Eurostar reports bumper half-term

Eurostar, the high-speed passenger service between the UK and mainland Europe is reporting that it has carried 10% more passengers over this half-term school holiday, compared with the same holiday period last year.

Over 230,000 people from across the UK and Europe will travel on Eurostar over the course of the week for a late winter break. A combination of attractive prices, Valentine's Day and good ski conditions have made this a bumper half-term for Eurostar.

Nick Mercer, Commercial Director for Eurostar, said: "This has been one of our busiest February half-term weeks for several years. School holidays are always popular, but our service is particularly busy this year. With the perfect skiing conditions we are enjoying at the moment our direct ski services to the French Alps are virtually sold out next week.

"For families thinking about a last minute break we still have availability towards the end of the half-term week, with children under the age of four travelling for free. A short break can cost less than you think particularly when you take into account all the discounts you get on museums, galleries, restaurants and shopping with our Eurostar Plus scheme."

Eurostar Plus launched in 2010 to offer added value to Eurostar's leisure travellers. The Eurostar Plus collection includes Plus Shopping, Plus Culture and Eurostar Plus Gourmet, with more info on the latter available here: http://www.eurostarplus.co.uk/gourmet.

For more information, to book Eurostar tickets or purchase Eurostar gift vouchers visit www.eurostar.com or call 08432 186 186.

Eurostar Provence service tickets already on sale

Eurostar has announced that its popular direct summer services to Avignon were on sale earlier than usual,  from 20 December 2011. The early sale is to cope with traveller demand for its services to the popular Provence region of France.

Holidaymakers are advised to book early to avoid disappointment for the weekly direct services that will run from 7 July to 1 September 2012. With direct journey times of less than six hours from St Pancras International in London and Ashford International in Kent, the summer service is a favourite with travellers and tickets sell quickly each year.

Customers can take advantage of these Eurostar deals by boarding a Eurostar service in the UK, then travelling non-stop through the magnificent French countryside, directly to Avignon in the heart of Provence.

Nick Mercer, commercial director for Eurostar commented: "Our direct Avignon summer services grow in popularity each year, as people across the country see how easy and enjoyable it is to travel across Europe by high-speed rail.

"By opening sales to Avignon earlier than usual we are giving customers even more flexibility when planning their summer trip to Provence. Journeys with Eurostar avoid the summer scramble at the airports and increasingly, passengers see their journey as part of the holiday itself."

Direct Eurostar tickets are available in both Standard class Standard Premier. If direct services are full, Eurostar offers connecting services all year round that arrive into Avignon TGV station, which is located just outside the town centre.

Tickets for the Avignon direct summer service and for connecting services all year round are available from www.eurostar.com, by calling 08432 186 186, at Eurostar stations or from travel agents.

Eurostar reports solid third quarter in 2011

Eurostar, the high-speed passenger rail service between the UK and mainland Europe, has announced its results for the third quarter of 2011, having delivered a solid performance during the period with sales revenues up 7% (£197m in 2011 vs. £183m in 2010). Looking back across the year to date, total sales revenue figures have grown by 5% compared to the same period in 2010 (£617m in 2011 vs £588m in 2010).

The total number of passengers travelling on Eurostar services between January and September 2011, rose by 1% compared to the same period last year (7.3m in 2011 vs. 7.2m in 2010). Excluding the estimated impact of the ash cloud disruption in 2010, the underlying increase in passenger numbers for the year to date was 3%.

Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive, Eurostar, said: "We have delivered a solid performance during both the third quarter and the year as a whole although the tough trading environment across Europe demands a cautious watching brief. Since the beginning of the year we have seen growth in both our sales revenues and passenger numbers reinforcing our popularity with regular and new travellers alike."

In spite of an uncertain economic climate, Business Premier sales revenues grew 2% in Q3 2011 vs. Q3 2010. While this underlines the operator's positive performance during 2011, Eurostar remains cautious about the outlook moving forward in a challenging business environment.

The number of leisure travellers for the year to date grew by 2%. Research has shown that during previous economic downturns, leisure travellers have tended to protect their expenditure on short-haul leisure breaks, and this behaviour appears to have been borne out by Eurostar's experience.

This trend is reinforced by the strong growth in international passenger numbers, up 21% for the year to date and 15% for the third quarter compared with same periods in 2010. This increase has been evident throughout 2011 reflecting the continued favourability of the UK and Europe as a travel destination.

