The Eurostar luxury train connects London, Paris and Brussels via the Chunnel

The Eurostar is one of the world’s most advanced intercity trains, connecting London with Paris and Brussels through a tunnel under the British Channel. The Eurostar also stops right at the gates of Disneyland Paris. There are many attractive discount options for families, seniors and visitors under 26.

With the saturation of air space and continued congestion on highways, Europe has been faced with the challenge of developing other economical transportation solutions. And they have indeed met that demand with an incredible network of train travel.

The Eurostar train is a shining example of these innovations. The world’s most advanced train, Eurostar whisks you under the sea through the famous Chunnel – The Channel Tunnel – taking you to and from the center of Paris, London and Brussels in record time and in luxurious surroundings.

The travel time if you take the Eurostar train between London and Paris is 2 hours and 35 minutes.

Eurostar also offers a weekly direct service from London Waterloo or Ashford to Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée outside Paris. The train stops right at the gates of Disneyland, where guests are greeted by Disney characters. From downtown Paris, simply take the RER “A” train to Marne-la-Vallée, a 40 minute trip.

Eurostar comfort

It’s difficult to match Eurostar when it comes to standards for quality of service. Eurostar provides everything you need for a relaxing journey and gets you ready to make the most of your destination.

When you arrive, there’s no need to hustle through airports, find cabs and spend hours getting to your destination. With Eurostar, you leave the train and you’re already in the heart of the city. This is probably one of the main reasons why Eurostar carries more passengers on both routes out of London than all airlines combined!

There is a wide range of fares and schedules to suit your personal needs, with one-way Eurostar ticket prices from London to Paris, Disneyland Paris or Brussels starting at $77. With a Britrail pass or Eurail pass you can save even more.

Traveling with the Eurostar from London to Lille or Calais in France costs only $63 and up for passholders. All fares include seat reservations.

If you’re under 26, the Eurostar Youth Flexi Voucher is an open ticket in case your plans are not finalized.

For extra convenience, consider buying a Eurostar first class discount ticket, starting at $121 in Leisure Select. With Leisure Select a meal is included in the fare.

For Eurostar frequent travellers, there is the fully flexible Business Premier ticket starting at $382, also including a meal on the trip.

Note: As with airline tickets, Eurostar pricing is complex and varies with the date and time of your departure. All the prices above were taken from the Eurostar online booking system for a sample trip on July 11, 2007, returning one week later. Your prices may be considerably different.

The Eurostar and TGV Networks

The Eurostar connects London and Ashford in England with Calais and Lille in France. From Lille the Eurostar trains continue to Paris, Brussels/Bruxelles or Disneyland Paris. In Paris, the Eurostar connects to the TGV network with destinations like Marseille, Strasbourg, Geneva/Genève, Lausanne, Zürich, Turin/Torino and Milan/Milano.

Slightly claustrophobic? Don’t worry. Only 20 minutes of the Eurostar journey takes place in the tunnel.

Additional discount options

To save even more when traveling with the Eurostar consider these additional discount options.

United Kingdom

The Britrail family of train passes allows you to travel freely in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The Britrail London Plus Pass covers a large part of southeast England, known for its beautiful countryside including the white cliffs of Dover. This pass is great for affordable day tour excursions from London to famous cities like Canterbury and Brighton.
With any Britrail pass you also get major discounts on the Eurostar booking to or from the UK.
For your convenience, there is even a complete day trip by train from London to Paris with the exciting Eurostar for a trés magnifique day including both breakfast and dinner. Walk around Montmartre, museum hop or sit at an outdoor café soaking up the joie de vivre. The day is yours to explore the City of Light at your leisure.
If you’re arriving in or leaving London by air, buy tickets to the airport express train in advance.
While in London, why not take a day trip to Edinburgh – the capital of Connery, castles and haggis. An open-top bus tour covers all the major sights, including entrance to Edinburgh Castle.
The London Travel Card gives you 3 or 7 consecutive days of travel on London’s Underground (metro/subway) and bus services, and great discounts on the most popular attractions.
The London Pass is a sight-seeing pass that gives you access to the best of London’s top attractions, like the St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. The London Pass also gives you discounts on many popular guided tours, top restaurants and tourist attractions throughout London.

