Paris-London-Paris by Train
May 1st, 2004, 10:52 PM
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Paris-London-Paris by Train
Hello there!
We intend to be in Paris in mid June. We were thinking of taking the "bullet train" from Paris to London, spend 3 nights in London and back to Paris. How long is the trip? And is it okay if we don't make any reservations from here? What is the likelihood of NOT getting a ticket while we are there? Will we be taking a chance if we just show up the train station? Approximately how much is the fair?
Also, has anybody stayed at the Sheraton Hotel at the Charles De Gaulle Airport? If so, how is it? And how convenient is the transportation from the airport to downtown Paris?
Your help will be appreciated?
Kay
We intend to be in Paris in mid June. We were thinking of taking the "bullet train" from Paris to London, spend 3 nights in London and back to Paris. How long is the trip? And is it okay if we don't make any reservations from here? What is the likelihood of NOT getting a ticket while we are there? Will we be taking a chance if we just show up the train station? Approximately how much is the fair?
Also, has anybody stayed at the Sheraton Hotel at the Charles De Gaulle Airport? If so, how is it? And how convenient is the transportation from the airport to downtown Paris?
Your help will be appreciated?
Kay
May 1st, 2004, 11:45 PM
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The ride is anywhere from 2h35 mins to 2h45 mins depending on the train. You should not have a problem getting a seat at the last minute unless it is a major holiday but you may have to wait for the next train for example. There are many trains a day. However, buying it on the spot the day of travel will make it less likely that you get a discount. For fares go to www.eurostar.com , select the UK, click on services then fares. Fares range from 60 to 250 pounds round trip.
The Sheraton CDG is lovely. The architecture is very attractive and the rooms are comfortable with triple glass on the windows to filter out the noise of the jets. The baths have a full shower and tub. All of the services and restaurants in the hotel are unbelievably expensive. It is located inside the airport terminal and right next to the RER station to go to central Paris. It takes 35-45 mins depending on if you get an "express" train or not. This line is frequented by thieves preying on tired tourists so I recommend remaining aware during the ride. It is not dangerous, they are just waiting for a moment of inattention. I would not recommend using it as a base from which to tour Paris.
The Sheraton CDG is lovely. The architecture is very attractive and the rooms are comfortable with triple glass on the windows to filter out the noise of the jets. The baths have a full shower and tub. All of the services and restaurants in the hotel are unbelievably expensive. It is located inside the airport terminal and right next to the RER station to go to central Paris. It takes 35-45 mins depending on if you get an "express" train or not. This line is frequented by thieves preying on tired tourists so I recommend remaining aware during the ride. It is not dangerous, they are just waiting for a moment of inattention. I would not recommend using it as a base from which to tour Paris.
May 2nd, 2004, 04:27 AM
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Do you intend to stay at the airport for the duration of your visit to Paris? That is hardly convenient at all--plus expensive getting back and forth on the RER daily. I would check fares for the time you want from the US--otherwise you may be hit with a very expensive fare.
May 2nd, 2004, 01:26 PM
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Hello there!
Thank you ALL for your responses. The reason why we are going Paris-London-Paris is that our air route is North America-Paris-Scanadinavia. So we are using the 6 night Paris stop-over to tour Paris and London (3 nights in each city), hence we have to go to London and come back to Paris to catch our flight to the Scandinavia.
From the suggestions, it appears that it's not worth it to stay at the CDG Sheraton. Any suggestions for nice but reasonable Hotel names and their rates per night in downtown Paris?
And finally, what are some of the places that we cannot afford to miss while in Paris, apart from places like the Museum and Effiel Tower?
Anybody knows anything about the main Flea Market in Paris, and how far it is from downtown? And is it on Saturdays and Sundays?
Again, any responses will be appreciated.
Kay
Thank you ALL for your responses. The reason why we are going Paris-London-Paris is that our air route is North America-Paris-Scanadinavia. So we are using the 6 night Paris stop-over to tour Paris and London (3 nights in each city), hence we have to go to London and come back to Paris to catch our flight to the Scandinavia.
From the suggestions, it appears that it's not worth it to stay at the CDG Sheraton. Any suggestions for nice but reasonable Hotel names and their rates per night in downtown Paris?
