Connection Time - British Airways To Eurostar

If it was me, I would do the 2:00 pm to be on the safe side.

2pm. The new St. Pancras station is amazing, there's lots to do inside the station to kill time. Also just a couple of blocks away is the British Library.

Definitely 2. Too many uncontrollable factors including your flight arriving late. If you buy a non refundable ticket to Paris and miss your train, it will be pricey to take another. Just curious, why not fly into CDG?

We are spending several days in London at the end of our trip, and will be flying home directly from London. And to tell you the truth, I find the thought of flying into any airport named for Charles DeGaulle too offensive to even consider it.

I laughed out loud at that one. First time I ever heard of anyone planning a trip based on an airport name. You'll want to also avoid the metro stop that has his name, too, I imagine. And don't by accident let your eyes fall upon his statue. P.S. He has been dead a very long time.

Does that mean you only fly out of Dulles in D.C? Oh wait. Maybe you just have to use BWI.

"..... I find the thought of flying into any airport named for Charles DeGaulle too offensive to even consider it." They will love you in Paris! Have fun...

I would suggest seeing De Gaulle's house and grave, go to Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises. I went there in the summer of 2005. You get a sense of history seeing the place and walking the grounds, comparable to Fontainebleau, the court yard where Napoleon said farewell to the Guard. The Euro-Star gets into Paris at Gare du Nord, where several 2 and 3 star hotels are located right across the street. It's the place I always stay in Paris, very convenient to Gare de Lyon, the Euro-Star, and Gare de l'Est...especially important.

I had to get to Gare de Lyon from my hotel at Gare du Nord to catch the train to Fontainebleau. Rather than tracing the route on the Metro, I took bus #65 on Rue de Saint-Quentin across from Paris Nord, which takes you right to Gare de Lyon...in that sense it's very convenient.

Arrive at 9:15 An hour to clear Customs, Immigration, and the baggage hall - 10:15 15 minutes to find the Tube (no restroom or food) and 5 minutes (ha!) to get a ticket - 10:35 Your plane is an hour late (oops) - 11:35 An hour on the Piccadilly Line to Kings Cross / St Pancras - 12:35. Nearly good to go? Nope, you need a minimum of 30 minutes to check in or they won't let you in. I would suggest that the 2pm only gives you an hour of breathing time, and you haven't stopped. I am cautious, and would think that 2pm is pushing me out of my comfort zone. Maybe you could look around a little if you have spare time.... The suggestion for the British Library is right on. Oh, by the way, remember that no restroom a little earlier? There are no restrooms on the Tube trains.

I'm not sure how convenient G. Lyon is to Paris Nord. It must be a good two and a half mile walk twixt the two.

Morris, you don't mention when you are arriving in London. Hopefully, it's not in the next couple of days. 6000 people are queing at St. Pancras (1.2 mile long). 7 hour delays. There are some amazing pictures on the Daily Mail London web site. Just listening on the radio this morning from stranded Aussies in Heathrow. It really is a nightmare. Heathrow is struggling to cope. Apparently Gatwick has more up to date equipment to handle these conditions. Consequently more flights are moving in and out of there.
As travellers this is one of our worst nightmares. My heart goes out to those stranded.

I'm going to toss my two cents in for picking the 2pm (I might even go a bit later if that's an option). I've been later than I anticipated getting to London from the Airport many times. Missing your Eurostar leg would be a terrible way to start your trip. Why not have lunch, stretch your legs, pop into a museum and then hop on board feeling comfortable and relaxed.

While it is possible to fly to LHR and take Es to Paris on the same day, I never do it that way. I stay in London near St. Pancras Station that first night then take ES to Paris the next day. I am too tired and disoriented from the long flight to do much but rest up that first day in Europe. I get to Paris by noon and to my hotel reasonably rested and recovered from jetlag. I would fly directly, non-stop to Paris if that was available on my airline.

Nigel & Melanie.... Many thanks for your help. I'll try to pack an extra sudoku book in my carry-on. That will help pass the time at St. Pancras station if need be. We won't be arriving at Heathrow until April 1st, so I hope I don't have any snow to worry about. I saw a TV report on poor folks waiting for the Eurostar in the snow. There apparently is no room in the station for them, and they are lined up outside in the cold. Brrrrr. Swan... You've got a good idea ref the jet lag. Coming from the west coast to London makes an 8-hour time difference, which would easily be a butt-kicker. We usually start our trip with a few days in London, and find that the 5-hour time difference that we have here on the east coast is a bit more managable. This is the first time that we're going straight on to Gay Paree and hitting London on the way back home. We'll see how it works out. Michael... This our third trip to Paris. We've been treated as well or better there than in any other city we've visited. While I may be a bit blunt here on RS's Helpline regarding my feelings about a certain French leader, I've been around the block enough times to know better than to criticize him in France. Which is more than I can say about some visitors to the US who are more than willing to criticize our government, our leaders, and their policies.