France

To continue your high-speed train journey to other destinations in France, you may want to know more about the TGV and Thalys high-speed trains.
For unlimited train travel with SNCF in France, buy one of the popular French rail passes.
All French rail passes give you major discounts on Eurostar.
If Paris was your first stop, consider taking a day trip by train from Paris to London. Enjoy the freedom of traveling independently on the famed Eurostar to this capital of Queens, bitter beer and steak and kidney pie. Enjoy the day at your leisure before heading back to Paris and the Moulin Rouge at sunset.
In Paris you can save a lot with a Paris Visite discount card, one of the best ways to get around in Paris. You can travel freely anywhere within the city and its region on the bus and Metro, including Disneyland Paris and the Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports. You also get discounts at many popular museums, art shows and more.
With a Paris Museum pass you have free access to a large number of museums and monuments in Paris area. Multiple visits to the same museums are possible and there is no waiting in line.

Other countries

The “Eurostar” brand name is also used by Italian railway operator Trenitalia, on their Eurostar Italia routes through Italy.
There are many other high-speed and scenic trains in Europe.
If you intend to visit other countries on the European continent, consider buying a suitable Eurail pass. All Eurail pass holders are entitled to the Eurostar discount fare.

To get cheap deals on Eurostar tickets, always check the current specials and promotions before making your reservation.

The Eurostar train

Like the TGV and the Thalys, the Eurostar is a fixed trainset – all trains have the same composition. It is a remarkable 18 cars long, with 766 seats occupying some 400 meters, 1320 feet or ¼ of a mile. Eurostar runs on various track clearances and is powered by three different electrical systems. This includes overhead wires in Belgium and France and a third rail in England.

In May 2006, Eurostar was entered in the Guiness Book of Records for the longest non-stop international train journey in the world – from London to Cannes, covering a distance of 1421km in seven and a half hours. Onboard the train were actors Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou, having named the train The Da Vinci Code before the departure from London.

Traveling with the Eurostar alongside a motorway can be rather amusing. It looks like the cars are barely moving, and trucks seem to stand still as the Eurostar passes them running some 120 mph faster than the motorway traffic.

Published on Apr 19, 2007

AISHA on Jun 28, 2007 at 14:11:

HELLO, I AM VISITING LONDON THIS SUMMER ( IN AUGUST) AND I AM INTERESTED IN CATCHING A TRAIN TO PARIS. CAN YOU GIVE ME MORE INFO ON PRICING ( I AM NOT AWARE OF HOW MUCH THE US DOLLAR IS COMPARED TO THE POUND-AND HWO DOES ROUND TRIP TICKETS WORK AND DO YOU HAVE A PHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT YOU? THANKS

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Jun 28, 2007 at 14:12:

Hello Aisha,

Everything you write comes out in CAPITAL LETTERS which is like SCREAMING on the Internet. I would like to ask you to please keep your voice a bit lower

The train from London to Paris is called Eurostar. From this page, just follow one of the “buy now” links. This will bring up a ticket reservation form where you can check the schedule, prices etc. It also has all the contact information you need.

The basic single fare for travelers without a rail pass is $67. Return tickets cost from $106.

Aisha Thompson on Jun 28, 2007 at 14:12:

Thanks for the information as well as the advice; what information do I need to cross from London to Paris if I am from Dominica and the United States? Thanks again and enjoy your day!

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Jun 28, 2007 at 14:13:

Hello Aisha,
For U.S. Citizens, there is a very useful website at http://travel.state.gov/ with all the passport and visa requirements.
If you are a citizen of another country, you should turn to your own Department of State.

Pierre on Jun 28, 2007 at 14:14:

Hello,

I was wondering what my cheapest option would be for 4 people all under 26 traveling from london to paris on june 23 and return on june 29th would be. I need the cheapest possible roundtrip.

Thank you,

Pierre

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Jun 28, 2007 at 14:15:

Hi Pierre,

I believe your best bet is the standard semi-flexible youth tickets. Just start the booking procedure, and it will show you the available tickets and their prices.

- Click on one of the “Buy Now” links on this page.
- Set the number of passengers as 0 adults, 0 children, 4 youth and 0 seniors.
- Press Search.

For your outward journey, I found tickets for $224 total with a 6:34 departure from London. For your return trip from Paris, the cheapest tickets I found were $1108 for the whole group.

These prices are for customers from North America.

Gonzalo New York City on Jun 29, 2007 at 13:39:

Hello, I already read the website information, but I still have one question. Are there any additional fees to be paid at the borders. Normally when flying there is a tax, Is there any tax or customes fee?

Nagnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Jun 29, 2007 at 19:11:

When you fly, you pay fees and taxes related to the airport you’re traveling to. When you arrive on a train, there are no such fees.

Bonnie Orlando, FL on Jul 2, 2007 at 18:12:

My husband and I are interested in traveling from London to Paris for an overnight trip in July. We are also interested in going to Scotland for a day. We will be staying in Oxford. What kind of pass should we buy? Do you offer any kind of package deals for Paris, something with a hotel included?

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Jul 3, 2007 at 1:08:

Please have a look at our complete list of Britrail passes, including excursions from London.

The overnight trip to Paris starts at 5:45am, which may be a bit early for you if you’re staying in Oxford. Perhaps you should consider spending the night before in London. The Eurostar brings you back to London the day after at 10:43pm, which should be in time to catch a late connection to Oxford.

“Going to Scotland for a day” is a bit like going to Florida for a day. It’s a pretty big place. If you only have a day, you should take a train to Edinburgh - it’s a lovely place in the south of Scotland. Read more on our page about Scotland.

A suitable train pass would be the Britrail Flexipass. It gives you four days or more of unlimited travel in both England and Scotland. Follow the link above and you will find it in the list.

Elina Toronto/Canada on Jul 16, 2007 at 12:16:

we’re travelling from Paris to London on August 20 (2 adults, one 25 years and one 16 years). What is the cheapest fare? Can you put it in Canadian Dollar? Thanks

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Jul 16, 2007 at 13:06:

Dear Elina,

Canadian travelers should use the Canadian RailEurope shop. Click on “Eurostar tickets” in the left-hand menu.

Select One-way travel, set the departure and arrival stations and specify 2 adults and 2 youth.

Prices currently range from CAD 386 (for the whole group) depending on the time of day.

steve Canada on Jul 17, 2007 at 13:36:

There are four of us travelling from Brussels to London then on to Gatwick. We have Eurail global pass flex. What would be the fare for our family and what is the easiest way to transfer to Gatwick?
Thanks

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Jul 17, 2007 at 14:25:

Dear Steve,

Your Eurostar fare will vary depending on what kind of tickets you buy, and the date and time of your departure.

Use the Canadian RailEurope shop. Click on “Eurostar tickets” in the left-hand menu.

Select One-way travel, set the date and the departure/arrival stations. Children are 4-11, youth 12-25 and seniors 60+. Check prices both with and without the “I have a Rail Pass” option, it’s not always an advantage to use the pass.

Gatwick Airport is located approximately 30 miles southwest of central London. If you prefer to take a taxi directly from Waterloo station to Gatwick, it will cost you less than $200.

The Gatwick Express train is included in your Britrail passes. If you travel with the Eurostar before November 14, 2007, you will arrive at Waterloo station in central London. The Gatwick Express train leaves from Victoria station, just two Underground stations from Waterloo International.

On November 14, 2007, the Eurostar moves to St Pancras (Kings Cross station on the Underground), which is five Underground stations from Victoria station.

Sarah usa on Jul 31, 2007 at 13:48:

Are there ever last minute tickets available for the Chunnel to Paris? At a reasonable price? Or, are they all quite expensive teh day before or day of the trip? I would like to take the train quite soon and all prices seem astronomical.

Pat Daniels USA on Aug 17, 2007 at 14:33:

I will be coming to London on Sept 2
There are 3 of us..sisters

We would like to go to Paris on Sept 5

Can u tell me where should we get off to
go to the hotel and get a daytime guided tour

Also is there a railway station at the heathrow airport since we will be staying around there

What is the cost

Please help

Pat

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Aug 17, 2007 at 14:47:

Hello Pat,

You should take the high-speed Eurostar train to Paris. As with an airline ticket, your Eurostar fare will vary depending on what kind of tickets you buy, and the date and time of your departure.

Buy your tickets now from RailEurope so that you get the discounted prices for US citizens. Click on “Eurostar tickets” in the left-hand menu. Select One-way travel, set the date and the departure/arrival stations.

Heathrow Airport is located approximately 15 miles southwest of central London. If you prefer to take a taxi directly from Heathrow to the Eurostar terminal at Waterloo station, it will cost you less than $120 for the three of you, which is just slightly more than what you would pay for the airport train.

The Heathrow Express train costs $35/person and arrives at the Paddington station, nine Underground stations from Waterloo International on the Bakerloo line.

