Originally Posted by
Novachord
Does anyone know if it still possible to do this -- to get off at Lille with a London -> Brussels eurostar ticket? The ticket t&cs don't make this clear, so I asked the Eurostar helpdesk and they say it's not allowed. They said you are not allowed to get off in a different country (France v Belgium). So I am wondering if this is just a formal rule or if someone is going to be checking tickets and issue a fine.
As already mentioned in this thread, from an immigration perspective the only thing that you must do on Eurostar is go through the Channel Tunnel, or if your ticket does not include travel through the Channel Tunnel then you must not go through it.
If you ask them, yes they will say you can't get off at a different stop, but you can.
What would be the basis for a fine, who would be trying to levy a fine and where? At the very most, if Eurostar could demonstrate that Lille tickets were more expensive than Brussels tickets at the time you purchased it, and it was made very clear during the purchase process that you must take the full booked journey (which it isn't), they could invoice you for the extra fare.
Nobody has ever checked my ticket on a Eurostar train, except at the entry point to the station. And this check has only ever been that a ticket has been purchased. Nobody has ever checked the name on my Eurostar tickets. Immigration authorities are not concerned about whether I have a ticket, only that I am allowed to go where I am going.