Expert tips to save money on UK-France train travel – and what to do if you’re delayed
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Here’s how to plan a multi-train, cross-Channel trip – including on Eurostar – without being out of pocket (or losing your mind). I always dreaded this moment. Arriving at the station for the first leg of a cross-Channel train journey, involving three trains, to find the first train has been delayed.
First there’s false hope. Maybe if I sprint through Paris Metro I’ll make it to Gare du Nord before the Eurostar check-in closes? Even false hope quickly evaporated as my already delayed train ground to a halt in the midst of the French countryside, to be overtaken by a cow. I scanned the Eurostar app for later trains, all over £200 one-way.
When I moved to France in 2021, I made the decision that I wouldn’t fly between France and the UK. So as not to bankrupt myself, I’ve picked up plenty of tricks. Read more: The six Paris districts you should know, from cobbled streets to edgy clubs.
I put it to the test to see if it worked in practice. The guard on board my delayed Lyon-Paris train was confused and told me I didn’t need a signed document, but I persisted and was directed to the SNCF office at Paris Gare de Lyon. Cue more confusion, and more persistence on my part — it seemed customers rarely took advantage of the gentlemen’s agreement. Nonetheless, a few minutes later I was in possession of a scrap of paper, stamped by the SNCF. I presented it to the Eurostar ticketing staff, who in the space of under five minutes had swapped it for a brand new ticket on the next train heading to London, free of charge. Easy.
