Take the Eurostar from London to Paris
The Eurostar is a high speed train that gets you from London to Paris in 2 hours and 15 minutes. 20 minutes of that trip is underground through the Chunnel - a tunnel under the English Channel. The cost and travel time are similar to flying, but on the Eurostar you leave from and arrive central downtown locations. (This Eurostar is not related to the Eurostar trains in Italy.)
There are three classes of service: Standard, Leisure Select and Business Premier. Meals are served at the seat for Leisure Select and Business Premier.
Eurostar Stations - St Pancras and Gare du Nord
Eurostar at St Panrcas Station, London
The Eurostar departs from the St Pancras Station in central London and arrives at the Gare du Nord in Paris. In both stations there are special waiting and boarding areas for the Eurostar trains. Both stations connect to local transportation (the Underground in London, the Metro in Paris) and to local trains.
Both London and Paris have several train stations used by trains going in and out of the city, so if you are connecting to or from another train do not assume it uses the same station as the Eurostar. For example, in London trains from Windsor or Oxford come into London Paddington. From there you take the Underground to London St Pancras (or take a taxi).
Purchase Tickets
Purchase your tickets online at www.eurostar.com and pay with a credit card (US credit card is okay). Tickets cost from £59 (about $90) return (advance purchase, no-refund). The website is easy to use and your purchase information is emailed to you.
Do your seat selection when you purchase your ticket. Be aware that half the seats in each car face backwards. Look carefully at the seat map to see which direction the seats face and if they are beside a window (a few seats do not have windows). The configuration in coach on the Eurostar is two seats together on each side of a center aisle (2 - 2). Some of the seats have plugs in either European or UK format. This is indicated on the seating chart.
Print your tickets at home before you leave (you no longer have to pick them up at the station).
Check In at the Eurostar Train
St Panrcas Station, London
When you arrive at the train station, find the Eurostar area. Show your ticket (or have it scanned by a machine) then, because you are traveling between countries, go through security and passport control before getting to the waiting area.
In the waiting area there are boards listing the Eurostar train departure times and track numbers. Annoucements are made when it is time to board and everyone goes up to the train at the same time, through doors marked for the platform.
Try to arrive at least an hour before your train. Boarding starts 20 minutes before the train departure time and it takes about 15 minutes to get through security and passport control.
Getting on the Train
Car Numbers on Platform
When you get onto the train platform, look for your car number. Numbers are on the platform (at your feet) in front of each car.
When you select your seats online, take note of which car entrance they are closest to. You will want to get into the train car at the end closest to your seat, so that you can store your luggage closeby.
Stow your suitcases in racks at the end of the car and smaller bags above your seat.
I was surprised that the seats in coach on the Eurostar were not more roomy. It was like flying on Southwest with legroom.
Meals on the Eurostar
If you are riding in Leisure Select or Business Premier, meals are provided. For everyone else there is a bar/restaurant car. The food sold on the train is limited (a few types of sandwiches) so it is best to buy your lunch in the station.
- St Pancras (London): The best selection of places is in the St Pancras station outside the Eurostar area. M&S Simply Food has a good selection of sandwiches, salads, drinks and snacks. There is also a Paul sandwich shop and a few others. Inside the Eurostar area is a cafe and a newsagent.
- Gare du Nord (Paris): The best place is inside the Eurostar area at the Paul Sandwich shop. There is also a small cafe and a magazine shop.
Connecting to TGV and Trains to other European Destinations
If you are taking the Eurostar from London and connecting to a train to another destination (not Paris), it is best to change trains in Lille (north of Paris). Not all Eurostar trains from London to Paris stop at Lille, so check the schedules. In Paris the TGV trains do not use the same station as the Eurostar and you have to take the Metro between stations, so it is easier to change in Lille where they both come into the same station.
See the Eurostar Connections timetable (PDF file) - it shows you what trains you can connect to from the Eurostar in Lille, Paris or Brussells to many European destinations.
Resources
- Slow Europe Photo Gallery: Eurostar, photos from our train ride.
- Eurostar: Schedules, purchase tickets.
- Seat 61 - London to Paris by Eurostar: Absolutely everything you need to know about the Eurostar.
- Europe for Visitors - Eurostar: Description of the train ride from London to Paris and return.
- London Underground: Use their Journey Planner to see how long it takes to get between train stations.
- The Trainline: Trains in the United Kingdom. Review schedules, purchase tickets online (pickup tickets from self-serve machines at the station).
- RATP: Paris Metro and transportation information.
- SNCF: France trains and TGV.
- Wikipedia - Paris Metro
Our Trip on the Eurostar
On our summer 2009 trip to England we flew into Heathrow, spent a few nights in nearby Windsor, took a car service from Windsor to St Pancras and took the Eurostar to Paris. (We could have taken the train from Windsor to Paddington Station, then the Underground to St Pancras.) We spent a week in Paris then returned to London on the Eurostar, took a taxi from St Pancras to Paddington (we could have taken the Underground), then took a train to Oxford where we picked up a rental car for our trip to the Cotswolds.
We booked the 12:29pm Eurostar from London arriving in Paris at 3:50pm. Since check in at our vacation rental apartment was 4:00pm, this was a good arrival time. We took a taxi from Gare du Nord to our vacation rental (there was 15 minute wait in the line for taxis).
Returning from Paris we took the 11:30am train, arriving in London at 12:29pm, then took a taxi to Paddington Station (not much of a line for taxis) and the train to Oxford. I used the Trainline website before we left for our trip to purchase discount tickets for the 1:51pm train from Paddington to Oxford (£4 each!!). We took a short taxi ride from the Oxford train station to the car rental office.
Slow Europe shows you how to find vacation rentals in Europe - villas, houses, cottages or apartments that you rent by the week.