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Best way to travel between London & Paris

Make informed choice of how to travel between London & Paris - train is fastest, coach is cheapest

Eurostar Express trains at Gare Du Nord Station Paris
Eurostar Express - trains at Gare du Nord station, Paris

On paper you have a choice of three modes of travel using public transport between London and Paris, train, coach and air. In reality the vast majority of people travelling city centre to city centre choose the Eurostar train service. As the fastest and most stress free option it is with good reason.

However the Eurostar trains are not the cheapest way to travel between the two cities, by some way. That honour goes to the low cost coach services that we cover on this page.

While the Eurostar trains whisk you city centre to city centre in just over 2 hours, the fastest coaches that use the tunnel between England and France rather than the ferry services take 7.5 hours to do the same journey.

Eurostar fares are also highly volatile. At popular times and dates or if you buy tickets at very short notice fares can be eye watering and make air travel an option to consider in addition to the coach services.

Air travel to Paris from London   Eurostar travel London to Paris   FlixBus London to Paris   Day trips London to Paris   Luxury 2-day Paris break lunch Eiffel Tower  

Airlines - not great for London - Paris city centre to city centre

Airplane flying London to Paris
Fly from Gatwick or Luton

The airlines that fly between London and Paris tend to be either the national carriers like British Airways and Air France feeding transit passengers into long distance flights, rather than those travelling city centre to centre.

Low cost budget airline easyJet offers low cost services from London Luton and Gatwick.

However, for most travellers who want to travel between the centre of London and Paris, the killer fact is that with Eurostar trains you'll probably be arriving in the centre of Paris at around the time into your journey a flight is preparing to take off.

Eurostar trains - the most popular London - Paris transfer

Catching the Eurostar to Paris
Catch the Eurostar train from St Pancras to Paris

The Eurostar train service takes just two hours and 15 minutes to Paris, so with an early start it is possible, and many people do, take a day trip to Paris. There are even day return fares to encourage you to do this.

The Eurostar trains start at London's St Pancras station and terminate in the centre of Paris at the Gare du Nord. Hop-on, hop-off buses visit Gare du Nord or you can very easily independently travel around on the Paris Metro.

Eurostar trains run at minimum hourly frequencies between London and Paris. There are no overnight services, first services start very early morning, last departure is mid/late evening.

Eurostar fares

Eurostar is a reservations only service – you can book up to 4 months in advance. The further ahead that you book, the more likely you’ll be able to pick up the best fare. Non-flexible tickets (i.e. no exchanges or refunds allowed) are cheaper than tickets with fewer restrictions.

Eurostar fares are dynamic, there will be different fares for different schedules on the same day. Fares can be eye watering if you book late or are trying to travel when an event is on at your destination so do try and plan well ahead.

Full details of the service, an explanation of the classes of ticket and current fares for your dates can be found by clicking through on the banner link below.

Eurostar train

BOOK EUROSTAR TICKETS

Eurostar tickets

London St Pancras to Disneyland Paris in under 3 hours!

• Reach Disneyland from London in under 3 hours • Routes available direct to Disneyland Paris gates during school holidays • Price prediction tool to check out fares in advance

FlixBus coach services - the cheapest way between London and Paris

FlixBus bus London to Paris
FlixBus bus London to Paris

If you want to go Paris cheaply and are in no hurry then using the coach services may be your preferred solution.

FlixBus buses run daily services year round both day time and overnight.

FlixBus use modern air conditioned coaches, some with free Wi-Fi and are backed by a global corporate parent company. Victoria Coach Station is the terminus in London.

Victoria Coach Station is quite central, 5 minutes' walk from Buckingham Palace and Victoria Railway and London Underground Station.

Victoria is also a major London hotel district with accommodation options for all sectors of the market.

Some coach services use the ferry across the English Channel, some use the tunnel. The fastest schedules are around 7.5 hours compared to 2 hours of the Eurostar trains. There are both daytime and overnight schedules year round.

There are 5 FlixBus destinations in Paris:  Gallieni, a purpose built coach station integrated with a Paris Metro station but not as central as Victoria in London, Bercy Seine, CDG Airport, Orly Airport and Disneyland Paris.

Flixbus coaches

BOOK FLIXBUS TICKETS

Flixbus tickets

Cheapest prices from London to Paris

• Large bus network • Comfortable buses with toilets • Free Wi-Fi • Snacks for sale onboard • Carbon efficient coaches

Day trips to Paris from London

Day tours London to Paris
Most day trips include a river cruise down the Seine in Paris

With the Eurostar services it is possible to get as much as 8 hours sightseeing in Paris by going out early and back late.

For a one day sightseeing trip one of the best ways is to buy a package combining Eurostar train tickets with a sightseeing tour of Paris which will make the most of your time in Paris and get you around all the main sights very efficiently maximising your day.

