Eurostar goes it alone with web hotel platform after years with Expedia

Eurostar's long-standing partnership with Expedia has come to an end, with the train operator launching its own packaging platform for hotels and rail tickets.

The high-profile partnership, which was in place since the mid-2000s, has been replaced with a new online service known as Eurostar Holidays.

Expedia will continue to sell tickets from the rail operator, as well as combining its own hotels with services via Eurostar.

Powered by the Jac Travel bedbank for hotel content, Eurostar has focused on connecting passengers with what it says are hand-picked properties in the locations that it serves in Europe (Paris, London, Bruges, Amsterdam, Brussels, et al).

Packages that include tickets to attractions such as Disneyland Paris will to continue to be sold via Freedom Travel, part of the Thomas Cook Group.

Eurostar's managing director of new digital business, Roberto Abbondio, says: "The first step is by offering quality places to stay, and then we will be forging long term partnerships with the best our cities have to offer, from the top attractions to more bespoke ‘bijou’ adventures.

"With the majority of our colleagues living in our key destinations, we know them intimately, and look forward to opening them up in a whole new way to those that travel with us."

Expedia initially lost the Eurostar white label partnership it had held from the mid-2000s via its Expedia Affiliate Network division to rival online travel agency Orbitz in 2011.

It regained the agreement following the acquisition of Orbitz Worldwide for $1.6 billion in 2015 and rebranded the partnership under the Expedia name the same year.