And finally, what are some of the places that we cannot afford to miss while in Paris, apart from places like the Museum and Effiel Tower?
Anybody knows anything about the main Flea Market in Paris, and how far it is from downtown? And is it on Saturdays and Sundays?
Again, any responses will be appreciated.
Kay
May 3rd, 2004, 04:16 AM
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Since you arrive at CDG from North America - - and you're already AT the airport, I would get off one plane and right on to another. Fly easyjet.com from CDG to London (luton) for as little as 21.99 euro (plus 15 euro taxes) per person. The train could cost you 2-6 times that much (though admittedly, you still have the cost of getting from Luton to your detination in London). For a true comparisn, you would need to factor in the cost of getting from CDG to Paris Nord Gare SNCF (train station) - - or you could take the TGV directly to Lille Europe and catch the Eurostar there (not called the "bullet train" in France nor in England).
There ARE bargain fares between Paris and London which require advance purchase and are cheapest (I think) for some roundtrips that business peope do not favor purchasing. Others can fill you in on the arcane pricing of such things. They can reduce the fare from the $180 to $260 "walk-up" price (or for "premium class", more like $490!) to half that or less.
Best wishes,
Rex
There ARE bargain fares between Paris and London which require advance purchase and are cheapest (I think) for some roundtrips that business peope do not favor purchasing. Others can fill you in on the arcane pricing of such things. They can reduce the fare from the $180 to $260 "walk-up" price (or for "premium class", more like $490!) to half that or less.
Best wishes,
Rex
May 3rd, 2004, 07:21 AM
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We're doing London-Paris-London later this month. We weren't able to get the lowest fare Eurostar rates, so it would have been far more expensive to do that then to fly.
We went the EasyJet route, which is quite inexpensive. We're taking a shuttle bus between the London airports.
We went the EasyJet route, which is quite inexpensive. We're taking a shuttle bus between the London airports.
May 5th, 2004, 12:58 PM
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This is just some general information. On reading your topic, my immediate reaction was "by train????" Two years ago, my family of four visited France and London. We considered taking the trip between the two by train, but then decided on jet plane. If flying is an option, I strongly suggest that you consider it. It is a little under an hour, and great bargains can be found. It is a very hassle-free and speedy option. Hope this helps. Have a great trip!
May 7th, 2004, 06:58 AM
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If you decide to go by train, go to the Eurostar web site ASAP, pretend you live in France, pay with your credit card. They will give you a reservation number, take it down. When you arrive at Gare du Nord, you could, if you had a French credit card, have your ticket issued automatically by the automatic ticket machines there. But not to worry: go straight to the Eurostar selling counter on the mezzanine with your reservation number, they'll issue the ticket for you in no time. There are a dozen Eurostars a day. Provided you avoid the business ones (6 to 8 AM, 18 20.00) and the Friday/Sunday night ones, it's very easy to land the cheapest fares (between 80 and 100 euros return).
Re the flying option, I would try to avoid Easyjet (very tricky web site, where the fares are advertised without the taxes that will eventually double it), but good ol' Air France, BA and BMI are very likely to offer you competitive fares and have you take off and land at decent airports, unlike Easyjet (ask anyone about Terminal 3 at CDG, or Luton airport, which is OK but 40 miles north of London). You can check these airlines or their respective sites or try www.ebookers.fr that will give you the best fares with all airlines.
Re the flying option, I would try to avoid Easyjet (very tricky web site, where the fares are advertised without the taxes that will eventually double it), but good ol' Air France, BA and BMI are very likely to offer you competitive fares and have you take off and land at decent airports, unlike Easyjet (ask anyone about Terminal 3 at CDG, or Luton airport, which is OK but 40 miles north of London). You can check these airlines or their respective sites or try www.ebookers.fr that will give you the best fares with all airlines.
May 7th, 2004, 07:24 AM
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For travelling from Paris to London, the train is now quicker than flying. The plane might take less than an hour to get from runway to runway, but if you add the journey times to and from the airports, and the check-in time, then the train will take less time and be a lot more comfortable as you can sit down and relax for two and a half hours.
