Eurostar has launched a limited sale, and two different reward tricks can bring the effective price of the cheapest return journey down to £45 or less.
New Rakuten members could pay an effective £44.48 after the current £25 joining bonus and Trainline cashback. UK renters can take a different route by exchanging Ribbon Rewards points for a £25 Eurostar voucher, bringing the amount left to pay down to £45.
The limited-time Eurostar sale
Eurostar Standard tickets are available for £35 each way on selected direct journeys from London St Pancras International to Paris, Lille, Brussels, Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
| Sale detail | What you need to know |
|---|---|
| Booking deadline | 10.59pm on Monday 14 September 2026 |
| Travel period | 23 September to 16 December 2026 |
| Cheapest fare | £35 each way in Standard |
| Destinations | Paris, Lille, Brussels, Amsterdam and Rotterdam |
| Availability | Limited; varies by train, date and direction |
| Exclusions | Certain dates and engineering-work periods are excluded |
No Eurostar promotional code is needed. Search for both parts of the return journey and check that each direction displays the £35 sale fare.
Hack 1: an effective £44.48 with Rakuten and Trainline
Rakuten’s current new-member invitation offers £25 back after at least £50 of qualifying shopping within 90 days. Trainline sells Eurostar tickets and, when checked on 10 September, Rakuten displayed 0.75% cashback for ticket purchases.
If a cheapest-return booking tracks and qualifies, the calculation is:
| Cost and rewards | Amount |
|---|---|
| Return ticket paid through Trainline | £70.00 |
| Rakuten new-member bonus | −£25.00 |
| Trainline ticket cashback at 0.75% | −£0.52 |
| Effective cost after rewards | £44.48 |
The precise 0.75% calculation is 52.5p, which makes the effective result £44.475 before rounding to the nearest penny.
How to use the Rakuten route
- Open the Rakuten invitation.
Check that the joining page still shows £25 back after £50 of qualifying shopping before creating your account.
- Find Trainline inside Rakuten.
Read the live categories and exclusions. The rate checked for ordinary ticket purchases was 0.75%; the larger headline percentages shown for Railcards do not apply to a Eurostar ticket.
- Click from Rakuten to Trainline.
Start with an empty basket, allow tracking cookies and complete the purchase in the same browser session.
- Search for the sale return.
Look for a £35 fare in each direction and compare Trainline’s final checkout total with Eurostar directly.
- Keep your evidence.
Save screenshots of the joining offer, Trainline cashback category and booking confirmation until the rewards are approved.
Avoid another cashback extension, an unlisted discount code or clicking through a different referral site before checkout. Any of these may overwrite the tracking or make the purchase ineligible. Cancelled or refunded bookings will not qualify.
Existing Rakuten members cannot claim the £25 new-member reward, though they may still be eligible for the ordinary ticket cashback shown in their account.
Hack 2: use rent rewards for a £25 Eurostar voucher
Ribbon Rewards lets eligible UK tenants earn points on rent payments. At its standard rate, you receive 1 point for every £1 of qualifying rent, with 100 points currently worth £1 in vouchers.
Eurostar is in Ribbon’s current rewards catalogue. Its Eurostar vouchers start at £25, so applying one to the cheapest sale return would leave £45 to pay.
New Ribbon users joining through our invitation can also receive 2,500 points, worth £25, after their first qualifying rent payment. This is not instant: you need to open the dedicated account, complete the checks and successfully make the rent payment before receiving the bonus.
Ribbon gives you a dedicated rent account in your name and forwards the payment to your landlord or managing agent. The standard account is free, and your landlord does not need to join. Read our complete Ribbon Rewards guide before changing where you send your rent.
How to find the cheapest Eurostar seats
The sale fare is spread across selected trains rather than every departure. Finding it can take a few searches.
- Check several outbound and return combinations.
- Search weekdays as well as weekends.
- Try early, midday and evening departures.
- Keep your destination flexible if you simply want a cheap European break.
- Compare the final Trainline total with Eurostar’s direct price before paying.
- Read Eurostar’s excluded-date list, particularly for autumn weekends and engineering works.
The sale tickets are subject to availability. Eurostar’s published exclusions include different dates for each route and direction, with additional disruption dates for Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Check the full live Eurostar sale terms for the journey you want.
Eurostar sale and cashback questions
Can I really get a Eurostar return for under £45?
Potentially, as an effective cost rather than an upfront price. A £70 return that earns the £25 Rakuten new-member bonus and 0.75% ticket cashback works out at £44.48 after rewards. Tracking, eligibility and approval are required.
Does Trainline ticket cashback pay 3%?
Not according to the rate we checked on 10 September 2026. Rakuten displayed 3% for Eurail and Swiss Pass purchases but 0.75% for ordinary ticket purchases. Always use the category that matches what you are buying.
Can existing Rakuten members get the £44.48 result?
No. The calculation includes a £25 new-member reward. Existing members may receive only the ordinary cashback for an eligible Trainline purchase, based on the live rate in their account.
Can I combine a Ribbon voucher with Rakuten cashback?
Do not assume so. Ribbon’s Eurostar voucher is for the Eurostar booking route, while Rakuten tracks a Trainline purchase. Choose whichever option gives you the best usable saving.
When does the Eurostar offer end?
The offer ends at 10.59pm on 14 September 2026. Sale seats can sell out before that deadline.