twin98

Looking to take train from London to Paris. Is the Chunnel the quickest way to go?
We arrive back in Southhampton. Does anyone know how far away the port is from where the train terminal
is.
Thank you!!

surfmom

The Chunnel is the English Channel - the train is the Eurostar. If you are taking the train from London to Paris, the Eurostar is the only way to go. You could take the train to a port city (ie. Dover) and take a ferry or hovercraft from there (to Calais or somewhere) and then pick up a train from there to Paris, but that is significantly (!) longer than the Eurostar.

I'm confused... you are taking the train from London to Paris, but arrive back in Southampton ? How do you get from Paris to Southampton ?

The Eurostar departs from St. Pancras in London.

good luck

nytraveler

Agree - don't see how Southampton comes into it - nowhere near the tunnel the Eurostar uses.

xyz123

I think the OP means he or she is taking a cruise that ends in Southhampton and wants to get to Paris from there...I would go back to London for a day and take Eurostar the next day from London to Paris.....

Seamus

xyz123 - yes, I read it that way, too.
OP - According to the info at http://tinyurl.com/2ftfxud you can get from Southampton to London in 2 hours via car or train and 3 hours via bus. Allow a bit more for transfer to your hotel if staying overnight or to St Pancras station if proceeding right to Paris.

twin98

Sorry,
we will be arriving back to Southhampton on a cruise.
I was then told to take the Chunnel to Paris irbid quicker..??
then the regular Eurostar? Is there a difference?
Where do we pick it up? The ship will take us to the airport or I imagine we can have
a car service pick us up
and take us to the train station we need to go to. We arrive back to
S hampt. 6 am & need to leave that day.
Is it doable?
Thanks!!

taggie

The "Chunnel" is the tunnel under the English Channel that the train (the Eurostar) travels through (the term isn't really used much any more). The "chunnel" is not a train.

There is no other route for a train to take from England to France, since they are separated by water (the English Channel). If you are taking a train from England to France directly, you must go under the English Channel. As mentioned by a previous poster, you could take a ferry to a port in France and then train from there to Paris, but it would take much longer than the Eurostar from London to Paris. Or you could fly over the English Channel.

I doubt the ship will take you to the airport. I imagine it will take you to a dock in Southampton.

janisj

OK - twin98, I am getting a bit confused

"<i>we will be arriving back to Southhampton on a cruise. I was then told to take the Chunnel to Paris irbid quicker..?? then the regular Eurostar? Is there a difference? The ship will take us to the airport or I imagine we can have a car service pick us up and take us to the train station we need to go to. We arrive back to S hampt. 6 am & need to leave that day.</i>"

Does this mean you have to go to Paris on the day you arrive at Southampton?

If so -- and if the cruise line provides a transfer to Heathrow, then forget about the Eurostar. Just go to LHR and fly to Paris CDG.

To take the Eurostar you'd have to go from Southampton to London by train, cross all of London by tube or taxi, and then take the Eurostar from St Pancras Station. This trip would take most of a day.

The Eurostar is normally the best way to travel from London to Paris -- BUT -- you will not be in London. You will be in Southampton.

(BTW - there is no "Chunnel" and 'regular' Eurostar - there is just the one train line between the UK and France -- it is called the <u>Eurostar</u

CarrieAnn40

You can fly to Paris from Southampton Airport - http://tinyurl.com/lf3hro

janisj

Oh - yes - you're right. I keep forgetting about FlyBe -- they do serve the SOU/CDG route. That would be their best bet by far . . . .

Gordon_R

In fact, two airlines fly direct from Southampton to Paris: FlyBe and Air France. I don't entirely understand the routing the OP is trying to get to grips with, but if you need to get from Paris to Southampton in the shortest possible time with the minimum of connections, then forget the Eurostar train - the direct flights I mentioned are the best way to go.

Southampton airport by the way is small, stress-free and very efficient - it also happens to be collocated with a main line railway station (which is more than can be said for the likes of LHR).

twin98

Thank you.. Yes we are arriving back from a 14 day cruise in SH. We can take transfers and they WILL tak eus back to LHR. I looked into SH airport there are two flights 7:30 am & 7:30 pm not going to really work as far as getting off ship early. We figured w ewould take Eurostar once w egot into LOndon. Now we are considering going straight to LHR and catching a flight to CDG.
Thank you very much for all of your help!
So any train from SH is out of the question I suppose??

