London to Paris

January 24, 2006 9:41 AM

What's the cheapest way to travel between London and Paris?

Should be reliable, and fairly easy also.

Secondary question: I live in a homestay in Paris, and my boyfriend is coming to visit, I think we need to get a hotel, since he isn't allowed to stay at my homestay's house (and we want to sleep together). Any suggestions on where to stay, or how to deal with this problem?

posted by Packy_1962 to Travel & Transportation around Paris, France (19 answers total)

bmi
posted by forallmankind at 9:44 AM on January 24, 2006

I'm not an expert, but I think flying is the most economical route - especially if you plan ahead. Though they don't fly direct, you might have some luck with Ryan Air. I'm in the midst of planning a trip myself and have found their fares to be very reasonable. The only problem is that they tend to service ariports near European cities rather than actually in them.

I took the chunnel train a while back, but it was significantly more expensive. Still, it's very cool to hop on the train at Waterloo and end up at Gare du Nord - both located right in the middle of their respective cities.

On preview: Ryan Air is a discount carrier similar to BMI.
posted by aladfar at 9:48 AM on January 24, 2006

Discount airlines are the cheapest on their face, but you've also got to add in the cost of getting to Stansted/Gatwick and the exta time. Eurostar (train) goes direct from Waterloo to Gare du Nord in just over 2 hours and cost me about 57 pounds each way. Certainly faster, and well worth it, in my opinion.

Also, there are plenty of cheap but decent hotels between the Republique and Oberkampf Metro stops. They might cost you between 30-50 Euros a night.
posted by nyterrant at 10:13 AM on January 24, 2006

Flying will be cheapest. But if the margin is slim, you will probably find that taking the Eurostar train from Waterloo will save your sanity somewhat.

You'll be able to get cheap-ish flights from Heathrow (the most easily accessed airport from central London), but getting there can be costly and time-consuming. You'll be able to get marginally cheaper flights from Gatwick, and even cheaper flights still from Luton and Stansted. As the airport gets further away from London, it's generally possible to get cheaper fairs. Bear in mind these would all be with budget carriers like BMI, Ryanair and Easyjet.

Factor in the travel costs / time, and check-in time, and Eurostar can start to look like a more appealing option.

Of course, it all hinges on when you want to travel, and how far in advance you book.

And if cheapness is paramount, there's always the option of going by bus. Rather you than me, though.


posted by coach_mcguirk at 10:15 AM on January 24, 2006

The cheapest way to travel is by coach, specifically Eurolines/National Express. If you get your timings right you'll pay only £3 each way. But it'll take around ten hours and is a fairly grim way to travel.
posted by boudicca at 10:15 AM on January 24, 2006

Well, I suppose if you really want to stretch it, walking/swimming would be cheapest. It might even be more desireable than traveling by coach.
posted by nyterrant at 10:20 AM on January 24, 2006

Spring for the Chunnel train. I know I'm not answering the question asked, but from your extra information (wanting a hotel) I know you do actually have some money, and I gather from your profile that your time in Europe is finite. Have the Chunnel experience.
posted by Aknaton at 10:37 AM on January 24, 2006

Second on the Chunnel recommendation. We had to buy a first-class ticket for one of our legs, which was fun, but even second-class was nice.

As for the hotel, I'm not sure how this is a "problem". Your boyfriend is coming over, he needs a place to stay: have him get a hotel room. Whether you spend the night there with him or not is your business, no one else. Anyway, we got great hotel deals in Paris by going to venere.com. I can highly recommend Hotel California St. Germaine (make sure you ask for a non-smoking room specifically, if possible. It is in the Latin Quarter and near the Notre Dame cathedral. Plus, it is walking distance to the RER line that will take you to Gare du Nord.

Do you need hotel recommendations for London?
posted by achmorrison at 10:55 AM on January 24, 2006

The coach is reliable, easy and dirt cheap. I've used Eurolines a few times to get to Amsterdam. The real drawback is simply that it takes ages. And you're on a cramped coach. For ages.

If you're tolerant of confined spaces for prolonged periods and/or are desperate to save the cash take the coach. Otherwise, train or plane it. Personally, I'd take the train as it's much easier to start and end in the city centre and once you've factored in travel to/from the airports at both ends it's probably not much more expensive than flying.
posted by patricio at 10:57 AM on January 24, 2006

Take the train - Easyjet et al aren't a pleasant way to fly at all, and the extra cash will be well worth it (convenience, comfort etc). If you do end up flying budget, my advice would be to sit as far back in the plane as possible - everyone seems to cram in the front, so you get more room.

For a good, cheap hotel without frills, try an Ibis or Campanile.
posted by djgh at 11:07 AM on January 24, 2006

achmorrison - I could use some London hotel tips...
posted by DandyRandy at 11:59 AM on January 24, 2006

Travelodge do very chap London hotel deals, for what it's worth.

I second/third/fourth the Eurostar. When you factor in train fares to airports, it usually works out the same, and is infinitely more pleasant.

Also, when you get to Paris, feel free to take a taxi to your destination - they're unbelievably cheap (though I'm used to London prices).
posted by ascullion at 12:20 PM on January 24, 2006

Also, when you get to Paris, feel free to take a taxi to your destination - they're unbelievably cheap (though I'm used to London prices).


Ah, from re-reading I see you're based in Paris. Ahem. Sorry.
posted by ascullion at 12:46 PM on January 24, 2006

Eurostar definitely. Also don't forget that if you fly Ryanair they will charge you for every kilo of luggage you have over 15kg. Something like £5 a kilo if I remember right.
posted by jontyjago at 12:59 PM on January 24, 2006

I echo the above, do yourself a favour and go Eurostar. Its sometimes possible to get a 2 for 1 deal and you simply cannot beat the ease of getting on a few minutes before departure, wandering down to the bar carraige en route and arriving in the most central destination in Paris. By the time you add on all the taxes, and extras with the low cost airlines, needing to be there 2 hours at least before take-off, and the crowds at the airports, you'll never cross the channel in anything but train again.

Cheap in Paris- Campanile
posted by Wilder at 1:31 PM on January 24, 2006 [1 favorite]

I've done that trip every which way, and would basically like to echo everyone's comments. Train is by far the sexiest, though plane is quick and cheap IF you get the right route. Don't fly Ryanair on any Paris route if you can help it, as they fly into Beauvais Tille -- a good hour's train ride from the city centre.
posted by milquetoast at 2:21 PM on January 24, 2006

I don't know if they're in Paris, but they are elsewhere in France: Formula 1. Seriously budget! I stayed there in Metz while visiting the amusement park there. The bathrooms are down the hall, but it works well.
posted by Goofyy at 2:02 AM on January 25, 2006

I don't know what price range you're looking at for a hotel, but when I go to Paris, I try to stay at the Tryp de Saxe. If you book via the hotel's official website you can often get a very good deal. The hotel's cleanliness and comfort put it a few notches up from the "budget" category, but if you get the right deal on the website, you'll end up paying budget prices.
posted by yankeefog at 8:07 AM on January 30, 2006

DandyRandy,

Sorry I didn't see your comment until now. I recently stayed in the Central Park Hotel in London which is near the Queensway station (which, btw is closed until May). That hotel was wonderful for us. But, there are MANY hotels and hostels in that area, which is right by Hyde Park, which are all competing against each other. So you should be able to find good deals there.

Luck!
posted by achmorrison at 8:20 AM on February 6, 2006