Save Up to 50% Off Eurostar Trains with This Last-minute and Flexible Booking Option

Rail company Eurostar is making it easier to travel around Europe spontaneously by offering up to 50 percent off last-minute and flexible tickets.

The discounted tickets are part of the company’s “Snap” program, which travelers can book online ahead of travel, but don’t include a specific train time. The time is then confirmed 48 hours before the scheduled departure. 

“Snap has been a customer favourite, and we’re thrilled to bring it back year-round, offering a smart solution for travellers who can be flexible with their schedules,” François Le Doze, the chief commercial officer at Eurostar, said in a statement. “With Snap, Eurostar makes a simple yet compelling promise: travellers pick the date and destination, we select the time, and they can snap up to 50% off the price for remaining Eurostar seats. It’s a smart way to travel, ensuring no seat goes unused – a win for our customers, a win for Eurostar, and a win for the planet.”

To use the Snap feature, travelers must first go online and select a departure date and destination. Eurostar will then allocate train times for that date and confirm the details 48 hours before the scheduled departure. Travelers can book their date up to two weeks in advance for travel to and from London, and up to eight days in advance for other routes, according to the rail company.

Tickets purchased with the Snap program are not eligible for exchange, refunds, transfers, and cannot be canceled. Travelers also can’t reserve a specific seat, or book a Snap fare for children over 4 years old (kids under 4 can travel for free without a seat reservation).

Same-day return trips are not eligible to book with Snap.

Eurostar offers high-speed rail connections between the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands thanks to a fleet made up of dozens of trains. Travelers can venture everywhere from the French Alps to London through the famous Channel Tunnel.

Last month, the rail company became the first non-airline partner of the SkyTeam Alliance, which will eventually allow travelers to combine both long- and medium-haul flights with rail tickets under one reservation.