Eurostar or fly - one day in London staying at LHR

FYI re option B, there are left luggage services at both St Pancras and Paddington where you can pay to leave your bags for the day (they are not lockers, but a company that you pay that stores your luggage. I last used the one in St Pancras three weeks ago so I can assure you it is up and running).

I would do option C. London is a huge city with lots of business travel - of course a car service can get you to the airport early.

Re Option A: Flying to London from Paris is just too much of a hassle. You're having to add in a trip to the airport in Paris and one extraneous trip IN from Heathrow in the very short time that you have.

Option C (Eurostar) is the correct answer

Hi JR. Option B2: train to London, take tube or cab to Paddington area, stay in hotel near Paddington; leave luggage there; take Heathrow Express to airport in morning. Enjoy your trip!

I like Bob's suggestion----hotel near Paddington, then Hethrow Express to the airport in the morning. It is fast and easy, and tickets purchased online well in advance Re reasonable ( although it appears you have just missed the 90-day advance purchase, with the best price). The service is reliable and not subject to traffic delays.

Eurostar from Paris to London is easy, unlike going London to Paris. We just did both last week, and the Paris to London leg was so much smoother. We took the Metro to Gare du Nord, and just rode the lift up to the upper level for Eurostar check-in. No lines at passport control, and a very short one for bag security---totally unlike St. Pancras which was chaos.

St. Pancras to Paddington is an easy transfer on the tube, Circle or H&C line.

Left luggage in London is £6 per bag for three hours, more for a longer stay, so those charges will add up.

I'd go for Option B since you can store your luggage at St. Pancras. It gives you the most time in Paris and/or London on your travel day since the train is from center to center, but it also puts you at or next to Heathrow that night, to increase the likelihood of making that AM flight. Best of both worlds I'd say.

To find the left luggage facility at St Pancras, google a map of St Pancras and google left luggage company at St Pancras. That way you can visualize before you go where you leave and pick up your luggage. it's not inexpensive.

I had an 8 AM flight out of Heathrow just a few days ago. I opted to stay at the Sofitel at Terminal 5 (I was departing from that terminal) and that allowed me an extra 45 minutes of sleep over staying in London and trying to make my flight.

I would go with Option B. Take the Eurostar to St. Pancras, store your stuff, enjoy London and then in the evening get your stuff (check the closing times for the luggage storage place) and either take the Piccadilly line direct to Heathrow or go to Paddington and take the Heathrow Express (or Connect).

Get yourself a decent night sleep with no worries about any problems with your trip to Heathrow.

As to which hotel you stay in depends on which terminal your flight will depart. Terminal 4 has a Yotel in the terminal.

Update to this plan:

What about taking a hotel near Paddington for the night then getting up early morning ad taking Heathrow Express to the airport first train out? We booked flights early on so they were cheap from Paris to London, but since another person is joining us, that has changed our plans somewhat. Now we are looking at Eurostar for the three of us - leaving the luggage either there or Paddington, sightsee, stay near Paddington for the night and then head to airport early next morning. Only concern here is train strikes - Especially with Eurostar. Know no one can predict train strikes - but seems they have become a reality lately, Will strikes also affect the Express?

I like your update.