, 2022
  • 5 replies
  • 1138 views
B

In just over a week I’ll travelling from London to Milan via Paris and Zurich. Eurostar have just emailed me saying that the train I will be taking from London to Paris will depart an hour later due to strikes. This means that I won’t make the connections that I have reserved. 

With my new arrival time at the Gare du Nord the quickest way to get to Milan no longer takes me via Zurich so I’d like to get refunds for my connecting trains and reserve some different trains. Is that possible and how do I go about it?

 

Thanks in advance.

Best answer by rvdborgt

@Claudi. A few corrections are needed:

Eurostar reservations are quite strictly non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

Eurostar reservations can be changed for a fee of 15€ via the Eurostar website, using "Manage Booking”.

You can contact our customer service team to request an exceptional refund on your behalf, but based on experience this will likely be declined due to the fact that they did provide an alternative.

EU legislation sees this differently, see Regulation 1371/2007, article 16. When a delay of at least 60 minutes at your final destination is expected, you have 3 options, one of which is a full refund.

I am unsure which trains you booked to get from Paris to Milan, but most French trains are at least 60% refundable provided that a reservation is canceled at least two days prior to departure. You can cancel a reservation by clicking on the trash bin next to the relevant reservation in your overview. Reservations on Italian trains are non-refundable but they are exchangeable. You can request a change of departure either locally at the station, or by contacting Trenitalia's customer service. More info here. 

It's usually not a good idea to cancel yourself when the timetable changes after you booked, because then you give up your rights under the EU regulation (see above).

Therefore, please unmark your comment as the "best answer”.

5 replies

A
Full steam ahead
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  • Al_G
  • Full steam ahead
  • September 8, 2022

I would suggest not doing anything for now.

 

All the planned rail strikes in UK have been cancelled due to the Queen’s death so your train may well run as planned. If it is delayed due to other action elsewhere than that is a different matter.

B
C
Full steam ahead
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I’d contact whoever made the reservations for you from Paris to Milan. They ought to be able to cancel the original ones and rebook you as the problem is not of your making. Good luck

 

 

 

 

C
Full steam ahead
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I didn’t know the strikes are cancelled. As suggested do nothing if this is the case

C
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  • Claudi.Community Manager
  • Community Manager
  • September 10, 2022

Eurostar reservations are quite strictly non-refundable and non-exchangeable. You can contact our customer service team to request an exceptional refund on your behalf, but based on experience this will likely be declined due to the fact that they did provide an alternative. I am unsure which trains you booked to get from Paris to Milan, but most French trains are at least 60% refundable provided that a reservation is canceled at least two days prior to departure. You can cancel a reservation by clicking on the trash bin next to the relevant reservation in your overview. Reservations on Italian trains are non-refundable but they are exchangeable. You can request a change of departure either locally at the station, or by contacting Trenitalia's customer service. More info here. 

R
Railmaster
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  • rvdborgt
  • Railmaster
  • Answer
  • September 10, 2022

@Claudi. A few corrections are needed:

Eurostar reservations are quite strictly non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

Eurostar reservations can be changed for a fee of 15€ via the Eurostar website, using "Manage Booking”.

You can contact our customer service team to request an exceptional refund on your behalf, but based on experience this will likely be declined due to the fact that they did provide an alternative.

EU legislation sees this differently, see Regulation 1371/2007, article 16. When a delay of at least 60 minutes at your final destination is expected, you have 3 options, one of which is a full refund.

I am unsure which trains you booked to get from Paris to Milan, but most French trains are at least 60% refundable provided that a reservation is canceled at least two days prior to departure. You can cancel a reservation by clicking on the trash bin next to the relevant reservation in your overview. Reservations on Italian trains are non-refundable but they are exchangeable. You can request a change of departure either locally at the station, or by contacting Trenitalia's customer service. More info here. 

It's usually not a good idea to cancel yourself when the timetable changes after you booked, because then you give up your rights under the EU regulation (see above).

Therefore, please unmark your comment as the "best answer”.

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.
A
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