United Kingdom → France · 344 km apart
London to Paris
Take the Train — 2h 20m, from €45, 18 a day
Eurostar, and it is not close. Around two and a quarter hours from St Pancras to Gare du Nord, both of them central, against a 78-minute flight that hides two airport journeys, security and a bag wait. Advance standard fares open around £39 and climb steeply toward departure, so the booking date matters more than the operator. The coach exists, costs about half a cheap Eurostar fare, and takes the better part of a working day including the crossing.
Every way to make the trip
Check in at least 60–90 minutes ahead — this is the one train with an airport-style border process.
Gate to gate. Heathrow or Gatwick to central Paris rarely beats the train door to door.
8–9½ hours including the Channel crossing. Overnight departures save a nights accommodation.
Times are the fastest scheduled service for each mode; flights are gate to gate, before airport time. Fares are typical advance-booking ranges, not quotes. Checked 5 September 2026. Distance is straight-line — rail and road are longer.
Prefer to drive?
Compare car hire at either end. Returning the car in the other city usually adds a one-way fee, and across a border it can run to several hundred euros — check it before you book.
Check live fares
The cheapest fare our own price crawler has recorded on this pair is $87. It is a price we saw, not one on offer now.
A regional travel eSIM covers you across the whole trip — no roaming bill and no hunting for a local SIM at each border. Install it before you fly.
Both ends of the trip
Travelling the other way? The comparison is the same — Paris to London runs on the same services, and both directions are covered above.