Pather Posted August 24, 2015 #1 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Just booked cruise from Southampton for next spring. Will fly into London and spend one night there and then one night in Southampton. After cruise, going to Paris. Can we do this via Eurostar on the same day the cruise ends or do we need to allow a night in London? Thank you! Pather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotswold Eagle Posted August 25, 2015 #2 Share Posted August 25, 2015 (edited) It's not clear what you think the constraint might be? Eurostar runs to Paris roughly once an hour throughout the day up to about 8 pm, so plenty of time to get up to London and catch a train. It takes up to two and a half hours, but don't forget to "add on" an hour to take account of the time difference - leaving London at say 2 pm you will arrive in Paris shortly before 5.30 pm local time. If you are interested in alternatives, there may be possibilities to fly from Southampton. Edited August 25, 2015 by Cotswold Eagle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted August 25, 2015 #3 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Yes, you can easily take the train the day you disembark. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pet Nit Noy Posted August 25, 2015 #4 Share Posted August 25, 2015 (edited) Just booked cruise from Southampton for next spring. Will fly into London and spend one night there and then one night in Southampton. After cruise, going to Paris. Can we do this via Eurostar on the same day the cruise ends or do we need to allow a night in London? Thank you!Pather When my husband and I took Eurostar in the opposite direction, we went through two passport control checkpoints, one French and the other British. Due to problems other people were having in line ahead of us, l estimate those administrative procedures took at least 20 minutes. If you'll face the same passport checks in your direction, choose your train time accordingly. You probably spotted my use of the word "if". I have a vague recollection that one of our British board regulars once wrote that the procedures were not the same in both directions, although the difference may have been driven more by car VS train than east VS west. At any rate, just find out a few more details before you choose your train time. But, bottom line, definitely do - able on the same day. Edited August 25, 2015 by Pet Nit Noy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pather Posted August 25, 2015 Author #5 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Thanks everyone. I didn't realize that there were hourly trains until 8 PM. Assuming we will be off the ship by 9 AM or so, should we allow three or four hours to get to London and book a 1 PM Eurostar? Or, do we even need to pre-book the Eurostar? Will be traveling on a Wednesday. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotswold Eagle Posted August 25, 2015 #6 Share Posted August 25, 2015 You definitely should book in advance, and the sooner the better. This from their website: Tickets go on sale between 138 and 190 days before departure. We price the tickets on our trains based on demand and availability, with cheaper tickets often selling out quickest. You have to check-in 30 minutes before departure, perhaps give yourself at least 45 minutes, even though Wednesday afternoon should not be a particularly busy time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pather Posted August 25, 2015 Author #7 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Thanks. Will definitely buy a ticket as soon as available. Next question is getting from Southampton to the Eurostar station. Assume I would take a train to Waterloo station and then go from there. Is that correct or would the express bus be a better choice? I am thinking that I should be able to make the 13:30 Eurostar to Paris which means getting there by 12:30. Assuming I leave the ship by 9 AM, that would give me 3 1/2 hours to get to the Eurostar station. Is that allowing enough time or should I shoot for a later Eurostar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudoware Posted August 26, 2015 #8 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Make sure you buy tix at the official site. It's the only one that lets pax select their seats. There are tix agent/broker sites that appear "official", and they've oversold departures to unfortunate travellers in the past. Once at Gare du Nord, if taking the Metro to wherever you're staying, I suggest buying a round trip fare for your return. Buying train tix at some of the outlying/smaller stations, where there's no tix agent, can be a challenge. Ask me how I know. Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pather Posted August 26, 2015 Author #9 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Thanks pseudoware. Will be certain to buy from the official site. We are flying out of Paris so will not be returning to London on Eurostar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globaliser Posted August 26, 2015 #10 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Next question is getting from Southampton to the Eurostar station. Assume I would take a train to Waterloo station and then go from there. Is that correct or would the express bus be a better choice? I am thinking that I should be able to make the 13:30 Eurostar to Paris which means getting there by 12:30. Assuming I leave the ship by 9 AM, that would give me 3 1/2 hours to get to the Eurostar station. Is that allowing enough time or should I shoot for a later Eurostar?Fast train to Waterloo, then jump in a taxi to St Pancras International. The taxi should drop you immediately outside the Eurostar check-in area. If you're confident of being able to disembark by 9 am, then a 1.30 pm Eurostar ought to be OK. Assume that it takes you 45 minutes to get a taxi to Southampton Central and buy a ticket, plus 30 minutes wait for the next fast train, plus 1¼ hours on the train, plus 30 minutes to get a taxi and get across London. That's three hours, and you'd still have a whole hour of margin before the stated latest check-in time (which is not the deadline actually enforced by Eurostar). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbe Posted August 26, 2015 #11 Share Posted August 26, 2015 (edited) I was wondering if you could buy tickets at the Palace itself or only on line. thanks Edited August 26, 2015 by hbe wrong post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pather Posted August 30, 2015 Author #12 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Thanks everyone. Suggestions greatly appreciated and will be followed! Pather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob++ Posted August 30, 2015 #13 Share Posted August 30, 2015 There is a mid afternoon direct flight from Southampton to CDG which gets you there at 6:30 or so. This might be an alternative to schlepping up to London and changing. If you look at prices, be aware that FlyBE charge extra for all checked luggage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pather Posted August 30, 2015 Author #14 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Thanks Bob++. May well decide to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare insidecabin Posted September 1, 2015 #15 Share Posted September 1, 2015 (edited) Depending on airline you may be able to add the paris leg on for low cost and still get baggage. If on a round britain that stops at Le Havre before southampton jump ship and go to paris from there. Edited September 1, 2015 by insidecabin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azrose Posted September 1, 2015 #16 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Depending on airline you may be able to add the paris leg on for low cost and still get baggage. If on a round britain that stops at Le Havre before southampton jump ship and go to paris from there. That's my plan -- extra day in Paris :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pather Posted September 1, 2015 Author #17 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Thanks insidecabin. I was wondering about that. I'll be on a Princess ship. Would they allow me to leave at Le Havre? It's the last day of the cruise. Planning to go on a Normandy excursion. Could we then return to the ship, get our bags, and disembark? Or possibly get off with our bags in the morning, drop them at a hotel then go to Normandy on our own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare insidecabin Posted September 1, 2015 #18 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Thanks insidecabin. I was wondering about that. I'll be on a Princess ship. Would they allow me to leave at Le Havre? It's the last day of the cruise. Planning to go on a Normandy excursion. Could we then return to the ship, get our bags, and disembark? Or possibly get off with our bags in the morning, drop them at a hotel then go to Normandy on our own? Standard practice on the round Britains with Princess. Check princess boards/roll calls for the details practicalities. The loss of one night on the ship saves loads of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pather Posted September 1, 2015 Author #19 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Will do. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob++ Posted September 1, 2015 #20 Share Posted September 1, 2015 From memory, the only stipulation is that you give them advanced notice. Probably before sailing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pather Posted September 5, 2015 Author #21 Share Posted September 5, 2015 I have started process to disembark at Le Havre. Ideally, I would like to take Princess excursion to Normandy during the day and disembark upon return. Not sure if Princess will allow that. If they do, might need to stay in Le Havre disembarkation night and go to Paris the next day. Any suggestions about getting to Paris from Le Havre? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pet Nit Noy Posted September 5, 2015 #22 Share Posted September 5, 2015 (edited) I have started process to disembark at Le Havre. Ideally, I would like to take Princess excursion to Normandy during the day and disembark upon return. Not sure if Princess will allow that. If they do, might need to stay in Le Havre disembarkation night and go to Paris the next day. Any suggestions about getting to Paris from Le Havre? Thanks! Cruisers "do" Normandy in one day all the time. However, if you have anything more than the most minimal interest, touring the beaches and inland towns recaptured during of the first day of the campaign will take at least two days. I suggest you look at a map of Normandy. You'll see that the two American beaches are the farthest distance possible from Le Havre. If you follow through with your current plan to take an excursion from Le Havre and return to the ship, I think you'll end up feeling short-changed. We visited Normandy as part of an independent land trip and, in two days, we saw the two American beaches (including Point du Hoc and Memorial Museum of Omaha Beach), the American cemetery, the German cemetery, Ste. Mere Eglise (including the Airborne Museum), and the some of the hedgerow countryside. We really had wanted to tour Arromanches to see the museum and the artificial harbor, but that got cut since there is so much to see and we never had plans to visit Sword or Juno or Gold. The two museums we visited are a tiny, tiny fraction of the many museums that a person might visit. I'll also point out that we started each day from our hotel in Bayeux which is much, much, much closer to the beaches than is Le Havre. I recommend you disembark the ship in Le Havre, and head for a hotel in Bayeux or Caen. Store your luggage at the hotel and spend the remainder of the day on a private tour. Stay overnight in your Normandy hotel. Spend most of second day touring, and catch an evening train to Paris (or depart the next morning.) If you stay at a hotel in Bayeux, make plans for a delicious splurge meal at Le Rapier. Edited September 5, 2015 by Pet Nit Noy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pather Posted September 6, 2015 Author #23 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Thanks Pet Nit Noy. We only have 4 nights post-cruise and want to spend as much time as possible in Paris. We plan on taking a river cruise the next year which would also include Normandy. Between those two visits, we can hopefully cover Normandy adequately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pather Posted October 16, 2015 Author #24 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Hi again. Just found out that to disembark at Le Havre, you have to leave the ship in the morning. I had hoped to take the Normandy excursion and disembark after that but not allowed. Want to spend a day at Normandy. Could we check our bags at a hotel in Le Havre and find a trip to Normandy for the day, staying back in Le Havre that night? Or should we head to Paris and take a trip to Normandy from there the next day? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare insidecabin Posted October 17, 2015 #25 Share Posted October 17, 2015 I would get off in the morning do the tour head to paris same day after the tour. If you overnight in LeHavre you lose the following moring in Paris. Get dropped of in Caen train 2hrs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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