You can buy tickets for the Heathrow Express at the RailEurope site, too. In the left-hand menu, click “Single Country Passes”, then “United Kingdom”, then “London Airport Transfers”.

RailEurope also has almost a dozen interesting suggestions for your sightseeing in Paris. In the left-hand menu, click “Single Country Passes”, then “France”, then scroll down to where it says “Tours and Passes”. I thought the Paris Dinner Cruise sounded really exciting…

Vicki Johnson Victoria, MN, USA on Aug 27, 2007 at 19:09:

My husband and I will be arriving in Zurich on October 15th, using the train in Switzerland, going to France for about a week (using the train) and then to London for about a week and would like to take the train/chunnel. We may do some day trips from London and also use the London mass transit. What is your suggestion? Eurail, Eurostar, Swiss Rail, SNCF?? Thanks in advance.

Vicki

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Aug 28, 2007 at 2:44:

Hi Vicky,

The most important thing is to buy your tickets before you leave the US, e.g. from RailEurope, so that you get the discounted prices for US citizens.

The Eurail France-Switzerland pass (under “Multiple Country Passes) allows 4-10 travel days during a period of two months. However, it only offers first class travel so it’s a bit expensive. If you buy separate Eurail passes for France and Switzerland (follow the links from “Single Country Passes), you get the option of discounted second class travel and even more travel days.

From Paris to London you must of course take the Eurostar (it has its own link in the left-hand menu).

For the day trips from London I recommend the Britrail England pass, or the London Plus pass if you can accept being limited to southern England. For London public transport you can just buy rechargeable Oyster cards (like the Londoners do) when you get there. There may however be a minor discount if you buy a London Travel Card in advance, before leaving the USA.

teddy USA on Sep 19, 2007 at 8:03:

Hi,

My hubby and I are going to europe in the first week of oct...our itenary is lon-paris-lucerne-venice-florence-rome and 2,2,3,2,2,4 nights resp....I’m a little confused as to the rail tickets...what are my best options...railpass or point to point tickets...Also do you have info on swiss rail attractions, best site for these tickets and any discount options…

Thanks
Teddy

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Sep 19, 2007 at 22:07:

Hi Teddy,
After you’ve taken the Eurostar from London to Paris, you may want to consider the Eurail Selectpass. A pass for France, Switzerland and Italy currently costs $429 per person.

When you buy point-to-point tickets, the pricing structure is much more complicated, e.g. the price varies with the time of day, and what kind of train you’re taking. But with your travel schedule it looks quite possible that certain combinations of point-to-point tickets could be cheaper than the Eurail Select pass.

As always, the most important thing is to buy your tickets before you leave the US, e.g. from RailEurope, so that you get the discounted prices for US citizens. RailEurope also have a good section about Swiss trains.

CJ Orlando/USA on Sep 22, 2007 at 8:52:

This site is absolutely amazing! A group of friends and I are planning a trip to Europe after our Feb. Bar exam. Most of my friends are 25 and under (sadly I will have turned 26 just days before our trip) and we know there are discounts out there. Our plans are to arrive in London, travel to Dublin and Paris, and return from Rome, totally 14 days of travel. How should I proceed in regards to purchasing train/ferry tickets? Also any other helpful tips would be great!

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Sep 23, 2007 at 0:00:

Hi CJ,

The trip to Dublin sort of complicates things a bit. You’d probably save both money and time by flying with the major European low-fares airline RyanAir.

If you want to see some of the English landscape, you can take the train from London to Liverpool and a ferry to Dublin from there. Compare the Britrail England Party Pass - $463 for the first three travelers, then $93 for each additional traveler - with the price for point-to-point tickets.

From London to Paris, take the Eurostar high-speed train.

From Paris to Rome, I would basically want to recommend less travel and more party. In that case you should focus on going south through France, then directly over to Italy from Nice. The France and Italy pass costs only $306 for your first four travel days, and just $230 for your young friends.

If you want to visit more countries, consider the Eurail Select pass starting at $429 for 5 days of travel in 3 bordering countries, and even less with the youth discount.

My personal recommendations? London, Paris, Marseille, Cannes, Bologna and Rome. There are lots of cheap hotels near the station in each city.

