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EUROSTAR HIGH SPEED LONDON - PARIS
St. Pancras Terminal "Chunnel" Train To Paris or
Brussels
You
roll along smooth and breathlessly quiet past fields of green and yellow
as the world races past at
about 185 miles an hour. Then, the scenery goes dark for
about 20 minutes as you pass under the English Channel, then
more green fields, then the outlying streets of Paris.
You’ve just taken the Eurostar high speed “Chunnel” train
from London to Paris. The Eurostar ultra high speed train runs its
trans-channel tunnel service 
between
London and Paris or Brussels from the refurbished St. Pancras
Station International
Rail Terminal. St
Pancras' old track
platforms doubled for King’s
Cross Station in the Harry Potter movies making a last appearance in
the finale Deathly Hallows. With its new glass arched ceiling adding
light to the central
concourse with upscale shops and restaurants, entertain yourself
while waiting for your train at the interactive consoles in the tables.
The Gare du Nord remains the Paris station terminal of the high speed
line which runs under the English Channel from London. A trip from St.
Pancras to the
Gare
du Nord takes about two and a quarter hours.
A trip from London to Brussels will take just under 2 hours.
Why
Eurostar train instead of flying?
Convenience
and comfort. A chance to chat with your friends, family and others you
meet
on your journey through the Chunnel. Check-in
for the high speed train is 30 minutes, a little more
if you have a lot of baggage.
Each passenger on Eurostar is allowed 2 pieces of luggage
and 1
carry-on bag. You get on in one city and get off in the middle of the
other, a short cab or subway ride to your hotel. No need for airport
transfer bus or rail trips (see Paris
Opera-Louvre Hotels).
There are more seats available on the train. The Eurostar
has a 91% on-time performance. And for those environmentally
conscious "green" travelers
the Eurostar boasts that it's "carbon neutral". If connecting
at an airport, though, flying might be more convenient.
What
About Ticket Cost?
The Eurostar has four price classes for its tickets - Economy, Freedom,
Comfort and Premier, which are basically Second Class or First Class
with
non-refundable "restricted" and
refundable full fare (flexible) tickets. If budget travel is your main concern
there are a few things to consider - a restricted ticket is like an economy
air ticket, no changes or refund. A flexible ticket means you can
change the time
or date. Cost for a Eurostar London to Paris ticket in dollars ranges from
a low of $62 to $144 for one way Economy Restricted, up to $412
for Premier First
Class Service including a meal. Prices can vary significantly depending on
time of year (summer will be higher), time of train (rush hour)
advance reservation
and occupancy. If you are willing to be flexible with your travel times, cheaper
tickets are available for
less
popular
travel
times.
Book
Tickets from Rail Europe Eurostar
Booking Center
Discounts are available if you have a Eurail Rail Pass (see How Rail Passes Work). There aren't really any ticket discounters for the Eurostar, though special promotions are offered from time to time . If you’re traveling for vacation and pleasure, look for a train outside of business rush hours for a cheaper ticket. Seating is all reserved on the Eurostar so the more in advance you get a ticket the more seats will be available. You can walk up and get a ticket at the ticket window, but don’t expect the cheapest price.
Cost
Compared to Flying
An airline ticket from London to Paris on British
Airways from Heathrow to Charles DeGaule will cost between $77 (£49)
and $180 for Economy, but there are baggage weight restrictions for checked baggage
at the lower economy price and it is non-refundable, so if you have a lot of
luggage add more for the air ticket or if you want change dates. The flight is
an hour, but getting to the airports on both ends and boarding times, plan about
4 hours, and add transfer costs of about $40-60. A discount flight from an airport
like Stansted add another 30 minutes, and with new airport fees the ticket price
will be about $70-110 but add more transfer costs and beware of tighter baggage
restrictions (see Discount
Airlines).
St Pancras London Terminal
Though
St. Pancras may be a more convenient terminal for Eurostar international
high speed trains to connect
to trains from
St. Pancras and Kings Cross stations
to points north of London, it is a little bit north of the central heart
of the city. The tube stop for
St Pancras is the underground station at King’s Cross
Station across the street, and a few Underground stops before arriving
at the heart of tourist London. When the Olympics comes to London in
2012, its bound to be bustling.
There are
a number of small budget private tourist class hotels in the neighborhood
around St Pancras, located two streets to the south of Euston Road.
A Tourist Information booth is right across the street with a list of
current room vacancies for a short stopover.
A Premier
Travel
Inn is
located
a few
blocks away on Euston Road, a
Comfort Inn is a block away and the
Novotel London Euston provides
a business class hotel environment two blocks west of Kings Cross. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Rail
Europe Eurostar
Booking Center
From
Canada
From
Australia
Find St Pancras Station Hotel Deal
Compare
best vacation
deals in London on
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These
articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe
and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
See Also:
EUROPEAN
HIGH SPEED TRAINS
TGV, ICE, AVE - Europe Fast Rail Travel
THE
REAL "BIRTH" OF FRANKENSTEIN
Tour Mary Shelley Sights Near St. Pancras
LONDON
PUB TOUR
Historic Drinking Spots of Ole London Town
PARIS
ELEGANCE ON A 3-STAR BUDGET
Paris Hotel Richmond Opera
LONDON'S
SECRET GARDEN
Kensington Rooftop Gardens
DIJON
CENTRAL HOTELS
Bargain Hotels close to TGV Rail in Historic Old Dijon
High Speed Rail Eurostar Chunnel
Train London To Paris Tickets Cost Comparison
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Cheap Travel in Europe on a Budget with Bargain Travel Europe ©2006-2011
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