Eurostar cancelled a week out – options?

[ThriceForgiven]

Hi,

Eurostar have just cancelled my departure leg to Paris for next week due to the rail strike.

They are offering: refund, to rebook me on another trip in the same travel fare, or an e-voucher (whose value for 1 leg I’m not entirely clear about, nor how to use it). There are no available tickets for another 4 days through the ‘rebook’ part of the app…

Separately I can see trains leaving the same day as my cancellation, also in Standard Fare, but as mentioned above it doesn’t show me these as an option when I try to rebook.

I’m unclear about my rights here as I’m not being offered a suitable alternative.

Questions:
1) Is there any point in calling them to see if I can get rebooked onto the same day ticket despite it not being an option? Not keen on waiting hours to be told no.

2) I bought these on my Amex Plat – does the insurance cover me at all? Not sure if strike action or the 7 day period covers Eurostar. I have accommodation booked as well and still want to travel, especially seeing a ticket on the same day.

Plane tickets are crazily expensive so if it has to come out of my pocket I probably won’t go.

Any input greatly appreciated!

[JDB]

Regrettably, Eurostar travel doesn’t confer any particular statutory rights unlike with air travel although these have become increasingly difficult to enforce anyway. The trains to Paris are super busy as people try to avoid the airports, so all not good. I don’t think insurance can do much save a potential ‘inconvenience’ payment so I fear you will have to fall back on whatever Eurostar can offer and if you call, you may get something better than that offered in the email.