Eurostar Reports Leap in Sales on 29 February

LONDON, March 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Eurostar has revealed that this Leap Year saw thousands of couples travelling for a romantic break with the company reporting a 24%1 surge in bookings on Wednesday 29 February, compared to Wednesday 2 March last year.

New research by Eurostar* reveals almost half (47 per cent) of women would propose to their partner. The study also found that those women who do pluck up the courage can expect a positive response, with 75 per cent of the men questioned saying they would be comfortable if their girlfriend proposed. This is particularly the case in the West Country and Yorkshire, where 90 per cent of the 'modern' men questioned in Bristol and Leeds saying they would be comfortable if their partner popped the question, compared to only half (50 per cent) of the more traditional men in Belfast.

However, those men that do say yes may not be too pleased when they realise they're still expected to buy the ring, as 64 per cent of women indicated they would still want their new fiancé to buy the diamond.

When it comes to timing it seems both men and women are in agreement. Almost half of the men and women questioned (49 vs. 42 per cent) said they would ideally propose on a romantic holiday, compared to 34 per cent and 21 per cent respectively on their partner's birthday, and 31 per cent and 27 per cent respectively on their anniversary.

After decades at the top of the pile, Paris still topped the list of most romantic European cities for both men and women with almost a third of both sexes voting the city as more romantic than either Venice or Rome. Whereas, Berlin was voted as the least romantic city with less than 1% of those questioned claiming the city set their hearts a flutter.

The most romantic European cities according to Eurostar's research are:

1. Paris (30%)

2. Venice (26%)

3. Rome (15%)

4. Barcelona (5%)

5. Prague (4%)

Mary Walsh, Director of Communications for Eurostar said: "Each year we see a jump in bookings to Paris for Valentine's Day and this year with attractive pricing we've seen a real surge on February 29, compared to a typical Wednesday. Paris has always been seen as one of the most romantic cities in the world and with the city constantly changing, there's always somewhere new to explore each time you visit."

Note to editors:

*Survey by Opinion Matters based on online interviews with over 1,100 adults aged 18+ (in UK). Fieldwork: 10 - 13 February 2012

About Eurostar:

The current Eurostar train was first introduced into service in 1994 carrying 750 passengers and operating at speeds of up to 300kph. Since then, the fleet of 28 trains has carried more than 115 million passengers between London and the Continent. Following their refurbishment these trains will continue to form a core part of the Eurostar fleet,

Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon and the French Alps, offering trouble-free travel to those wishing to enjoy Lille City Breaks and Brussels city breaks, as well as a London Paris train, London Brussels train and a London to Amsterdam train.

PR contact:
Aude Criqui
Senior Press Officer
Eurostar Press Office
Times House
Regent Quarter
Bravingtons Walk
London
N1 9AW
+44(0)20-7843-5405
http://www.eurostar.com

SOURCE Eurostar