travel on the chunnel
 

visiting Paris in late March, where do I purchase and board the chunnel for a visit to London?

I'll take a wild guess but perhaps you mean you would like to take the Eurostar TRAIN from Paris to London? I'm not sure what mode of transporation a chunnel is nor how it would be purchased or boarded.

Buy your ticket either on line in advance or go to any Paris train station to buy the ticket. The train leaves from Paris Nord train station.

tsk tsk our British FodorFriends will scold you for using, to them at least, a rather perjorative term "Chunnel".

To them it is the Channel Tunnel - rather an anal reaction yes but they always upbraid Yanks, whose vernacular uses 'Chunnel' and not Channel Tunnel, for naively using the word 'Chunnel.'

Just to get that out of the way - i do digress but the main advice is that the early bird gets the worm on Chunnel tickets - go to www.eurostar.com for prices in euros departing from Paris - and really booking early rather than buying on the spot can mean saving literally hundreds of bucks for a party of two/

Thank you and I do apologize! Is the Paris Nord station the best to depart from and where will I end up in London? Able to walk to some sights for the day?

You don't have any choice about where you embark or disembark. You get on the EUROSTAR at the Gare du Nord in Paris and get off at St-Pancras Station in London.

<< Is the Paris Nord station the best to depart from >>

Yes, if you want to go to London. That's why I said the train leaves from Paris Nord.

Hi Freedom to Travel,
I'm from the US and I have taken the Eurostar train from London to Paris and Paris to London several times. We enjoyed our chunnel adventures--going by train through the tunnel that is under the English channel--and had great experiences in both cities, once only for a day in Paris. I'm sure some of the great experts on this board will kindly explain your best walking opportunities for your day. If you are going for the day, don't forget you gain an hour--a lovely thing! Have fun and book your reservations early so you can save $$$! Have a great time!!

You probably can't book for March until January, or 90 days out from your travel date

It's not really scolding to tell you that Chunnel isn't the word, it's to stop you sounding like a dumb tourist.

I believe you can buy tickets 120 days out (I did for Nov).

You will get off at Kings Cross/St Pancras in London.

Now that the eurostar ends in St Pancras the options to eat at that end are even better than at the Gare du Nord. Champagne anyone?

You probably can't book for March until January, or 90 days out from your travel date>

In the U.S. thru Rail Europe you can book up to nine months in advance.

"In the U.S. thru Rail Europe you can book up to nine months in advance.

How can they do that if the timetable has not yet been worked out?

bilboburgler, please let us know where you eat at the St Pancras end???

freedom2travel, are you going to be in London for only the one day? London really doesn't lend itself to a one-day quickie sightsee. The sights are a bit spread out. However, you could take the Hop On Hop Off sightseeing bus that circles around the main sights, letting you on and off. There are connections to this from St. Pancras.

As for walking, the British Museum isn't too far, also the British Library.

Bilboburgler is probably referencing the champagne bar that overlooks the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras station...

I'm British and have no problems with the term 'Chunnel' though I don't use it myself. For the very best information on the eurostar - and on train travel in general, you can do no better than visit http://www.seat61.com/London-Paris-train.htm
The Man in Seat 61 is passionate about train travel and will give you the very best advice.

The station has been renovated. Champagne bar on the top deck plus a good trad restaurant. Downs stairs there is a wide range of diferent food suppliers. Its pretty nice compared to the rougher area around Kings Cross

In the U.S. thru Rail Europe you can book up to nine months in advance.

I think that is wrong information too. I was checking schedules in March for October and could not get the information yet

I recommend you print out your ticket when you book on-line. This will save you time and energy at the station. You still have to go thru security so I'd get there early.