Thanks again.

alanRow

There are no trains to LHR from Southampton. You would have to change to the Rail-Air bus at Woking.

National Express coaches run direct to Heathrow from Southampton.

In both cases you'd need a taxi to get to the train / coach station from the cruise terminal.

BUT I can't understand the comment about the only flights being at 7:30am & 7:30pm. The summer timetable for Southampton shows flights at 08:45, 14:45 and 19:00 on weekdays to Orly and 17

alanRow

and 07:15, 18:10 to CDG.

Even if you a flight immediately from CDG there is an easy bus service between Orly and CDG.

Perhaps you could tell us why you need to be specifically at CDG.

twin98

We arrive on a Sat morning. I suppose the flight schedule at SH is limited. Whatever the quickest route is.. Bus to train. Bus to airport.. We just want to get to Paris that day.
WE do not want to stay over in SH or London and leave the next day.
We do not need to be at CDG just in Paris.
WE already have our flight back from CDG to the states 4 days or so later just need to get to Paris that day (a Saturday)
Thanks everyone for trying to help.

twin98

I just checked Orly on Sat one flight 9:30 am one way 230E.
I am not sure if 9:30 flight would work.. getting off ship by 6;30 -7 am I do not think they would let us off that early. I think it is a weekend schedule thing.
Same with AFrance. A very early am flight and then evening flight in to CDG.

xyz123

Not to be argumentative (well maybe I am)...what is the objection, just out of curiosity, of staying overnight in London and catching an early Eurostar train the next morning? You probably won't get into Paris until late in the day. rush rush rush to do whatever you can do in Paris...instead a nice leisurly bus ride to London on National Express....and unwind from the cruise with a pre-theatre dinner and see a show in London...I can't think of a better way to relax...again it really seems to be the most convenient way to handle the situation unless you have big plans for Paris (you know a birthday celebration, an anniversary, whatever on that arrival day)....

twin98

Yes that does make sense - I guess we just figured we will be packed up.. we rather just go and get to our next place if that makes sense..
RAther then go to another hotel check in check out .. Rather just go straight thru then have an early start the next day in Paris.
I saw a 12:50 flight out of LHR which puts us in to CDg at 3:00
I imagine we can be off the ship by 8. or 7.
Take the transfer straight thru to LHR.
Will be a long day. I hear you...
Thanks

xyz123

Listen to me...flying is a hassle.....you get to the airport, have to check bags (many airlines charge)..go through security, take your shoes off the whole bit, wait in the departure lounge....get on the flight, pakced in like sardines...a relatively short flight true but you're not really in Paris...then arranging some sort of transport to Paris after waiting for your bags yada yada yada....by far, the most convenient way London to Paris is Eurostar...downtown to downtown (St. Pancreas to Gare du nord), you keep your bags, put them in the luggage racks and when you arrive, off they come with you (some people might find this more difficult but I prefer it)...you clear Schengen immigration at St. Pancreas so when the train arrives at Gare du nord, you gather your belongings and walk off the train...time downtown to downtown 2 hrs. and 15 minujtes...one of the things I've noticed is Eurostar has begun offering advanced purchase one way tickets at very reason able rates (it used to be you would have to buy a return and eat the return ticket, I guess too many people were doing that and they really had no way to control it and lots of empty seats on the lasttrains out)...by staying overnight in London, there's simply no hassle...you get to Lodon when you get there...you don't have to completely unpack...you can put the one change in clothes for the next day at the top of your luggage...like I said, a pleasant pre theatre dinner and a nice show...what could be more relaxing? And the next day, you don't have to get up at the break of dawn...catch a 9 AM train or thereabouts, you're in Paris by 12:30 downtown, taxi to your hotel and you will be quite refreshed and ready to enjoy Paris. I wouldn't think, unless again you have something really neat planned in Paris for that night, it is anything but a no brainer (but of course it's your call!)

jubilada

I'm with xyz.