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Simon Calder's Deals of the Week: Business Value Eurostar, Plymouth crossings, Christmas shopping in Austria
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Now that leading airlines have removed "Saturday night stay" restrictions for cheaper fares from London to Brussels and Paris, Eurostar has had to respond with lower fares. The Channel Tunnel rail operator (08705 186 186, www.eurostar.com) has introduced off-peak fares, called "Business Value" fares, with no minimum stay conditions. The fares are around £100 less than the full, unrestricted price. You pay £199 in standard class, £299 in first, from both Waterloo and Ashford to either the French or Belgian capital. (There is no special fare to Calais, Lille or other Eurostar destinations.) The problem is that you cannot travel on peak morning or afternoon services from Monday to Friday; only eight trains to Paris and five to Brussels are allowed, though you could always decide to upgrade to the full fare if necessary. At weekends, you may use any train. Check-in time for Business Value tickets is 15 minutes, rather than the usual half-hour.
A BOAT
Starting next weekend, Brittany Ferries is introducing new routes on the western Channel that expand the range of options for travellers from the south-west. A new link between Plymouth and Cherbourg sails on Friday nights from 15 November, returning the following night – allowing a full day in the Normandy city. There is also a new Sunday-morning sailing from Plymouth to St-Malo, returning at noon on Fridays. In addition, the number of sailings from Plymouth to the Breton port of Roscoff has increased. Meanwhile, the Brittany Ferries flagship, Mont St Michel, is now running five months late and is set to enter service in December. Call 08705 360 360 or visit www.brittanyferries.com.
A PLANE
Ten days from now, the Christmas market begins in Vienna.
Air fares to the Austrian capital are traditionally high. But if you are happy with just a day in Vienna, then Austria Travel (01708 222000, www.austriatravel.co.uk) will get you there and back from Heathrow for £149. You must travel out on a Saturday between 16 November and 14 December, departing from Heathrow at 6.35am (arrives Vienna 9.45am) and coming home on the 7.45pm (arrives Heathrow 9.10pm). This gives you 10 hours in Austria. The company also throws in a one-day public transport ticket and a guidebook.
If you prefer to organise things yourself, British Airways (0845 77 333 77, www.ba.com) will fly you there and back from Heathrow in a day for £143 on 14 December, allowing eight hours in Vienna. To elsewhere in Austria, Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com) can get you from Stansted to Salzburg and back on the same date for £75, but you get less than five hours in Austria.
A PHONE
The Greek telecom organisation, OTE, is talking telephone numbers once again. The latest change in dialling codes took effect on Sunday. Anyone intending to call Athens from the UK now needs to dial 00 30 210 followed by the seven-digit number. Within the Greek capital, you now need to dial 010 before the seven digits.
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