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'Little known' Eurostar website MSE says sells up to half price tickets

Changing just four letters of the link could save you up to 50%

[Rear view of passenger male with backpack entering the large door of the Eurostar train in St Parnas train station with estination Paris France]

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People will be told two days before their trip what tickets they have been assigned(Image: AdrianHancu via Getty Images)

Travellers could enjoy a city break to Paris, Amsterdam or Brussels for less by booking their journey in a particular way. Using a 'little-known' version of the Eurostar website could slash ticket prices by up to half, though there's one significant catch.

Explaining how this discounted ticketing system works, a member of Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert (MSE) team said: "These four letters could get you 50% off Eurostar tickets. If you just book on the regular Eurostar website, it can cost you hundreds for a return trip.

"But if you know the date you want to travel on, and you have a bit of flexibility, typing SNAP into the URL can save you a decent buck." By swapping the usual 'www' at the beginning of the web address with 'snap', customers are directed to a similar-looking site offering reduced fares on last-minute journeys.

The MSE team member explained these tickets can be purchased "up to two weeks in advance" and can be "much cheaper" than selecting a specific departure time from the station. They highlighted tickets from London to Paris available for 50.

The only downside is that you'll have minimal control over your actual departure time, with just two options available. Passengers can opt for a slot covering trains leaving between 6am and 1pm or 1pm and 8pm, reports the Express.

The team member said: "You choose a day and select [the] earlier or later slot. At least 48 hours before your train, Eurostar will confirm your exact time."

These discounted tickets are "non-refundable and non-exchangeable", so it's crucial to be aware and accept that seats could be allocated on a very early departure or one of the last trains out. The MSE member said their choice saved roughly 80 compared to the standard booking method.

They added: "The savings can be pretty big, but it's a bit of a 'no risk, no reward' travel hack, as you won't be able to get your money back once you've booked!" The Eurostar Snap deals cover journeys departing from London to Paris and Lille in France, Amsterdam or Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Brussels in Belgium.

The service limits purchases to a maximum of four adult tickets at a time. Children are unable to be booked onto these 'Snap' deals as Eurostar cannot guarantee that all members of your party will be seated together, with "last-minute tickets are for passengers aged 16+ only", according to Eurostar.

[FRANCE-BRITAIN-TRAIN-TRANSPORT-EUROTUNNEL]

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The Eurostar has train services from London to France, Belgium and the Netherlands(Image: Getty)

Eurostar did confirm: "Infants under four years old can travel for free on an adult's lap. A maximum of one infant per adult can travel."

Passengers can book as many times as they like. They can travel both ways between:

• Paris and Brussels
• Paris and Amsterdam
• Paris and Rotterdam
• Paris and Cologne
• London and Brussels
• London and Paris
• London and Lille
• London and Amsterdam
• London and Rotterdam

On the Eurostar Snap website, it said: "Get ready to embrace that 'pack your bags, we're off' feeling. With Snap, you can book a spur-of-the-moment trip to one of Europe's most exciting cities and still enjoy the same great experience on board. You pick your travel dates and time slot, we pick your train times, and you get up to 50% off the price of your tickets. Sometimes it pays to be spontaneous.

"If you can be flexible with your travel times, this is the deal for you. Invite up to three friends or travel buddies and enjoy the same comfort and style you've come to expect from a Eurostar trip with the added bonus of a lower fare. Just so you know, we can't guarantee that you'll all be seated together."

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