Thomas Chapel Hill/USA on Oct 13, 2007 at 16:52:

So, to make the long story short, the end of a massive trip will culminate in a journey from paris to london and we’d like to take the chunnel as our means of transport. I saw a comment on this page that mentioned eurostar tickets from $58 if those that purchase the tickets have with them a eurail pass. We’re planning on booking a 15 day eurail pass but the website offering chunnel fairs places our rates, at the lowest (even after specifying that we have a rail pass), at around $83. Was the $58 fare for a specific trip (paris to lille for example)? Any info would be appreciated, thanks!

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Oct 13, 2007 at 23:30:

Hello Thomas,

As with airline tickets, Eurostar prices vary a lot depending on the season and the competition. I have also been unable to find any current tickets below $83. I will update the article to reflect this.

Carolyn Burke,VA USA on Oct 14, 2007 at 4:40:

What a big help you are! We’re going to Paris Dec. 4th for 4 days and take the Chunnel train to London for 4 days before flying home to Dulles. I think we’ve worked out our plans pretty well, but any suggestions would be helpful. We’re senior citizens.
Carolyn

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Oct 14, 2007 at 22:45:

Dear Carolyn,

My personal recommendation would be to see Mamma Mia!, the Abba musical, during your stay in London. Buy tickets well in advance.

In Paris from Dec 5, the Musée Carnavalet is paying homage to Benjamin Franklin, retracing his diplomatic mission to Paris during the American War of Independence, and the way his ideas influenced the French Revolution. A must-see.

Karen Vander Molen Franklin, TN/USA on Oct 18, 2007 at 17:34:

After flying to Paris, I plan on zipping up to London to see my son for one night. Later that week we’d like to visit Reims from Paris. Is there any special pass that would make this cheaper?

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Oct 18, 2007 at 22:12:

Dear Karen,

The rail passes really only save you money when you have four or more travel days that each pass covers.

For your overnight trip to London I suggest you just follow one of the links on this page for Eurostar and look for the best prices there, they vary depending on when you travel.

For your trip to Reims, follow the link to our “Train tickets” page on the upper right of this page, and follow the instructions there. You can save a lot by buying your tickets in advance from the US.

Caroline Memphis, TN USA on Nov 7, 2007 at 0:03:

I’d like to buy a round-trip day pass from Paris to London. Where can I do this?

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Nov 7, 2007 at 5:05:

Hello Caroline,

They’ve really hidden the London day trips well in the new design of the rail passes for France.

Just click on the link above and scroll down to “France Day Railpass”. The day pass costs the same regardless of your destination, including taking the Eurostar train to London.

Caroline Memphis, TN USA on Nov 7, 2007 at 11:59:

Does that France Day Railpass have a youth rate?

Thank you so much for your help.

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Nov 7, 2007 at 12:15:

Hello Caroline,

Sorry, but there doesn’t appear to be a youth discount for the France Day Railpass. Just follow the links to the Eurostar booking center to buy discount tickets for anyone below 26.

Janet Hoover Hurst, Texas on Nov 7, 2007 at 23:22:

Hello!! We are planning a family vacation in Dec. 6 of us (me, my husband and 4 teenagers ages 15 to 19) will arrive in London on the 18th - the kids fly home on the 25th. My husband & I would like to go to Paris on the 25th to LHR to catch a plane that departs on the 30th at 11 am.

Here’s what I need help with: travel from Lon to Paris for the 2 of us and if not unreasonable, day trips for the 6 of us from Lon to Paris while the kids are still with us.

If you have suggestions on apartment rentals in London, that would be appreciated too! Thank you so much for your help and suggestions!!!
Janet

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Nov 8, 2007 at 7:44:

Hello Janet,

Some pieces of your message appear to have been lost and the dates you provide are confusing. Just to make sure: LHR is Heathrow airport, located west of London. If you go to Paris on the 25th, you will need return tickets to catch your plane later that week.

I found a day trip from London to Paris for the whole family on Dec 10 for $768. Roundtrip tickets for you and your husband are currently available from $124.

The Eurostar pricing is complex and there are many options and travel times to chose from. I suggest you visit the Eurostar online booking center and try your ideas there. All your children qualify for the youth discount.

For the apartment, search Google for “rent apartment london”. As an example, I found http://www.homefromhome.co.uk/ and http://www.foxtons.co.uk/.

Janet Hoover Hurst, Texas on Nov 8, 2007 at 23:25:

What round trip for my husband & I did you find? I have only been able to find one that departs on the 25th and returns on the 30th for approx. $500 to $600. The day trip sounds great for the family - did you find that on the Eurostar website as well?
Thank you again!
Janet

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Nov 11, 2007 at 10:13:

Hi again, Janet,

All the prices I gave you were from the Eurostar site that I linked to, but I didn’t use exactly the same dates as you. Over the whole Christmas period, the Eurostar trains are now rapidly being sold out - and so the prices soar. I’m really sorry but it’s the busiest season of the year.

