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Join Which? TravelDiscount Eurostar Snap tickets: are they as good as everyone claims?
Everything you need to know before booking a cheap last-minute ticket with Eurostar in 2026
Eurostar’s Snap tickets can save you up to 50% on last-minute fares — but are there any downsides?
If you’re on the lookout for cheap Eurostar tickets, you may have heard of Eurostar Snap, its discounted booking service that sells cheaper last-minute tickets provided you’re willing to wait until 48 hours before travel to receive your exact train departure time.
You can book Eurostar Snap tickets anywhere from 14 days to 48 hours in advance of your journey in return for discounts as much as 50% off. The service has quickly become popular among travellers looking for cheaper ways to travel from London to the likes of Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels and Lille at short notice.
We’ll always recommend booking Eurostar fares in advance if you can. Doing so, particularly during one of Eurostar’s seasonal sales, is more often than not the cheapest way to travel with Eurostar. That’s because time and time again we’ve seen cheap fares, sometimes as low as £27 each way, during its flash sales.
But if you’re booking with Eurostar within a couple of weeks of your travel dates and happy to take a train flexibly at short notice, booking through Snap could offer the next best thing.
Read on to find out how to spot a Eurostar Snap deal that is really worthwhile, and how to make sure your last-minute trip goes smoothly.
How does Eurostar Snap work?
Booking a train with Eurostar Snap is similar to booking a standard Eurostar train.
- Head to snap.eurostar.com
- Select your destination, travel dates and number of travellers. You can use Snap to travel to Paris, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Lille and Brussels from London.
- Choose your preferred time slot for travel — these are usually from around 6am-1pm and 1pm-8pm on the outbound leg.
- Pay for your tickets. Within 48 hours of travel, Eurostar will get in touch via email to confirm the train times selected for you.
There are some drawbacks. Snap tickets are non-exchangeable, non-refundable, non-transferable, non-cancellable, and there’s no guarantee you’ll be seated with other travellers you’ve booked with. And you can’t use Club Eurostar (free membership) flexibility benefits, like hopping on the next train before or after the train you’ve booked.
There are some drawbacks. Snap tickets are non-exchangeable, non-refundable, non-transferable, and non-cancellable. Standard Eurostar tickets can be exchanged up to one hour before your original departure time, provided you pay the difference, or cancelled for a refund up to 7 days before departure, provided you pay the cancellation fee of £25 one-way or £50 for a return ticket.
How much do Eurostar Snap tickets cost?
Eurostar says Snap tickets can offer savings of up to 50%. But keep in mind that these discounts apply to last-minute fares, which are often pricier to begin with. So, the final cost of a Snap ticket could be more than booking a standard fare well in advance.
For example, when we checked the cost of tickets with Eurostar Snap from London to Paris departing on Friday 30 January and returning on Monday 2 February, the cost on Snap was £120, down from £320 when booking on the regular Eurostar site.
It’s an incredible saving for last-minute travellers, but booking in advance can be cheaper still. For example, if you were planning a long weekend from London to Paris during the May bank holiday, it’s currently possible to find plenty of one-way fares on Thursday 30 April for as low as £39, and more one-way fares that return on Monday 1 May for as low as £49, meaning those booking in advance could book a return visit for £88.
Are tickets ever really half-price on Snap?
In our snapshot price research we found one-way fares as low as £35 with Snap.
You may find that prices are higher on popular routes on busy dates and times. Generally, when a Snap fare was more expensive, its original price on the standard site was costlier too. The biggest we found — £180 — was for a return ticket from London to Paris, but the standard price was £320.
We’ve seen advance tickets for a tenth of the price than that, and sometimes even lower in Eurostar’s flash sales. So, while last-minute travellers may have saved with Snap, it does pay to plan further ahead if you can.
| Journey example | Price with Eurostar Snap | Price with standard Eurostar* | Saving with Snap |
| London to Paris, departing Friday 30 Jan (PM slot) and returning Monday 2 Feb (PM slot) | £140 (£80 outward and £60 return) | £320 (£190 outward and £130 return) | £180 |
| London to Paris, departing Friday 6 Feb (PM slot) and returning Tuesday 10 Feb (AM slot) | £100 (£65 outward and £35 return) | £205 (£150 outward and £55 return) | £105 |
| London to Brussels, departing Friday 6 Feb (AM slot) and returning Monday 9 Feb (PM slot) | £75 (£35 outward and £40 return) | £120 (£65 outward and £55 return) | £45 |
| London to Amsterdam, departing Thursday 5 Feb (AM slot), and returning Monday 9 Feb (AM slot) | £75 (£40 outward and £35 return) | £140 (£75 outward and £65 return) | £65 |
Table notes: research carried out on 28 January 2026. *travelling on lowest fare within equivalent Snap travel window.
Are you guaranteed a seat on Eurostar Snap?
Yes. When booking your ticket you’ll choose a window to travel within, and then will receive your exact departure train time within 48 hours of when you’re due to depart.
"It’s clear that Eurostar Snap can save you money if you decide to travel last-minute. We’ve heard positive reviews from those who have tried it, too. One told us his experience with Snap was good despite his allotted 10pm outbound train, and 6am return for his three-day trip from London to Paris. He only paid £30 each way. Another told us that he would nearly always rather wake up early to get a train than pay an extra £70 or more.
These opinions came from students and freelance workers with flexible schedules, and who live in London. If you need to commute to London to make your Eurostar, and therefore aren’t able to easily travel very early in the morning or late at night, Snap tickets might not feel quite so convenient - or cheap - if you have to factor in the cost of a hotel stay or a last-minute train ticket to get to London.
And even if you do live in London, if you are given a 6am outbound Eurostar slot, you might need to splash out on a taxi as tube lines might not run early enough."
Kate Pasola, Which? Travel Writer
Should I book in the flash sale, or last-minute with Snap?
If you can, book tickets in advance, ideally through Eurostar’s flash sales first — we’ve seen plenty of tickets as low as £27-£35 in the past.
But if you’re travelling at short notice and don’t mind potentially missing some sleep to catch very early or late trains, Snap can save you money compared to buying a full-price standard ticket at the last minute.