parisandelle

We live in Newhaven (20 minutes outside) Brighton and are going to Paris for the last weekend in Sept. We used to fly from Gatwick, but I can't find any carriers from Gatwick to Paris.

Our options are drive to Gatwick and park, take the Gatwick Express and then take the Eurostar.

Or drive to Heathrow (the craziest airport in the world) and just fly.

I am trying to figure out which takes the least amount of time. It usually takes us an hour and ten mintues to get to Heathrow (if we have a very early flight), then you have the 1 hour before check in time, etc.

I have never gone via Eurostar. Anyone in the Southeast have any clues for me. Thanks!

rkkwan

Drive to the Eurostar station at Ashford. It's about 62 miles on "A" road, no motorway, so it's a bit slow. [Viamichelin says 1hr40min.] But you avoid the hassle of driving to London, and you don't need to change trains.

Eurostar only takes 2 hours, even, from Ashford to Paris.

I think that's the easiest way, and probably take less time than flying through Heathrow, to get to Central Paris.

Patrick

Since you say that Heathrow is the "craziest airport in the world" I suspect you don't travel much? LOL, but I've seen many, many far crazier ones.

I was about to suggest the Ashford/Eurostar connection as well. Actually when I brought it up on Mapquest, it shows looping northward to the motorway and around, but still shows the time at about an hour and a half drive. Considering you don't need to be at the station so long before departure as you would at an airport, and the time you save by arriving IN Paris rather than way out, I'd also say Eurostar is your best bet.

parisandelle

Thanks! Patrick...we travel too much and it must be the American in me as my English husband thinks Heathrow is easy, whereas he detests my hometown's airport (Chicago O'Hare). I guess it is what you are used to. ;-)

tracys2cents

Is London Luton to Paris on Easyjet an option?

rkkwan

Luton is north of London. Newhaven/Brighton is south.

Robespierre

I don't live in the southeast (Arizona, actually) - but since time enroute is the only criterion you stated, I don't think from that standpoint you can improve much on driving to Gatwick. In any case, I think flying is a non-starter due to the additional time to get checked in and your luggage ransacked - plus the transfer at the Paris end.

You might also want to look at Southern Trains DaySave fares

<b>http://go-ahead-ecommerce.com/sndaysave/TicketDetails.do</b>

They'll take you anywhere in their network for &pound;10, which might beat the cost of driving and parking. I can't speak to the reliability of their service, but going right into London will probably give you the most flexibility, as not all Eurostar trips stop at Ashford.

rkkwan

True, only some Eurostars stop at Ashford International. But the train travel time is also reduced. 2hr vs ~2:45.

Gatwick to Waterloo takes at least 45 minutes (via Clapham Junction). Most likely longer if you take the Gatwick Express and switch to the tube (or taxi). So, that's 1:30 not including transfer. Won't it be easier to just drive straight to Ashford? I don't know about the parking situation at Gatwick vs Ashford, however.

Robespierre

On Saturday, Eurostar trains from Ashford are

7:24
8:29
9:59
12:59
17:59

Going out Friday might give you a few options - but don't forget that if you leave your car at Ashford, you have to get back to pick it up. Here's the timetable:

<b>http://www.eurostar.com/dctm/timetables/pdf/timetable_130205_uk_uk.pdf</b>

janis

Isn't Newhaven on the rail line to Ashford? If not, I'm pretty sure Eastbourne is. W/ all the hassles getting to LHR, or into London and over to Waterloo, it would be a no brainer for me. I'd take the train to Ashford and catch the Eurostar there.

If the train schedules don't work out both directions, like if you want to return from Paris late at night - then I would drive to Ashford. But if the scheds match - I'd definitely take the train.

Flying would take a lot more time and you'd still only be out at CDG, while the Eurostar plops you down in the center of the city.

GeoffHamer

I don't understand why driving to Gatwick to catch a train to Victoria was even an option (for one thing, Eurostars don't go from Victoria). There are lots of stations nearer to Newhaven with trains to London, or there are hourly trains from Hastings to Ashford with connections from Lewes and Eastbourne.
You can also get a ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe, then a train to Paris (www.transmancheferries.com).

Robespierre

Southern goes from both Newhaven and Gatwick into London Bridge, one Tube stop from Waterloo. If you can't fit the Ashford Eurostar schedule into your plans, this connection wouldn't be too painful IMO.

<i>p.s.</i> If you drive from Newhaven to Ashford, parking is &pound;9 per day, &pound;45 per week.

<b>http://www.directrail.com/eurostar_ashford_international.html</b>

Christina

I don't know UK geography or roads enough to know if this is farther for you than London, but Thomsonfly has cheap flights direct to Paris from Bournemouth.

http://www.thomsonfly.com/en/index.html

parisandelle

Thanks everyone,

Whenever we go to London we always take the Southern train to from Lewes into Victoria. For some reason, I thought we could just skip drive to Gatwick and take the GE and then taxi to Waterloo. I know you can't get the Eurostar from Victoria, GeoffHamer.

I just checked southernrailway.com and it looks like we could go from Lewes to Ashford International (train changes) in 1:47. Not bad. Then we could take the Eurostar. If driving saves us a bit if time we will drive to Ashford, but one can never tell on a Friday morning here.

Thanks for all you help!

Brazilnut

I was in Brighton in May and left to fly to Paris. The best way for me was to take a Coach at the Coach Station in Brighton directly into Heathrow. It took about 2 hours (it stops at Gatwick on the way) and the cost was 20 GBP. I flew to Paris with British Midlands; round trip from London, taxes and all, cost less that 75 GBP.

Brazilnut

I forgot to say that the flight to Paris took about one hour, plus about 45 minutes from CDG to Port Royal on the RER.