Eurostar from London to Paris - A Unique Travel Experience!
71Bargain Return Eurostar Fares
For many of us the whole
idea of travel by train brings back feelings nostalgia. If you’re old enough you might even remember
the days of steam and the unforgettable aroma of coal smoke.
In Europe, the train has moved on and the continent is now linked by an impressive, high speed network. Arguably one of the most interesting train rides in the world is Eurostar that links London to Paris.
The Eurostar journey time is now only 2 hours and 35 minutes from London St. Pancras to the Gare du Nord in Paris. Remember this is city centre to City centre. Compare this with the plane with the hour or so journey to Heathrow, the 2 hour check in, waiting in crowded lounges, extensive security checks, flight time, baggage collection and another hour by taxi or bus to the centre of Paris.
Coffee in the Tunnel
Did you know that you can buy a coffee in the restaurant car on Eurostar as you near Dover and if you drink it slowly, 20 minutes later you burst from the Channel Tunnel (or Chunnel) into sunlight and race through the French countryside as you finish the same cup of coffee?
The great thing about Eurostar is that it links neighbouring nations that, because of the existence of the English channel, are so totally different. Whichever direction you travel through the tunnel on Eurostar, two hours on a train takes you into a different world.
Bargain Return Eurostar Fares to Paris
So is it expensive? No, particularly not if you book ahead and look for the best deals. Currently Eurostar are offering bargain fares to Paris for as little as £59 return. There are some really good short breaks too where typically 1-3 nights in a hotel in Paris are included. Pretty good when you consider you could spend more than £59 just on taxis just to get you from the two airports to the city centres.
Why not check out Eurostar fares online?
If you’re travelling from outside Europe why not spend a few days on each side of the channel? London and Paris together are full of fabulous contrasts. But both have amazing buildings, wonderful museums and galleries and great theatres and shows. Two holidays for the price of one!
London to Paris by Eurostar
London, St Pancras Station - 
Paris, Gare du Nord - 
Ebbsfleet International - 
Alternatives to St Pancras
If getting to St Pancras is a problem; for example if you live outside London and St Pancras isn't on your local line you might want to consider Ebbsfleet International. EbbsFleet is near junction 2 on the the M25 and the giant Bluewater shopping complex.
You can park here for £8 a day or £37 per week and the bonus is you are even nearer to Paris! (around 2 hours) For a Short Break in Paris this may well be a cheaper alternative to using train, taxi or tube to get to St Pancras.
So what are you waiting for? Get online right now and check out those cheap Eurostar fares to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam or better still book a long weekend with someone special to Paris. There is nowhere quite like Paris for romance and a little Oh La La!
I recently travelled Eurostar. They lost my reservation and after arguing with them for about an hour they realized they were typing my name in wrong. To make up for it they bumped me to business class where on the way home from paris I was provided with a delightful cheese plate.
Great hub! The one thing you left out is to book a few weeks in advance. Otherwise prices shoot way way way up.
Cheers,
Ker
I think my brother in law uses the Eurostar to get around at times, if I'm remembering correctly. I didn't really know what he was talking about, now I do. Thanks much for this great hub. I'd like to go to Paris. Any chance they'll expand to the states? lol =D Not a bad price at all. Booking in advance is quite beneficial.
So when are we going????
Good point about the environmental benefits BristolBoy!
kblogs - glad you got a good deal out of them! You are right about the price. The £59 return fares quickly dissappear unless you are booking a long way ahead or travelling at an unpopular time.
Frieda - I hope you get the chance to try Eurostar some time and see Paris!
Vivenda - not sure they allow squirrels on Eurostar otherwise I'd love to take you!
Thanks for a great hub, Rik. There's no better way to travel than by rail. I'd love to take Eurostar, but I'm sure I'll never get the chance. I'd also love to see London (I've seen Paris, thanks to the U.S. Army -- I took a three-day pass there from Heilbronn, Germany, in 1956.)
William - here's hoping you will visit London one day and maybe take Eurostar to Paris - and thanks for stopping by!
thanks for share. It was great information. I like traveling too. nice picture also. Eurostar is the best.
Recent events (trains stuck under the channel) suggest my title is a little ironic!
Gee... I did the trip from Brussels to London one year earlier in the cold of January 2009 and the train did not breakdown (LOL) In case you do not know, there is also the London-Brussels ride which is a bit shorter than London-Paris.
In my trip, the train did not go at high-speed for a good part of the journey. There had been a fire in the tunnel in September 2009 and one of the two tunnel tracks wasn't in use.
There are problems in the tunnel that must be solved, such as the relatively warmer temperature inside the tunnel in the winter in which the melted snow that enters the train locomotive causes short-circuits, as well as the risk of terrible fires in the shuttle trains for cars and trucks.
Another constraint is the border system between the UK and continental Europe. Continental Europe shares the common border policy of the Schengen area, while the UK is outside the Schengen area. This means nothing for EU citizens as we can travel freely, but fot non-EU nationals they might need a visa for the UK and no visa for the Schengen area (France, Belgium and most of the other countries). Because of this there are British border controls at Paris's Gare du Nord and Brussels's Gare du Midi/Zuid, and a French border control at London's St. Pancras. This makes it difficult for the Eurostar to expand its operations via Belgium farther away to The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany.
What if someone wants to take the future Eurostar line, say, from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Brussels, Belgium, or Lille, France? He will have to pass through a British border control in Amsterdam. And if someone wants to take the Eurostar from London to Ebbsfleet (still in England). He has to pass through a French border control.
There should be a new border system with border guards on the train instead of having the current airport-like system of check ins.
Thanks Joao for dropping by. You are right, Eurostar have had problems with the temperature in the tunnels. Thanks for your informative response!
BristolBoy Level 1 Commenter 2 years ago
A very useful hub for anyone who is considering travelling on Eurostar I am sure! Another major benefit associated with Eurostar is each journey creates a lot less CO2 than the equivalent journey time which I believe is even one of the benefits used in advertising.