We are in the very early stages of planning a trip to Paris, Bayeux, and London. We will be in Bayeux at the end of our France portion, and would like to go straight to London from there. I have searched past posts on the different ways to get from Bayeux to London, and it seems that the train to Paris then Eurostar to London is what most people recommend.
I am pretty risk-averse, and so I am considering what would happen if there was a train strike or if our train to Paris is late. I am assuming we would miss our Eurostar train and lose the value of our tickets, correct? I also read that the Eurostar tends to sell out, so would our chances of catching a ride upon our (late) arrival be slim to none? How much time should I allow between arrival in Paris and departure of the Eurostar? I am aware that we will need time to change stations, so how much additional time?
Thank you for sharing your experience and expertise!
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32795 posts
pulling numbers a little out of the air because you might move faster and things might go smoother, and I don't know if you have any factors which might slow you down more than others, but here goes...
Gare St Lazare, where the train from Normandy gets in, and gare du Nord where the Eurostar goes from are not terribly far apart physically - just one stop on the RER-E (Haussmann Saint-Lazare to Magenta which is connected to gare du Nord) - but many will take a taxi instead of walk in and out of the RER. So maybe call it an hour for a 15 minute trip?
Then you need to find the elevator up to the Eurostar check in. An hour is official (unless they have upped it) before to check in but you won't go if you're late so I'd give it a good 90 minutes or so. There have been reports of very long queues at Eurostar gare du Nord so I'd pad even a bit more.
Once you check in at Eurostar you then go through a security screen (no belts or shoes or 3-1-1 bags but scanners and checks and stuff like that) and then leaving Schengen border checks and passport stamps, and then the same for UK Border Force to enter the UK, and then the walk to the waiting area, and then down to the train some time before departure so that's why you need so much time.
So an hour plus a couple of hours so I'd leave around 3 hours which should include plenty of fudge time and plenty of time to have a light meal.
Other folks may be more optimistic - but I prefer to be safe than sorry.
Posted by
OP
WestCentral MN
282 posts
Thank you for the information, Nigel! I am pretty risk-averse and would rather be early than late. Your response is appreciated!
Posted by
Washington DC
27142 posts
Would it be possible to visit Bayeux before Paris on this trip? Even if same-day tickets are available for the Eurostar at the time you need them, you will not like the price you have to pay if something goes badly wrong and you need to buy two of them. The lowest fare available for any of today's trains is €247 per ticket. For some trains only Business Premier seats are available, and they cost €375 each.
Posted by
OP
WestCentral MN
282 posts
Yes, good point acraven! I had thought about switching the order, but wanted to do Paris first because of getting tickets to the French Open. It is possible, I will just have to adjust my plan for attending that event. If we visit Bayeux before Paris, we would travel there on our arrival day. Tickets from Paris to Bayeux could be purchased upon arrival, correct?
Posted by
SF Bay Area, CA, USA
226 posts
Why can't you hire a car and driver service and drive to Calais spend a night there and take the ferry to Dover and hire a car service to meet you there and drive to London via Canterbury Castle?
Hotel Meurice in Calais looks like a nice hotel for a night or two. https://www.hotel-meurice.fr/
You could chose stops on the way to Calais and make your main tour of Omaha Beach ,Normandy and even enjoy a nice lunch. Overnight in Calais and take an early ferry to Dover and have the car service meet the ferry and take you on a tour and deliver you to your hotel by 3 PM.
Why backtrack fo Paris unless you want to spend time there and take the Eurostar?
Hiring a car and driver wil save the one way return of a rental car. Also you can take a leisurely tour to Calais visiting out of the way places and not have to worry about a car.
Cost effective is fo rent a car in Bayeux are and return it there and then do the hire car and driver itinerary I proposed.
Hope this proposal helps you.
My Friend's Friend owns a Bed and Breakfast in St Laurent Sur Mer and is highly recommended http://www.cmlesvignets.com/anglais/price-list/
Posted by
SF Bay Area, CA, USA
226 posts
Bayeux to Calais Car Service
https://mydaytrip.com/landing/bayeux-to-calais
https://www.toursbylocals.com/Normandy-Tours
Dover to London Car Service
London Taxi Tour ask for Gordon it's a family business run by his wife and him. He can take you to the White Cliffs of Dover,Canterbury Castle and to your hotel in London . He can help you coordinate the Ferry connection and even may be able to help you book it at a better price.
https://www.londontaxitour.com/
1 Day WW2 Tour then transfer to London. See about starting in Dover. A good price if you ask me. You can ask for a vehicle to accommodate your luggage. And the best part you will be dropped off at your London accomodation.
The 2 day tour offers you to see London sites on your 2nd day roundtrip from your hotel. For GBP1190 for up to 6 people and two day tour is not too bad.
https://www.londontaxitour.com/outside-london-wartime-tour
The Dover Ferry is approximately 24 GBP per person. The Eurostar is $100 or more per ticket plus getting to Paris $50 then getting from St Lizzare to Gare Du Nord plus going to your London Hotel x the number of people and my option above is cost and time effective .Plus you are getting a history lesson which you won't get on Eurostar.
Figure the cost of a group tour is expensive and if you have 3 or 4 in your group it's a great deal.
Bonus no Eurostar Security lines .No worrying about Eurostar connections with the many Ferries from Dover. You can even upgrade to a cabin and enjoy a leisurely 2 hour cruise. I have fun working out logistics for my Family and Friends and came up with this solution in 20 minutes.
Posted by
SF Bay Area, CA, USA
226 posts
If you want to do Paris do that first and then go to Normandy or vice versa
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7321 posts
I have not taken the Dover ferry, but it appears that not all sailings take foot passengers. The water-ride can be very rough. If changing from local trains to the Eurostar is a worry for you, is a 3-seat journey that much better? Is budget a factor?
I personally would not combine England and western France. They don't pair well for exactly the reasons you mention. Here is another discussion of this topic:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/london-to-bayeux-and-back-again-by-rail
Note that current study of ferry company websites is essential.
Posted by
Washington DC
27142 posts
I'm no expert on French trains; it doesn't help that they keep rebranding them.
I don't think the Nomad trains between Paris St-Lazare and Caen have assigned seats, which would mean they cannot sell out. The train from Caen to Bayeux is a TER (regional) with tickets always available. TGVs from the airport to Paris can and do sell out, and if any tickets are available at the last minute, they'd probably be very expensive. In addition, there are only a few good connections from CDG to Caen every day. Therefore, I think the best option would be to take either a taxi or the RER plus Metro or taxi from CDG to St-Lazare where you'll have more departures to Caen. This is likely to be cheaper than cobbling together a train routing beginning with a TGV from the airport.