Eurostar

London-Paris-London

Also see: Eurostar article at Europe for Visitors

ABOVE: Eurostar trains behind a glass security wall at the Gare du Nord in Paris. INSET BELOW: Eurostar travels at speeds up to 300 km/h or 186 mph.

by Durant Imboden

Not long ago, I dug out a 1991 edition of the Thomas Cook European Timetable and checked the railroad schedules for London to Paris. A typical journey lasted anywhere from 6½ to 7¾ hours, depending on whether the trip involved hovercraft or ferry connections.

Today, thanks to Eurostar and the English Channel Tunnel, the rail journey between London and Paris can be as short as 2 hours 15 minutes. (Some departures take a few minutes longer than the minimum because of stops in Ashford, Calais, or Lille.)

Just as important, traveling by Eurostar is more comfortable--even in the cheapest Standard Class seats--than traveling by air. It's also more convenient, because you travel from city center to city center.

Cheryl and I recently took Eurostar from London to Paris and back. In this article, I'll describe the trip in detail, to provide step-by-step guidance for first-time travelers on Eurostar between London and the Gare du Nord in Paris.

(Note: The London terminal of Eurostar moved from Waterloo Station to St. Pancras Station in November, 2007, so don't rely on information in outdated guidebooks!)

Next page: Eurostar London-Paris

Inset photo copyright © Eurostar.

Copyright © 1996-2010 Durant and Cheryl Imboden and their licensors.