We plan to travel from London to Paris on the Eurostar train. I have been doing some research, but I am confused about one thing. Will there be a train change between London St. Pancras Station and Paris Gare du Nord in Lille? Maybe some trains departing London require this and others do not? I would like to get a ticket soon...is the Rick Steves web site for purchasing the tickets clear about this? Thanks for your assistance.
Posted by
Brighton, UK
1421 posts
No, you don’t need to change. Lille is a separate destination.
Alan
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11948 posts
https://www.eurostar.com/us-en/trains
Really pretty straightforward
Posted by
Paris
10287 posts
No need to go to Lille. Go to the Eurostar website and purchase a ticket from London to Paris.
For more information, go to the website of the Man in Seat 61 and look up his Eurostar information.
Buy tickets as early as possible for the best price. They only go one way in cost — UP.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
All Eurostar trains between London and Paris; and between London and Brussels; go via Lille. It is where the two routes diverge. Very few stop there (usually the Brussels trains), the others just go through the station at full speed. In no cases do you need to change trains in Lille.
The current timetable (09 Dec 2018 - 25 May 2019) is on the Eurostar site here: https://content-static.eurostar.com/documents/446099_Timetables%20Core%20destination_Issue%2082_UK%20EN.pdf
You need to buy your tickets direct from the Eurostar website: https://www.eurostar.com
Don't forget there is a 1 hour time difference between London and Paris, as demonstrated by the following train, which arrives in Ashford before it leaves Lille!:
BRUSSELS 16:56, LILLE 17:35, ASHFORD 17:34, EBBSFLEET 17:55, LONDON St Pancras 18:13.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33994 posts
If you want to go to Paris you don't stop in Lille, and in fact you pass through at great speed - all you might notice is a tunnel and then lights on and then more tunnel. Only the trains going towards Brussels actually stop there.
You will arrive at Paris Gare du Nord. Gare is French for station. Nord is north, and gare du Nord serves the area northeast of Paris. You will (unless you travel after Brexit and something disruptive happens as a result of that, but nothing is set yet) just step off the train in Paris and follow the crowds to the front of the train and into the station.
All security checks and outbound UK border formalities and inbound French border formalities take place in London before you board the train (any post-Brexit changes excepted) so while the website ways you need to be checked in a minimum of 30 minutes ahead or you don't go, the reality is that you need to be there a good hour or so before.
Nobody knows the reality of what Brexit will bring so please be flexible, particularly if you are travelling at the time that any changes hit. Brexit day is supposed to be 29 March but I have every expectation that that may slip or not happen at all. Really, nobody knows, least of all the governments.
Posted by
Freedonia
16411 posts
Buy your ticket directly from the Eurostar website.
Posted by
Chicago, IL
97 posts
Yep, no change at all. Just made that trip last summer - quick, smooth, and easy! We bought out tickets directly through the Eurostar website. Great information on the seat61 website. Enjoy!
Posted by
oklahoma
1022 posts
Just got our tickets last week or so for London to Paris in May. Think they were $61 each for both of us, one way. Taking the 7 day RS London tour, then going on the 11 day Paris and HOF
Get them ASAP, prices will go up!