Iregeo

DH and I plan to travel from LAX to spend our 25th wedding anniversary in Paris. Before settling in Paris, we want to spend several days in Normandy. Would it be easier (less stressful) to fly into LHR and cross the chunnel to Calais, or CDG and train into Normandy? I know that both options require travel from the airport to the train station. Is one option generally more or less expensive than the other?

Thanks for the help.

PatrickLondon

Heathrow: You'd need to get to St Pancras (allow nearly an hour on the tube or an awkward change from the Heathrow Express) for the Eurostar to the Gare du Nord (2 to 2.5 hours), and then from there to Gare St Lazare for trains to Normandy. Allow at least 4 hours from Heathrow to Gare St Lazare.

CDG: RER to the Gare du Nord, change RER lines to Gare St Lazare. Less than an hour.

Doesn't seem a difficult choice to me.....!

PatrickLondon

Oh, and the Heathrow option would cost at least 8 to 10 times as much. You'd be going several hundred miles out of your way.

nytraveler

The only thing that makes sense is to land in Paris. Way faster, easier and cheaper.

Iregeo

Many thanks.

PatrickLondon, doesn't the Eurostar go directly from London to Calais? Would I really have to go to Paris first?

alanRow

Calais isn't in Normandy and to travel from there to Normandy would require you to go to Paris first unless you have a car or were prepared to take a very long and very slow route with several changes of train.

Do the sensible thing and fly into Paris and take the train out to Normandy

janisj

From LHR it would take most of an entire day, involve multiple transfers, and cost a fortune.

From CGD it takes far less time, w/ a simple transfer, and saves €€€

Iregeo

Thanks. Done deal.