Dobby — Train Booking MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server (dobby-train-booking) that lets you create Eurostar test bookings through natural conversation with Claude. Three transports: HTTP at the deployed dobby.diegoalto.app, HTTP at your local server, or stdio (binary or source).

What You Can Do

Setup

Three transports are supported. Pick the one that matches how you want to talk to Dobby:

Scopes (Claude Code only)

claude mcp add accepts a --scope:

• --scope user — available in every Claude Code session you start, anywhere on your machine. Best for the deployed Dobby.
• --scope project — written to .mcp.json at the project root and committed. Best for repo-internal tools (e.g. the local stdio source server while developing).
• --scope local (default) — only this machine, only this project, not committed.

Option 1: HTTP — deployed Dobby (no setup)

The unified server is hosted at https://dobby.diegoalto.app/mcp. No install, no running anything yourself.

Claude Code (recommended):

claude mcp add --scope user --transport http dobby-booking-bot https://dobby.diegoalto.app/mcp

Verify with:

claude mcp list
# dobby-booking-bot ✓ Connected

Claude Desktop — edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dobby-booking-bot": {
      "transport": "http",
      "url": "https://dobby.diegoalto.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Option 2: HTTP — local server

Run the unified server first (bun start, bun run dev, or bun run docker). It listens on http://localhost:4242/mcp by default.

Claude Code:

claude mcp add --scope user --transport http dobby-booking-bot-local http://localhost:4242/mcp

Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dobby-booking-bot-local": {
      "transport": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:4242/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Option 3: stdio — installed app

The compiled mcp-server binary ships inside the BookingBot desktop app.

Claude Code:

claude mcp add --scope user --transport stdio dobby-booking-bot /Applications/BookingBot.app/Contents/Resources/mcp-server

Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dobby-booking-bot": {
      "command": "/Applications/BookingBot.app/Contents/Resources/mcp-server"
    }
  }
}

Option 4: stdio — from source

For development against a local clone. Prerequisites: Bun installed, bun install run, .env in the project root.

Claude Code (project scope — .mcp.json is committed so the team picks it up):

claude mcp add --scope project --transport stdio dobby-booking-bot -- bun run src/mcp/index.ts

Or user scope:

claude mcp add --scope user --transport stdio dobby-booking-bot -- bun run src/mcp/index.ts --cwd /absolute/path/to/booking-bot

Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dobby-booking-bot": {
      "command": "bun",
      "args": ["run", "src/mcp/index.ts"],
      "cwd": "/absolute/path/to/booking-bot"
    }
  }
}

After any change: restart Claude Desktop, or start a fresh Claude Code session.

Making the Tools Discoverable

By default, Claude may not immediately recognise that it should use the booking-bot tools when you ask to book a train. MCP tools are loaded lazily - Claude needs to "discover" them first, which adds an awkward extra step. The sections below show how to fix this in Claude Code and Claude Desktop.

Claude Code: /book skill (this project only)

This project includes a /book skill in .claude/skills/book/. When you're working inside this project directory, type:

/book London to Bruges, Jun 14, around 2pm

Claude will immediately load the booking tools and execute the request - no discovery step.

Claude Code: /book skill (any project)

To use /book from any directory, copy the skill into your global Claude config:

mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/book
cp .claude/skills/book/SKILL.md ~/.claude/skills/book/SKILL.md

The /book command will now appear in all Claude Code sessions, regardless of which project you're in.

Claude Code: global routing (without /book)

If you don't want a slash command but still want Claude to automatically use the booking tools when you mention trains/Eurostar, add this to ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md:

## MCP Routing: Dobby

When I ask about booking trains, Eurostar, or travel to European cities, use the dobby-booking-bot MCP tools:
- `mcp__dobby-booking-bot__eurostar_list_stations` — look up station codes
- `mcp__dobby-booking-bot__eurostar_list_markets` — list markets
- `mcp__dobby-booking-bot__eurostar_create_booking` — create a booking

Load these tools via ToolSearch immediately. Do not search for alternatives.

The mcp__<server>__<tool> prefix uses the server key you registered with claude mcp add — dobby-booking-bot in the example above. If you registered with a different key (e.g. --scope user dobby ...), substitute it.

Claude Desktop: Custom Instructions

Claude Desktop doesn't support skills, but you can set Custom Instructions to achieve the same effect:

1. Open Claude Desktop → Settings → your profile → Custom Instructions
2. Add:

When I ask about booking trains, Eurostar, or travel to European cities, use the booking-bot MCP tools (eurostar_list_stations, eurostar_list_markets, eurostar_create_booking). These tools are already connected - use them directly without searching for alternatives.

This ensures Claude Desktop routes booking requests to your MCP tools immediately.

Claude Desktop: Projects

Alternatively, create a Project in Claude Desktop (e.g. "Travel Booking") with the same instruction text. This scopes the routing to conversations within that project only.

Example Conversation

You: Book me a London to Paris train for next Tuesday, 1 adult, standard class

Claude: Let me look up the station codes and create that booking. [calls eurostar_list_stations with query="london"] [calls eurostar_list_stations with query="paris"] [calls eurostar_create_booking with origin="7015400", destination="8727100", ...]

Booking created! Reference: ABC123

• London St Pancras → Paris Gare du Nord
• Departure: 09:22, Arrival: 12:47
• Standard class, 1 adult

For snap and unallocated bookings, just say what you want - Claude maps the phrasing to the right flag:

You: Book a snap from London to Paris next Tuesday

Claude: [calls eurostar_create_booking with origin="7015400", destination="8727100", snap=true, ...]

You: Book me an unallocated seat from Paris to Brussels tomorrow

Claude: [calls eurostar_create_booking with origin="8727100", destination="8814001", unallocated=true, ...]

Troubleshooting

Claude Code: claude mcp list shows only the four claude.ai SaaS connectors and not your server. This is the most common pitfall. The CLI only reads MCP config that was added via claude mcp add (per scope). Hand-pasting an mcpServers block into ~/.claude.json or ~/.claude/settings.json is silently ignored. Fix: re-register via claude mcp add (see the Setup section above). Then claude mcp list should show ✓ Connected.

Claude Code: ToolSearch can't find mcp__dobby-booking-bot__*. Tools are only loaded if the harness registered the server at session start. After fixing the config (above), start a new Claude Code session — the running one won't pick up the change.

Tools not appearing in Claude Desktop?

• Restart Claude Desktop after editing the config file
• Check the config file is valid JSON (no trailing commas)
• Check the logs at ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log

SHOPPER_EMAIL error when running from source?

• Make sure you have a .env file in the project root (copy from .env.sample)
• Or the server will use the default dobby@testing.eurostar.com

Booking fails with a checkout/payment error?

• Open the BookingBot app and refresh your checkout credentials (Data → Refresh Checkout)
• Or run bun refresh from the project root
• Try the booking again

Feature Parity - CLI vs MCP

What the CLI can do and whether Claude can do it via the MCP server.

Supported

Not yet supported via MCP

⚠️ Don't hand-edit ~/.claude.json for Claude Code

This trips people up regularly, so it's worth its own footer.

The Claude Code CLI reads MCP config that was added via claude mcp add per scope. Entries you paste directly into ~/.claude.json or ~/.claude/settings.json are silently ignored — claude mcp list won't show them, and ToolSearch won't surface their tools.

Always use the claude mcp add commands in the Setup section above. They put the config where the CLI actually reads it. After registering, verify with:

claude mcp list                            # the server should be ✓ Connected
claude mcp get dobby-booking-bot           # full details for a specific server

Hand-editing JSON is only correct for Claude Desktop, which reads ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json directly.