London to Paris by train: Eurostar times, fares and booking tips
London to Paris by Eurostar: up to 17 trains a day, journeys from 2 h 16, fares from around £39. Classes, check-in, how to pay less and where to book.
By Ilyane, railway signalling engineer · Updated 6 October 2026
London to Paris by train means up to 17 Eurostar services a day between London St Pancras International and Paris Gare du Nord, with journeys from 2 h 16. Fares start at around £39 when you book a few weeks ahead. Here is everything you need to pick the right train, get through check-in smoothly and pay less.
London–Paris by Eurostar at a glance
- Departs: London St Pancras International.
- Arrives: Paris Gare du Nord, in the city centre, with metro and RER connections.
- Journey time: from 2 h 16, around 2 h 20 to 2 h 30 depending on the train.
- Frequency: up to 17 trains a day.
- Fares: from around £39 one way when booked early, often over £100 at the last minute.
Before you travel
- Passport: UK travellers need a passport valid for their whole stay in the Schengen area.
- Arrive early: security and passport checks for both countries take place at St Pancras before boarding. Allow 60 to 90 minutes; gates close 30 minutes before departure.
- Coming from the EU? For the return leg into the UK, European travellers need an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation), £20 since 8 April 2026, valid for two years.
Standard, Plus or Premier?
- Eurostar Standard: the cheapest, with Wi-Fi, power sockets and a café bar. Plenty for a journey of just over two hours.
- Eurostar Plus: wider seats and a light meal served at your seat.
- Eurostar Premier: full meal, station lounges and fully flexible tickets, mainly for business travel.
Good to know: luggage is not weighed and there are no liquid restrictions, a real advantage over flying.
How to pay less
- Book early: cheap fares are sold in tiers and go first. Two to four months ahead is ideal.
- Travel Tuesday to Thursday, midday: these are usually the cheapest trains. Friday and Sunday evenings are the busiest.
- Compare several dates: fares can double from one day to the next.
Where to buy London–Paris tickets
| Site | What it offers | Fees | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trainline | All Eurostar trains, handy app with mobile tickets | Booking fee may apply, shown before payment | Compare on Trainline |
| Omio | Eurostar compared with flights and coaches on the same route | Service fee may apply, shown before payment | Compare on Omio |
| Eurostar | All fares and classes, loyalty programme | No booking fee | See on Eurostar |
Our tip: start with a comparison site to see every departure of the day and its fare, then book the cheapest train that suits you.
Where to stay in Paris near Gare du Nord
The area around Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est is well connected to the whole city by metro and RER, and makes the return trip easy. See hotels near Gare du Nord
Why Eurostar is so fast: an engineer's view
The route runs almost entirely on high-speed line: High Speed 1 from London, the 50.5 km Channel Tunnel opened in 1994, then the LGV Nord to Paris. The whole route is electrified at 25 kV AC, which makes the border crossing far simpler than on routes such as Paris–Milan.
Trains run with TVM 430 cab signalling, the French high-speed system used on HS1, in the tunnel and on the LGV Nord. Speed drops to 160 km/h in the tunnel for safety reasons, which accounts for about twenty minutes under the sea.
The route is set to change: Eurostar has ordered 30 Alstom Celestia double-deck trains (up to 50 with options), each with 540 seats, due from 2031. New operators are also preparing to enter the tunnel, as covered in our article on Eurostar's future rivals from 2029, alongside new links such as London to Geneva in five hours.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from London to Paris?
From 2 h 16, around 2 h 20 to 2 h 30 on average, city centre to city centre.
How much is a Eurostar ticket from London to Paris?
From around £39 when booked early, often over £100 at the last minute.
How early should I arrive at St Pancras?
60 to 90 minutes before departure; gates close 30 minutes before.
Key takeaways
- Up to 17 Eurostar trains a day between London St Pancras and Paris Gare du Nord.
- Journeys from 2 h 16, fares from around £39 when booked early.
- Allow 60 to 90 minutes for check-in and border controls.
- New Celestia double-deck trains due from 2031.
For rail enthusiasts
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Find all our guides in our Train Travel section.
Sources: SNCF Connect, Journey Finder, IamExpat, Rail Magazine.
AI-generated illustration.
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TrainsNews est un média indépendant et bilingue d'actualité ferroviaire mondiale, publié depuis 2024. La rédaction couvre la grande vitesse, le matériel roulant, l'infrastructure, la signalisation et les télécoms ferroviaires (ERTMS/ETCS, CBTC, FRMCS, GSM-R), l'exploitation, le fret et le financement des projets. Chaque article cite ses sources et donne les chiffres avec leur total. TrainsNews is an independent, bilingual (French/English) news outlet covering the global rail industry since 2024: high-speed rail, rolling stock, infrastructure, signalling and telecoms, operations, freight and project financing. Every article cites its sources.
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