Naomi Burwarton, Shropshire on Nov 23, 2007 at 5:53:

Hi’ya!
I am visiting England right now, and will be here for another few months.
However I am meeting my sister in London early February and plan on traveling from there to Paris.
We’re not sure how long we will be in France for, and I would definately like to check out some museums and such.
So I was wondering if there was some package deal you would recommend?
soemthing with a ticket from London to Paris (one way) and maybe transportation in Paris, that cheap bus/coach ticket thing, and museums???
For two people.
It would be sucha great help, thanks for everything!
Cheers

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Nov 27, 2007 at 13:05:

Dear Naomi,

Sad to say there aren’t any package deals that would suit you, I’m afraid. The main challenge is to get your Eurostar tickets as cheap as possible, and that’s just a matter of picking the right date and time.

For the other needs you may have, you’ll find all you need in a single menu, including a wine and cheese tasting lunch and a lovely Paris dinner cruise!

Suzanne Ng USA on Dec 15, 2007 at 21:49:

Hi,

I would like to go from London to Brussels by train and ferry. Can you help? Thanks!

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Dec 22, 2007 at 10:46:

Dear Suzanne,
The Eurostar also connects London directly with Brussels, simply visit the Eurostar online booking center to buy your tickets.

Madeleine Caldwell/USA on Apr 2, 2008 at 21:58:

Hi,
My boyfriend and I (19 and 21) will be staying in London May 21-25. We would really like to do a day trip to Paris on the 23rd. I have heard that there are really good student and youth discounts but I’m not exactly sure where to look. What do you think the cheapest way to do this would be? Thank you so much!

Madeleine

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Apr 3, 2008 at 5:31:

Hi Madeleine,
There is a unique price for each departure from London, so it’s impossible to give a specific recommendation. Leave early and return late in the day for the lowest prices.
Visit the Eurostar online booking center to check prices and buy your tickets.

Valerie USA on Apr 23, 2008 at 17:39:

Your website is most helpful and the people at the US site were great!

My question: We are returning from Paris to London on 6/28 and then catching our flight from Heathrow on the 29th. What is the best place for us to find a hotel for that night? Any suggestions would, very much, be appreciated.
Valerie

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Apr 24, 2008 at 4:27:

Dear Valerie,

The Eurostar will take you to the St. Pancras station, near the King’s Cross St. Pancras subway station (they say “tube station” here). The Heathrow Express train leaves from London Paddington station, a 15-minute tube ride from King’s Cross St. Pancras.

I suggest you try to find a hotel near Paddington station, or somewhere near one of the tube stations you pass on the way.

Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ for more information about public transport in London.

Tatiana Chicago/USA on Apr 26, 2008 at 10:48:

Hi,

My husband and I are planning our first trip to Europe. We are planning to spend there about 10-11 days.

We would like to visit London, Paris,Bruxelles and Amsterdam since they are very close to each other and the travel time b/w those coutures is little (2-3 hours). Please let us know if you would recommend visiting more/less countries when you in Europe for the firs time and have about 10 days total to spend there.

After reading your suggestions above we were thinking to visit London first, then take the Eurostar from London to Paris, then from Paris to Bruxelles, then Bruxelles to Amsterdam. What would be the best way to get from Amsterdam to London? I looked at the train schedules and it looks like we have to travel through Bruxelles (about 2 hours from Amsterdam to Bruxelles and another 2 hours from Bruxelles to London. Should we be looking at the flights from Amsterdam to London instead? Please advise.

Thanks.

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Apr 26, 2008 at 11:42:

Dear Tatiana,

Getting around in big cities can be quite time-consuming. Also, most people like to spend considerable time in shops, museums and parks, not to mention cafés, bars and restaurants. I would recommend that you spend at least three days in London and three days in Paris.

If you are mainly interested in cities, it’s easy to add a few along the way. Why not consider a few short stops between London and Paris? From Ashford you have easy access to Hastings, Dover and Folkestone. On the French side, both Calais and Lille are worth at least a day each.

Brussels is nice, but so are Rotterdam and The Hague. If you stay with your original plan, you may find it both cheaper and more convenient to fly from Amsterdam back to London with the European low-fares airline EasyJet.