And right now there's a SALE: 3-course lunch on the Eiffel Tower and cruise on the River Seine day tour from London, making it the best value yet - not much more than the Welcome to Paris guided option. Grab yourself a bargain while it lasts.

paris

PARIS SPECIAL WITH ESCORT ONBOARD EUROSTAR

Paris day tour from London

Paris in one day tour from London including Eurostar

• Adult from £249 • Child (4-11 years) from £239 • Senior & student from £246

• Seat reservation on Eurostar • Map of Paris including public transport information • Time for shopping and sightseeing • 1-hr Seine river cruise

paris

WELCOME TO PARIS DAY TRIP WITH PROFESSIONAL GUIDE

Paris day tour from London

Paris in one day tour from London including Eurostar with Seine river cruise

• Adult from £299 • Child (4-11 years) from £289 • Senior & student from £296

• Seat reservation on Eurostar • Guided coach tour of Paris • 1-hr Seine river cruise • Map of Paris • Time for shopping & sightseeing

paris

LUXURY ESCORTED PARIS DAY TRIP WITH EIFFEL TOWER LUNCH + RIVER CRUISE

Paris Louvre

Paris in one day tour from London including Eurostar with 3 course lunch on the Eiffel Tower with river cruise

• Adult £359 £315 • Child (4-11 years) £349 £305 • Senior & student £356 £312

• Fully escorted • Seat reservation on Eurostar • 3 course lunch on the 1st floor of the Eiffel Tower including wine & coffee • Guided coach tour of Paris • Fast track entry to Eiffel Tower • Cruise on River Seine


Luxury overnight Paris weekend break with lunch on Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower, Paris
Enjoy a luxury lunch on the Eiffel Tower!

Not currently available.

To make your break to Paris that bit more memorable upgrade to this luxury overnight short break from London to Paris.

A higher grade of hotel and the experience of a 3-course lunch on the 20 Tower (58 Tour Eiffel) help to make this option memorable and special.

  • Fully Escorted on the first day
  • Seat reservation on Eurostar
  • Guided Panoramic coach tour of Paris
  • Fast entry access to the Eiffel Tower 1st Level
  • 3-course lunch including wine and coffee on Eiffel Tower (1st floor)
  • Cruise on the River Seine
  • Map of Paris
  • Overnight accommodation in a 4*superior hotel (Please note there is a single supplement charge of 85 GBP if you require a single room)

Day 1

The tour begins with a panoramic tour of the city passing  Place de la Concorde and the Champs Elysees.

58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant

This famous restaurant is run by two Michelin stars chef Thierry Marx offering contemporary brasserie cuisine. 

After your meal you'll head to Bateaux Parisiens for a cruise on the River Seine that boasts fabulous views of Notre Dame built nearly 900 years ago.

In the late afternoon we transfer you to your 4 star superior hotel leaving you a free evening in Paris.

Day 2

Day two begins with a leisurely buffet breakfast. The rest of the day is free for you to explore independently. A map of the city is also included plus some suggested highlights. In the early evening you will board your train at Gard du Nord for the return journey to London which departs at approximately 7pm.

paris

LUXURY ESCORTED PARIS 2-DAY TOUR WITH EIFFEL TOWER LUNCH

Paris Louvre

Paris in two days from London including Eurostar with 3 course lunch on the Eiffel Tower, River cruise and 4* Paris hotel

• Adult £549 • Child (4-11 years) £539 • Senior & student £546

• 4* hotel • Seat reservation on Eurostar • 3 course lunch on Eiffel Tower and fast access • Cruise on River Seine • Guided coach tour of Paris • Map of Paris


Other value weekend breaks to Paris by Eurostar

MOST POPULAR TOURS FROM LONDON 2024

VISITING STONEHENGE AND/OR WINDSOR AND/OR BATH

Stonehenge Morning Half Day Tour - from £65
Stonehenge and London Vintage Bus Tour - from £125
Windsor Castle Windsor Morning & Afternoon Tours - from £70
Windsor, Bath & Stonehenge (inc Lunch, no adm Roman Baths) - from £149 £139
Windsor, Bath & Stonehenge (no Lunch, inc adm Roman Baths) - from £140
Windsor, Stonehenge & Salisbury - from £134
Windsor & Bath Day Tour - from £85
Windsor, Bath & Stonehenge (Small Group - Max 16 people) - from £164
Stonehenge & Bath (Stonehenge admission only) - 3.5 hrs in Bath - from £88
Stonehenge & Bath (Stonehenge & Baths adm) - 3.5 hrs in Bath - from £115
Stonehenge & Bath (Stonehenge & Jane Austen Centre) - 3.5 hrs in Bath - from £106
Stonehenge & Windsor (featuring extended time at Windsor) - from £124
Stonehenge & Avebury - from £109
Windsor, Stonehenge & Oxford - from £79
Stratford, Cotswolds, Bath & Stonehenge - from £118
Stonehenge, Glastonbury & Avebury (Small Group) - £174
Bath, Cotswolds, Stonehenge & Avebury (Small Group) - from £164

DAY TOURS BY TRAIN TO LIVERPOOL, PARIS & SCOTLAND

Beatles Liverpool Day Tour - £189
Day Trip to Paris - from £249
Day Trip to Edinburgh - from £209

2 TO 12 DAY TOURS COVERING GREAT BRITAIN, IRELAND, PARIS & AMSTERDAM

2-day Windsor, Stonehenge, Bath & Oxford - from £299
2-day private Stonehenge, Bath, Cotswolds & Oxford - from £650
3-day Stonehenge, Glastonbury, Bath & SW - from £235
5-day Peak District, Wales & Yorkshire- from £425
Budget 3 days in Paris - from £289 (not currently available)
Luxury 2 & 3 days in Paris - from £399 (not currently available)
2-day Edinburgh - from £312
3-day Edinburgh & Scotland Weekend - from £379 (not currently available)
3-day Edinburgh & Scotland Anytime - from £599
6-12-day tours of Great Britain and Ireland - from £1150 £1035

Every effort is made to keep all our information correct and the advertised prices up to date. We endeavour to be as accurate a source of information as possible but Travellers Toolkits cannot be held responsible for any price differential between our stated prices and those of the companies supplying the product or accuracy of information provided on our sites.