Getting there

Eurostar or fly? London to Paris, timed and costed door to door

We timed every way from central London to central Paris using each airport's and Eurostar's own advice, then priced the train against every direct flight on two dates this winter. The train wins on time. Whether it wins on price depends on your bag.

By The Better Trip Editorial TeamPublished 19 October 2026Last checked: October 20265 min read

A Eurostar train at its platform under the iron and glass roof of St Pancras International

The short answer

From central London, take the Eurostar. It is 4 hours 18 minutes door to door in our model, against 5 hours 15 minutes or more for every flight, because there is no airport transfer at either end and the French passport check happens before you board.

Fly only if price is everything and you can travel with an under-seat bag. On Thursday 19 November 2026, easyJet from Luton was £26 against Eurostar's cheapest £78, a saving of about £30 once the train to Luton and the Paris airport ticket (about £12) are paid, and more against a midday train. British Airways from Heathrow cost more than any Eurostar that day once its rail links were added, and it was slower.

What only this guide tells you

Two real dates, every direct flight, and the official check-in times

Most comparisons quote "from" fares and a flight time of an hour and a quarter. We read every direct London to Paris flight and every Eurostar train on two dates, Thursday 19 November and Friday 11 December 2026, on 19 October 2026, and costed the rail links at both ends from our own airport guides.

For time, we used the arrival advice each operator publishes: 75 minutes before departure at St Pancras, as Eurostar asks, and two hours before a short-haul flight, as Heathrow, Stansted and Paris Aéroport advise. That is how the gap opens up. The plane is an hour faster than the train, but it loses more than two hours on the way to and from the aircraft.

Door to door: the train is an hour quicker

Is Eurostar faster than flying from London to Paris?

From a hotel in central London to one in central Paris, yes, by about an hour. We assumed 20 minutes to reach the London station, then followed each operator's own advice on when to arrive, the scheduled journey, and the run into central Paris.

Every Eurostar on our two sample days took 2 hours 28 minutes or so (Eurostar advertises 2 hours 16 minutes for its fastest), and the 75 minutes it asks you to allow at St Pancras covers the security check and the French border, including EU Entry/Exit System registration. At Gare du Nord you walk off the platform into the Métro. A flight adds the airport express in London, two hours at the airport, then passport control at Charles de Gaulle and the RER B into Paris.

Passengers with suitcases walking off a Eurostar train on the platform at Paris Gare du Nord

Central London to central Paris, door to door
Route	To the departure point	Before departure	Journey	Into central Paris	Door to door
Eurostar, St Pancras to Gare du Nord	20 min	75 min	2 h 28 min	15 min	4 h 18 min
Heathrow to Charles de Gaulle	35 min (Heathrow Express)	2 h	1 h 25 min	1 h 15 min	5 h 15 min
Gatwick to Charles de Gaulle	50 min (Gatwick Express)	2 h	1 h 15 min	1 h 15 min	5 h 20 min
Luton to Charles de Gaulle	46 min (Luton Airport Express)	2 h	1 h 20 min	1 h 15 min	5 h 21 min
Stansted to Charles de Gaulle	1 h 8 min (Stansted Express)	2 h	1 h 10 min	1 h 15 min	5 h 33 min

Central London to central Paris, door to door. Arrival times before departure are Eurostar's and each airport's published advice. Journey times are the scheduled times on 19 November and 11 December 2026 (flights are shown in local time on booking sites, an hour apart). "Into central Paris" for flights is our estimate: 30 minutes from the aircraft through passport control, the RER B to Gare du Nord (25 to 30 minutes) and 15 minutes on. Live closer to an airport than to St Pancras and the sums change.

What it cost on two winter dates

Is it cheaper to fly or take the Eurostar to Paris?

Flying is cheaper if you take easyJet and fit everything in the free under-seat bag. On both dates easyJet from Luton was the cheapest way to Paris: about £30 to £50 less than the cheapest Eurostar once you count the train to Luton and the €14 (about £12) airport ticket in Paris, and more than that against a midday train. A larger cabin bag or a hold bag costs extra on easyJet and is priced by flight, which narrows the gap.

Against a full-service airline the train holds its own: British Airways from Heathrow was £94 on both dates, about £120 with the Heathrow train and the Paris ticket. That was more than any Eurostar on 19 November and about the same as a mid-priced train on 11 December. Air France ranged from £76 to £208. Eurostar's Standard fare includes two cases and a small bag with no weight limit, and no fees for seats or luggage.

Heathrow Terminal 5 from the airfield, British Airways aircraft at the stands

One-way adult fares London to Paris, read on 19 October 2026
Option	Thu 19 Nov 2026	Fri 11 Dec 2026	Rail link in London	Bags in the fare
Eurostar Standard	£78 (06:01); most trains £102 to £114	£102 to £156	None: St Pancras	Two cases and a small bag
easyJet, Luton to CDG	£26 (18:00)	£33 (18:35)	Luton Airport Express from £10	Under-seat bag only
easyJet, Gatwick to CDG	£38 (13:40)	£48 (18:10)	Gatwick Express £24	Under-seat bag only
easyJet, Stansted to CDG	No direct flight	£49 (12:15)	Stansted Express £21 off-peak	Under-seat bag only
British Airways, Heathrow to CDG	£94	£94	Heathrow Express £26, Elizabeth line £15.50	Cabin bag and a small bag

One-way adult fares London to Paris, read on 19 October 2026. Eurostar fares from eurostar.com; flight fares from Google Flights, including taxes and fees, for the cheapest daytime or evening flight on each route. Add the €14 Paris Région Airports ticket into Paris for every flight. Fares change constantly; these are one snapshot.