Pierrette Weir Canada on Apr 30, 2008 at 20:36:

My husband and I are visiting our daughter in London in September. From there we would like to visit the beaches in Normandy. Is Lille not too far away from the beaches or should we take the chunnel to Paris and go to Normandy from there?

Pierrette

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on May 1, 2008 at 16:13:

Dear Ms Weir,

If you want to save time, get off the train already in Calais, and drive down the coast from there. Lille is not closer to Normandy than Paris is, but getting in and out of a big city can take a lot of time.

Carlos Gonzalez Walnut/USA on May 2, 2008 at 14:10:

Hi,

We will be taking a 14 cruise to Spain; afterwards we have 6 days in London. We visited
Paris last year for 3 days. What cities would you
recommend we see in addition to London. By the way, we did not see the Eiffel Tower at night.

Thanks

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on May 2, 2008 at 15:37:

Dear Carlos,

If you fall in love with London you may of course want to spend all your time there! Otherwise I suggest you consider the Britrail London Plus pass, with unlimited travel throughout the southeast of England, including Oxford, Cambridge, Bath, Stratford-upon-avon, and Brighton.

Ruby USA on May 26, 2008 at 21:53:

I’m looking to travel from London to Paris for a few days - I have two children, my husband, and myself of course. What do the rates look like - where can I find the cheapest?

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on May 27, 2008 at 3:02:

Dear Ruby,
For the lowest prices you need to travel when most people don’t. Leave early and return late in the day. Try to travel on Sundays.
Visit the Eurostar online booking center to check prices and buy your tickets.

Dani Canada (Fredericton) on Jun 1, 2008 at 12:27:

Hi I plan on taking the train from london to Paris either on June 6th or 7th. I am not sure which day yet and I want to avoid astronomical flexible-option prices. I am also starting my trip for London in two days and wont have time to purchase tickets to be shipped. What are the chances of getting reasonable Eurostar tickets at the St. Pancras station before boarding? thanks

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Jun 1, 2008 at 16:33:

Hi Dani,

Many of the trains on June 6 and 7 are already fully booked. If you just show up at the S:t Pancras ticket office to buy a ticket for the same day, you must expect to be treated just like any businessman going on a business trip on short notice. Why should they expect you to pay anything less than the full business price? Try to be at S:t Pancras at 5am on June 6 for your only chance to get a one-way ticket for less than $200.

Bernadette Sullivan Los Angeles, CA, USA on Jun 18, 2008 at 18:15:

I’m traveling to Europe this October and am hoping to take the train from London up to Newcastle (for
3-4 days, RT),
then from London to Brussels for a long weekend (RT).
Is there a pass that can include both trips?
Or do I need to buy 2 separate tickets?

Thanks!

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Jun 23, 2008 at 9:36:

Dear Ms Sullivan,

There is no rail pass that includes both trips, but from your itinerary it looks like you wouldn’t save much with a train pass anyway. It seems your best choice is to buy a return ticket London-Newcastle, and a return ticket with the Eurostar between London-Brussels.

Eve DeSart Bend Oregon USA on Jun 25, 2008 at 0:38:

My husband and I are coming to Europe the first week of September and staying for 3 weeks. It seems the air tickets are cheapest flying into London, so we will probably start there. We want to get a train pass and see many countries. Do you have lodging and city passes, where we can stay 2 or 3 days and then travel on? We need to be back in London for a wedding September 18th.
Thanks for your help

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Jun 28, 2008 at 6:54:

Dear Ms DeSart,

Unfortunately, we currently do not offer any rail passes that include lodging. I suggest you use an established European hotel reservation service such as Venere.com.

Randi Oak Creek, WI on Jul 24, 2008 at 20:28:

We will be going to London next year and trying to get a train to Paris for the day. Is there any special discount for the deaf people?

Thanks

mariah az. usa on Jul 26, 2008 at 0:37:

Going to Paris this Oct. for 5 days from there on to London. Is there a private tour guide you can recomend for London.

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Jul 30, 2008 at 6:21:

Dear Randi,
When you buy tickets in advance there are only discounts for children and seniors.

Magnus Wester BritrailForAll.com on Jul 30, 2008 at 6:37:

Dear Mariah,

The Guild of Registered Tourist Guides is the national professional association for Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guides in the United Kingdom, with members throughout England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man. The Guild website, including its guide search, is a major resource for all users of tour guides.