With London 2012 now less than a year away, Eurostar anticipates increased interest in the UK as a destination as the world's focus turns to the Games next year.

Eurostar has recently cemented its commitment to enhance the digital experience for travellers both before and during their trips. The recent launch of a free mobile application, which allows passengers to book journeys on-the-go and receive tickets direct to their mobile devices, is already proving popular with customers.

Eurostar is also introducing on board Wi-Fi connectivity and state-of-the-art infotainment for its fleet of high speed trains as part of its £700million investment programme.

Nicolas Petrovic said: "With our new mobile App it's easier than ever before for customers to access our services on the move. This is the first in a series of digital initiatives and is evidence of our continued commitment to upgrading the online experience for our customers."

For more information on the new Eurostar app and to find other Eurostar deals such as cheap Eurostar tickets, interested parties can visit www.eurostar.com or call 08432 186 186.

Eurostar app turns phone into a ticket to Europe

Eurostar has launched a free mobile application allowing passengers to book journeys on-the-go and receive tickets direct to their phones.

The Eurostar iPhone app, available for Android devices as well as iPhone, allows passengers to book and manage journeys between the UK and Paris, Brussels and Lille. Passengers who book journeys using the Eurostar App will immediately receive a mobile ticket with an electronic barcode on their device. The mobile ticket can then be simply scanned at check-in.

Members of Eurostar's Loyalty Programmes (Eurostar Frequent Traveller and Eurostar Plus Points) can also use the App to earn points when they book and to view their point balances at the touch of a screen. Other functions of the Eurostar mobile app include; live service updates to keep passengers informed of disruptions and a personal profile page, which provides an option to store address details and seating preferences.

In addition, to facilitating booking amendments at the touch of a screen, the Eurostar App's simple Express Exchange functionality offers Business Premier travellers the flexibility to change their journey details to fit around their busy schedules.

The free Eurostar App helps travellers;

- Make bookings for up to six travellers between Paris, Brussels, Lille and the UK on the go
- Check-in using mobile ticketing (NB: mobile tickets are not yet available for multiple bookings)
- Review booking(s) and journey details
- Amend booking using the Express Exchange functionality for Business Premier tickets
- Collect and review loyalty points on-the-go
- Access service updates and FAQs

Eurostar has also launched a mobile version of eurostar.com, to give its customers an enhanced online experience when using their mobile devices to access the website. The mobile website offers a simplified homepage, the ability to book and manage journeys as well as access to loyalty point balances and service updates.

Nick Mercer, Commercial Director for Eurostar commented: "Our aim is to make using our services as easy and seamless as possible. So with the majority of our customers now owning a smartphone, we are really pleased that we are able to provide a new suite of services that make booking and checking in even easier for them.

"The new Eurostar App and mobile website represent the start of many exciting mobile developments for Eurostar, which will help ensure we become the first choice operator of short haul travel from the UK to Europe."

The Eurostar App, which was created by Backelite, is available for free from the App Store on iPhone or the Android Market on Android devices.

For more information on the new Eurostar app and to find other Eurostar deals such as cheap Eurostar tickets, interested parties can visit www.eurostar.com or call 08432 186 186.

(EDITOR: Better hope your phone does not run out of battery power on your journey!)

Eurostar offers discounted trips to Disneyland Paris

Eurostar, the high-speed passenger service that links Britain and the continent, has announced it is offering an exclusive 30% discount on Standard Premier bookings to Disneyland Paris.

Those wishing to travel to Disneyland Paris can treat themselves to a more luxurious journey, simply by booking their trip via www.eurostar.com and using the promotion code MLVSPLON-30% for travel from St Pancras International and MLVSPASI-30% for travel from Ashford International.

With calm, spacious surroundings and on-board staff offering a light meal and a selection of magazines, Standard Premier is relaxing way to start a holiday.

Mary Walsh, Director of Communications for Eurostar said: "This special offer for travel in our Standard Premier class means that that passengers can treat themselves to extra comfort and service onboard for less, so there should be a little extra money in the budget to splash out on all the Disney magic."

Tickets for travel from London St Pancras International and Ashford International to Disneyland Paris start from £69 return in Standard and £159 return in Standard Premier and can be booked up to 4 months in advance. Eurostar also offers customers Disneyland Paris packages.

For more information, to book Eurostar tickets or purchase Eurostar gift vouchers and to find other Eurostar deals such as cheap Eurostar tickets visit www.eurostar.com or call 08432 186 186.