Almost every direct flight goes to Charles de Gaulle

Do flights from London go to Orly?

Not many. On 19 November 2026 every direct London to Paris flight landed at Charles de Gaulle, and none left from London City. On 11 December there was one direct flight to Orly, Vueling from Heathrow at £51. Orly is the nearer airport for most of Paris, with metro line 14 to Châtelet in about 25 minutes, but from London you will nearly always land at Charles de Gaulle and take the RER B.

Inside Terminal 2F at Paris Charles de Gaulle, under its long glass roof

How to pay less for the train

The pattern in Eurostar's own fare calendar was clear on both dates we checked.

Travel midweekIn the week of 19 November the cheapest Eurostar was £59 on Tuesday, £66 on Wednesday, £78 on Thursday and £114 on Friday. In the week of 11 December it was £53 on Wednesday against £102 from Friday to Sunday.
Take the first trainOn 19 November the 06:01 was £78 and almost every later train £102 to £114. Eurostar's cheapest seats sell first, and the earliest departure is the least popular.
Do not count on the £39 headline fareEurostar advertises London to Paris from £39. It was not on sale on either of our dates, both a month or more ahead, so plan with the fares in the table rather than the headline.
Pack like it is a train, not a planeEurostar sets no volume limit on liquids, allows two cases up to 85 cm long plus a small bag, and sets no weight limit as long as you can lift your own luggage. If you are taking a big case, compare against a flight's fare with a hold bag added, not the headline.
Start near St Pancras, end near Gare du NordThe Standard, London is across the road from St Pancras. In Paris, Le Pigalle and Hôtel des Grands Boulevards are about five minutes by taxi from Gare du Nord.

What we would buy

Eurostar, London to Paris
£53 to £156 on our sample dates
Omio sells Eurostar tickets and shows every departure with its fare, so you can find the cheap first train or the midweek day quickly. Before paying, check the total against Eurostar's own price for the same train, as booking sites can add a fee.
Check times and prices

The catch

One tunnel, no plan B
When something goes wrong in the Channel Tunnel or on the line, many trains are cancelled or delayed at once and there is no other route for the train to take. Flights spread the risk across five London airports.
What to do. Check Eurostar's travel updates on the morning you travel, and for an important date such as a wedding or a connecting flight, travel the day before.
Peak days at St Pancras
Eurostar warns of queues at St Pancras on peak days, and the 75 minutes it asks for include the EU Entry/Exit System registration for non-EU travellers. The ticket gates close 30 minutes before departure in Standard and Plus, and you will not be let through after that.
What to do. Arrive at the time printed on your ticket, not the gate-closing time, especially on Fridays and at the start of school holidays.
The fares are a snapshot
We read these fares on one day for two dates. Both Eurostar and the airlines price by demand, and a fare can double in the last weeks before travel.
What to do. Compare the two options on your own dates, door to door, with your real luggage, before you book either.

Where we would stay

Questions people ask

Good questions about Eurostar or fly? London to Paris, timed and costed door to door

Is the Eurostar quicker than flying from London to Paris?

Door to door from central London, yes, by about an hour. Our model gives 4 hours 18 minutes by Eurostar and 5 hours 15 minutes for the quickest flight, from Heathrow, using each operator's own advice on when to arrive.

How early should I get to St Pancras for the Eurostar?

Eurostar recommends 75 minutes before departure in Standard and Plus and 45 in Premier. Ticket gates close 30 minutes before departure (15 in Premier). Your ticket shows the recommended time for your train.

Is it cheaper to fly to Paris than take the Eurostar?

With easyJet and only an under-seat bag, usually: on 19 November 2026 easyJet from Luton was £26 against Eurostar's cheapest £78. With a cabin or hold bag, or on British Airways or Air France, the train is often cheaper.

How long is the Eurostar from London to Paris?

Eurostar advertises 2 hours 16 minutes for its fastest train. On both our sample dates in November and December 2026, most trains were timetabled at 2 hours 28 minutes.

Which Paris airport do London flights use?

Almost always Charles de Gaulle. On 19 November 2026 every direct flight landed there; on 11 December the only exception was one Vueling flight from Heathrow to Orly.

Do I go through passport control in Paris on the Eurostar?

No. The French border check, including EES registration for non-EU travellers, is done at St Pancras before you board, so you walk straight off the train at Gare du Nord.

Sources we read (11)

If you book through a link on this page we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never decides what we recommend. Last checked: October 2026

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Image credits: Oxyman (CC BY 2.5) · Warren Rohner (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Steve Cadman (CC BY-SA 2.0) · abdallahh from Montréal, Canada (CC BY 2.0)