Eurostar London to Paris

We are looking at the possibility of taking Eurostar between London and Paris either one way or round trip.

I would love to hear from anyone who has done this before as to what the experience was like.

Also is it practical to do this if we had three large pieces of luggage and two carry ons.

Thank you.

Keith

I have done it twice (both ways) and it is a fairy good experience - better than flying for sure, since it takes you right between the city centres.

There is no weight restriction on luggage but you have to handle it yourself (no checked bags) There is a size restriction though: Per person: 2 pieces of luggage (up to 85cm long) and 1 small piece of hand luggage, e.g. handbag, laptop bag or briefcase As far as I know - there is no one to check if you have extra. I suppose they have to have a restriction to stop someone from using it for freight or trying to board with a dining table and six chairs :)

There are overhead racks for small bags and larger luggage racks at the ends of the carriages for bigger bags. For peace of mind you may want to find a seat within sight of it but thefts are very rare. You are more likely to get your pocket picked at the terminals than to lose a whole bag.

When you get to St Pancras, you will go through security and immigration, similar to the airport, so allow time for that. At the Paris end, you just walk out of Paris Nord, right into the heart of Paris.

Eurostar is a convenient way of travelling between the two cities without the hassle of airports. There is no weight restriction on luggage and normally porters available if needed.

Book on the Eurostar website. Fares are released 120 days in advance. The earlier you book the better as the prices go up nearer to departure.

Always wanted to do it, let us know how it goes if you decide to go.

When are you going? We will be traveling Paris to London on Eurostar August 13 or 14.

I, too, take the Eurostar from London/Paris and Paris/London - it is the only method of transport I use between London/Paris. First took the train way back when Waterloo was the London station and more recently from/to St Pancras. I find it a much better experience than the airport and you have the added benefit of catching the metro from Paris Nord/St Pancras (King's Cross).

As mentioned by others, book early from the official website:

http://www.eurostar.com/us-en?dest_url=http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/your-trip/onward-connection/connecting-in-paris&gclid=CPT58dfrwssCFVGAaQodtNkDOA&gclsrc=aw.ds

This is a great train website and one we have used when traveling on Eurostar. http://www.seat61.com/

http://www.seat61.com/London-to-Paris-by-train.htm#.VugllxIrImo

Hi CruiserBruce, we are going there next May but trying to get a start on coming up with a strategy for this.

Best to you.

Keith

Bob, LondonTowner, dogs4fun and Alaskanb, thank you all for your suggestions and your experiences with this.

Very much appreciated.

Keith

Alaskanb

For the best prices on Eurostar you need to book on their own website as already stated.

LondonTower, good advice and I will plan to do that.

Keith

I agree with the other posters that it is the most hassle free way to travel between the 2 cities (particularly if your trip is starting & ending in the city center) & I have done it many times. I never had a problem with luggage.

If you are doing other rail travel during your trip, consider a rail pass. The Eurostar fare is less if you are traveling with a pass.

Also, I have experienced fairly long wait times at St Pancras to go through security and immigration. (But still better than at the airport.)

It’s not a particularly scenic train ride, but that’s just fine with me since I have trouble staying awake on European trains. (That’s a nice thing.)

My other question is to get a recommendation on standard, standard premier or business premier.

Can I get a sense as to which accommodation(s) you have gone with.

Any recommendations?

I know, it comes down to price.

Thank you.

Keith

dieBroke, thank you for the additional details.

Keith

Alaskanb

 

For the best prices on Eurostar you need to book on their own website as already stated.

Aware of that and it is suggested in the link I provided. We have used Eurostar three times on trips from the north of England to Paris and Budapest.

We took Eurostar between London and Paris over the Christmas Holidays. We were in Standard Premier which is equivalent to Business Class. Same seats as business premier, but much less expensive. I think we paid $40 more per seat and thought it was definitely worth it for the space and less people. We had a table with four chairs(2 forward, 2 backward) around it. We had really good service. I know we were served food and drinks, but can't remember what. We were on a morning train, so we'd already eaten breakfast at our hotel.

If it's a small price differential, I consider Standard Premier - as mentioned above, it's a better experience with a snack thrown in. But Standard is perfectly OK, particularly if you get it for £29 as opposed to say around £100 in Standard Premier.

Business Premier is a large premium, essentially for full flexibility and a proper meal. Only if someone else is prepared to pay, I'm my view :)

Being a cheapskate I would just book standard class unless the Premier was about the same price. It's not a particularly long journey.

Hi Keith....

Our family did a one way journey from Paris to London. It was a fantastic experience and we plan to do it again in the future.

