London - Paris (Eurostar Train)

The most popular international train service is the high-speed Eurostar service between St Pancras International Station at King's Cross in London, and travelling to Gare du Nord in Paris, the Eurostar acts as the UK's route into Europe. Taking just two hours and fifteen minutes from London to Paris, and with some services calling at Ebbsfleet and Ashford en route, it is a fast option that can be taken without your feet leaving the ground. The Eurostar is also one of the cheapest ways to get across the channel, and offers a relatively luxurious alternative to flight. It is also one of the most regular services, operating up to 21 services a day from London to Paris, as early as half past five in the morning, and as late as eight o'clock in the evening.

Eurostar

The Eurostar service is a high speed train that links the United Kingdom with France and Belgium. The trains were first introduced in the mid nineties, and run on the UK's first high-speed rail line. There are three fare classes available: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier.

Business Premier and Standard Premier passengers are served meals at their seats, whilst Standard Class passengers may take advantage of the buffet carriages, which serve a range of hot and cold food and drink at moderate prices.

Passengers are permitted to carry two pieces of luggage and one piece of hand baggeage on board (additional baggage may be carried for an additional charge of £25/€40 per item). Labels should be tied to every piece of luggage. Domestic animals (excluding guide dogs) are not permitted on Eurostar services.

Eurostar operates a Frequent Traveller Programme. Customers who use the service regularly receive loyalty points for every journey booked. These points may be exchanged for free journeys on Eurostar, and cardholders may take advantage of Business Lounges, get commission-free currency, reduced check-in times and reduced hotel and car rental rates.

Standard and Standard Premier passengers should arrive at the station no later than 30mins before the train is scheduled to depart. Business Premier passengers can check-in up to 10mins before departure. The check-in process involves an airport style passport check before passing through security scanners. Passengers then enter a waiting area before boarding the train around 10-15mins before departure.

Standard Class:

The majority of Eurostar trains consist of Standard Class seating, which is perfectly comfortable. When booking tickets, passengers are able to choose which seats they would like to occupy on their journey. Standard Class seats are generally aircraft-style, with two seats next to each other (one aisle seat and one window seat). A small number of table seats (two sets of two, facing each other) are also available in Standard Class carriages.

Tip: When choosing your seats, look towards the middle of the train, as there tend to be some older Leisure Select carriages available for Standard Class passengers. These carriages have bigger seats and more spacious layouts, but are a little bit older than other parts of the train.

Standard Class passengers are able to buy food and drinks from the on-board bar, which is fairly reasonsable value, but you may wish to bring your own refreshments with you to cut costs! Power sockets are available by the side of your seat, and luggage racks are found at the end of the carraiges.

Standard Premier:

Standard Premier carriages offer bigger seats than Standard Class, with sets of two and one in each row, and a few more table seats available. Complimentary magazines are available to passengers, and a light meal and drinks are served at your seat.

Business Premier:

Business Premier carriages are pretty similar in terms of space and arrangement to Standard Premier. Business passengers are able to take advantage of the Business Premier Lounge at the station (which includes a complimentary bar and refreshments), as well as access to WiFi in the Lounges and complimentary newspapers and magazines on board. Business Premier passengers can also take advantage of a full meal served at their seat.

If you haven't taken a trip on Eurostar yet, we highly recommend it. For practicality, time saved and value.

Eurostar services run between London and Paris every hour or half an hour (during peak periods). The journey takes around 2hrs 15mins (London to Paris).

Monday - Friday:

Up to 19 services between London and Paris. First train from London at 05.25, last train from London at 20.02. First train from Paris at 06.43, last train from Paris at 21.13. Six services a day call at Ebbsfleet, and three (Paris to London) or four (London to Paris) call at Ashford. For services to Calais and Lille, look for services between London and Brussells.

Saturday and Sunday:

Up to 22 services between London and Paris. First train from London at 06.22, last train at 20.32. First train from Paris at 07.13, last train at 21.13. Five (Paris to London) or six (London to Paris) services a day call at Ebbsfleet, and three (London to Paris) or four (Paris to London) call at Ashford.

A PDF of the latest Eurostar timetable can be found here.

Pricing information not only depends on the fare class you choose, but also the desired flexibility for the ticket. If there is no risk of you needing to change your travel times/dates, you will be eligible for the cheapest fare.

There are three fare levels on the Eurostar; Business Premier, Standard Premier and Standard Class. Depending on how flexible you want to be on rescheduling timings, and the time of day you travel, you may be able to get your fare to as low as £69 return (for an adult travelling between London and Paris). The lowest adult Standard Premier return fare is £189. Business Premier tickets start at £450 return.

Student and senior tickets are also available, starting from £59 return for journeys between London and Paris. Child fares start from £49 return for the same journey.

An up-to-date table of fares can be found on the Eurostar website.

Cheap Eurostar Tickets:

If you only want to be in London or Paris for one night, a special 'Night Clubber' fare is available for £50. This is valid for travel on Saturdays or Sundays after 4pm, returning before 12pm the following day.

Also worth considering are the ticket + hotel packages available directly from Eurostar. These are often much better deals than found on other websites, and can save a lot of money.