Train travel to and from London to Paris

By train. Buy tickets at www.eurostar.com and don't wait until the last minute. Ticket prices start at €45 one way if I'm not mistaken and the price only goes up.

Eurostar has traditionally been the choice for many reasons.

Be careful however of paying in advance because refunds can be difficult and it has been widely reported that Eurostar is in financial trouble - they have had very few passengers for over a year and haven't had the financial support that propped up British and France railways through the pandemic.

Since “train” is in your title, I take it that you’ve already determined that’s the best way to go, but maybe you’re looking for best train options. A jet plane is faster than even a bullet train, but getting to/from the airport, checking in, going through Security, etc., makes the Eurostar train trip faster in the end than flying. Otherwise, are you considering a regular train up to the coast of the English Channel, then a boat across, followed by more train on the other side? Unless you’re planning to see other locations enroute, or view countryside at a slower than blink-of-an-eye speed, Eurostar’s the train choice.

For any train or ferry questions across Europe, seat61.com is your friend. We always take the Eurostar from city center London ( St. Pancras) to city center of Paris (Gare du Nord) and buy our RT tickets 6 months in advance of our travel dates for the cheapest prices. Some use the Eurostar for a day trip between those cities, taking a very early Eurostar over and a later Eurostar on the return leg. You can also book the seats you prefer -- at a window, facing forward, etc -- and in the most convenient carriage so as to arrive at the head of the train and avoid a long cue at the taxi rank. Second class tickets are quite comfortable so there's no need for first class fares, IMHO. Good luck.

As a follow-on to what George mentioned - I am one of the 'relentless ones' that have done the early train to Paris and late train back to London. Fun, jam packed, exhausted at the end of the day - an absolute thrill. I've also taken the train to Paris for supper, simply because I could - because the journey is part of the fun.

For me personally (pandemic aside), there is currently no better way to get between the two cities than Eurostar. City center to city center, its a quick, relaxing journey.

Nigel is absolutely correct, however, to point out they are in financial trouble. It hasnt received the same level of governmental financial support airlines have. If you do buy in advance, make sure to mind the T's and C's as refunds may be tricky to get.

We flew from Gatwick to CDG for our 4 night Paris hiatus, and took the Eurostar back.

1. The flight was convenient as we had to return a car to the airport, it was super cheap, and went off without a hitch. We did Uber to get into Paris, so that saved a lot of RER and Metro hassle from the airport. Still, it took time. Waiting at the airport, flight, getting to Paris, 4-5 hours for us
2. Eurostar back was delightful, though I'll admit we upgraded our seats and enjoyed the service. Plopped up into downtown London. 3-4 hours total.

Either is fine, but we did enjoy the Eurostar, and had booked quite early so the price wasn't horrific. Nice change of pace over planes for a Canadian.