I purchased my tickets online as soon as they were available and got a great price. Our family have had a lot of luggage ( we stayed in Paris 4 days, then did a 14 day Baltic cruise then stayed in London 4 days post cruise) and we managed it without any issues.

We purchased Standard tickets. We fly Business Class, but did not find it necessary as the journey is less than 3 hours and you can get up and move around. The dining car has many nice options and the kids quite enjoyed it.

Upon arrival at St Pancras, our driver was waiting. An excellent trip all around.

Hi Keith....

 

Our family did a one way journey from Paris to London. It was a fantastic experience and we plan to do it again in the future.

 

I purchased my tickets online as soon as they were available and got a great price. Our family have had a lot of luggage ( we stayed in Paris 4 days, then did a 14 day Baltic cruise then stayed in London 4 days post cruise) and we managed it without any issues.

 

We purchased Standard tickets. We fly Business Class, but did not find it necessary as the journey is less than 3 hours and you can get up and move around. The dining car has many nice options and the kids quite enjoyed it.

 

Upon arrival at St Pancras, our driver was waiting. An excellent trip all around.

I was traveling with a rail pass and so I saved a slight amount on my round trip Eurostar purchase but I booked a standard seat and it was very comfortable - these trains are designed and fitted a bit nicer than regular intercity express trains so I was quite comfortable although I'm petite but most people seemed comfortable. The baggage accommodations were completely suitable - plenty of space to place everyone's rucksacks and luggage.

As for meals, I believe someone mentioned that there's a place to go and get food plus I *always* bring things aboard any train trip too (rail journeys make me sleepy and hungry!) and so taking care of the appetite was not a problem. Needing to get up and walk around is always important anyway - I've never worried about my bags being troubled with on trains in Europe - locks can help with that.

The ride is very pleasant and it's difficult to not marvel at the fact that this is possible - maybe I'm just a geek ;) One of the greatest transit solutions in the ever built!

Enjoy the Eurostar - even the passenger terminals at the stations are cool, every part of the trip is wonderful :)

I would find traveling with all those bags a bit of a hassle on Eurostar. There is luggage space at the end of the cars, but remember you won't be the only one with luggage.

If you are going round trip you might want to consider leaving a bag or two at the left luggage facility at the station. Not cheap, but it will be safe and waiting for you when you get back.

Thank you all for all of your advice.

Keith

Hi Keith....

 

Our family did a one way journey from Paris to London. It was a fantastic experience and we plan to do it again in the future.

 

I purchased my tickets online as soon as they were available and got a great price. Our family have had a lot of luggage ( we stayed in Paris 4 days, then did a 14 day Baltic cruise then stayed in London 4 days post cruise) and we managed it without any issues.

 

We purchased Standard tickets. We fly Business Class, but did not find it necessary as the journey is less than 3 hours and you can get up and move around. The dining car has many nice options and the kids quite enjoyed it.

 

Upon arrival at St Pancras, our driver was waiting. An excellent trip all around.

Brazilgirl, thank you so much for the feedback.

Keith

We are looking at the possibility of taking Eurostar between London and Paris either one way or round trip.

 

I would love to hear from anyone who has done this before as to what the experience was like.

 

Also is it practical to do this if we had three large pieces of luggage and two carry ons.

 

Thank you.

 

Keith

Think of the trip as a very convenient ordinary train trip from city center to city center. The amount of time you'll be riding above ground greatly exceeds the time you'll be in the tunnel under water. Specifically, of the 2 1/2 hour trip, you'll be in the tunnel about 30 minutes. If you'd hoped the channel portion would have large glass windows allowing underwater views, you'll be disappointed. If you'd hoped the channel portion will be lit so passengers can see the engineering structure, you'll be disappointed. For the ~ 31 miles of the tunnel, you'll be in the dark. However, if you're looking for a pleasant, efficient way to travel from Paris to London and vice versa, the Channel Tunnel is great.

About luggage: The only place to store luggage is not in sight of the seats in the cars. They're in an ante-room outside the seating area. If you must keep eyes on your luggage, then the Eurostar is not for you. There are shelves overhead in each car, but I don't believe those shelves can even accept the standard 22" X 14" X 9" dimensions most Americans are used to.

We don't travel with the amount of luggage you're proposing bringing.

When we traveled on Eurostar we had 5 large suitcases and 2 carry ons. We still need to master light travel on longer trips! It is always a challenge with the kids and varying climates of where we go.

We did not have any issues storing our luggage. As the previous poster said there is an ante room with racks. We had to do a bit of lifting and maneuvering but it was fine. Not a problem at all.

Keith, since you do so much exercise you are good for the go! Lol! Enjoy your trip.