I am the keeper of the tickets. My daughter is our navigator. She is very quick to read the map and navigate the tube. Once we are in France that may be a different story.

"Because they have sold you the whole package, if you did miss your connection, they are obliged under the european conditions of carriage to put you on the next train that has space. that is a definite advantage of buying your UK and onward train tickets at the same time through the eurostar site."

Not quite the case.

The connection should take about 30 mins, from the train arriving at Paddington to going through the checkin barriers at St P. If your train from Oxford's over 30 mins late, you're supposed to get the train manager (the person on the train who inspects tickets) to endorse your Eurostar ticket before leaving Paddington to make sure Eurostar will issue you a booking on a new train. That'll be on the first AVAILABLE train: at this time of year, many Eurostars are fully booked, so you might have to wait a while - though Eurostars have dinky, unbookable, little jumpseats they often use to squeeze extra people on if there's a surge of rerouted passengers

Note also:

1. There's a lift up to the bridge that goes to the H&C line at platform 1, but at all other platforms there's only steps. Trains from Oxford rarely arrive at platform 1. The bridge is roughly over coach F on the longest trains used on this service, so for many standard class passengers, you often actually need to walk towards the front of the train to get to the bridge. The bridge is completely impossible to miss if you look up.

2. I don't know when chartley last took this journey, but there are now TWO, really rather wide, staircases down to the H&C platform at Paddington (which weren't there when annhig was there last) and improvements are continuing. I don't think the lift is open yet though

3. The tube journey itself, once you're on it, is 12 minutes and it's a max of five mins from the tube to the Eurostar checkin barrier, as long as you follow signs for St Pancras then look for the Eurostar checkin signs as soon as you enter the station. That 12 mins INCLUDES a frequently-occurring 2 minute wait in the dark outside Baker St station that frequently induces terror among passengers nervous about getting to St P or Kings Cross on time. It's just designed to develop your moral fibre before exposing you to the horrors of life on the Continent.

4. The overwhelming likelihood is you'll make this connection absolutely painlessly with at least half an hour to look round St P before needing to go through the barriers. If so, take look round. After the checkin barriers there's nothing to do but read your book.

>>After the checkin barriers there's nothing to do but read your book.<<

Well, there are a couple of very ordinary café/bars and a small bookshop - but if you're prone to queue-anxiety it can get a bit fraught if someone is dithering, or ordering cappuccinos in committee (one of my pet bugbears, sorry). If that is you, I wouldn't risk getting distracted in the St Pancras shoppping concourse.

We last made this journey on Friday 13th July 2012, but in the opposite direction. Having got up the stairs from the H & C platform (I believe there will eventually be a lift as part of the improvements), we then walked past the new taxi rank and down in a lift to the station concourse. We then made our way to the first class waiting room by platform 1.

After travelling by coach from Rudesheim to Cologne, Thalys from Cologne to Brussels, Eurostar from Brussels to St Pancras and tube from St Pancras to Paddington, we felt like taking the easy route with our bags.

>>After the checkin barriers there's nothing to do but read your book.<<

Well, there are a couple of very ordinary café/bars and a small bookshop>>

and the Paris information desk selling museum passes etc.

as your DD is official navigator, she could spend her time on the eurostar getting familiar with the Metro. are you going to get a transport pass or use carnets?

>>as your DD is official navigator, she could spend her time on the eurostar getting familiar with the Metro<<

Or indeed now:

http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/c_21879/tourists/
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/

Made our train with ease by just following the signs. Even stopping to check in and print tickets we were still able to get to our platform by 9:40, approximately 34 minutes. Going back is a bit tighter with only 52 minutes, but we won't have to stop to print our tickets and that should still be plenty of time. Thank you, everyone!

So pleased you made it, Art_Mom.

hope you're having a great time.

i won't tell you about the nice weather we're getting now!