Eurostar has announced that it is dropping its direct Summer service to Lyon, Avignon and Marseille.
What was more surprising is that, as well as cancelling all trips for 2020, it has also wiped the schedule for Summer 2021.
It’s obviously not the end of the world if you had planned to visit any of these cities by train. TGV connections are available in both Lille and Paris, albeit with additional travel time required, and your connection is protected if you book a through-ticket from the Eurostar website.
Existing ticket holders can be rebooked, for free, onto a TGV connection for no additional fare. You will need to pay any fare difference if you want to change your travel date during rebooking, however. Refunds and Eurostar vouchers are also available.
You can find out more on the Eurostar travel agents website here.
How to earn Club Eurostar points via UK credit cards
As a reminder, Club Eurostar does not have its own UK credit card. However, you can earn Club Eurostar points by converting Membership Rewards points earned from selected UK American Express cards. These are:
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold – 10,000 Membership Rewards points sign-up bonus
The Platinum Card from American Express – 30,000 Membership Rewards points sign-up bonus
American Express Rewards credit card – 5,000 Membership Rewards points sign-up bonus
Membership Rewards points convert at 15:1 into Club Eurostar points. The cards above all earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent on your card, so you earn the equivalent of 1 Club Eurostar point for every £15 you spend.
American Express Platinum also comes with a great Eurostar benefit – lounge access! You can enter any Eurostar lounge, irrespective of your ticket type, simply by showing The Platinum Card at the desk. No guests are allowed but you can get entry for your partner by issuing them with a FREE supplementary Amex Platinum card on your account.