So we have never taken the Eurostar before and I am wondering how great [or bad] it is versus flying. To fly with British Midland from Paris to East Midlands Airport they only have two flights a day, one at 0945 and one at 1935hrs. But its a one hour flight and gets us to an airport that is only a 40 minute bus ride or even quicker car ride to where we want to go. Whereas Eurostar only gets us to London then we have to take another train up to Nottingham. And the prices seem pretty excessive for the UK portion of the train ride.
Just wondering if anybody has any experience flying BMI Baby from Paris and would we face any difficulties getting to the airport in time for a mid morning flight? There is quite a cost and time saving by taking the flight though would Eurostar be worth it just for the experience
Cheers
Pete
Posted by
Nottingham, UK
658 posts
Hi Pete
EMA is on my doorstep but it's not the best served airport in terms of public transport.
Where is your final destination?
There are some areas of the East Midlands that are accessed easier from London than from EMA.
Posted by
Portland, OR, USA
805 posts
BMI is a fine airline and this seems like a good choice for a flight for you. They fly from CDG, which is easily accessible on the RER.
The Eurostar is just another train ride, sure it's cool to think about going through the chunnel but in actuality its just a really long tunnel.
Posted by
San Diego, CA, United States
864 posts
I take the Eurostar from London to/from Paris and love it. None of the hassle of flying - arriving early at airport, tiresome security/check-in lines etc. (And you can take a great picnic onboard to boot!) That said you're probably better off flying from both a cost and time standpoint. British trains have become so expensive that we never take them anymore (except up to Edinburgh). I think, but I could be wrong, that the UK trains are so expensive now because the government no longer subsides them. So, we either drive or fly within the UK. Remember to factor in luggage fees, taxi to airport etc.
Posted by
Portland, OR, USA
805 posts
They are Marie. The UK did a stupidly planned privatization of the train system (they split them into regional companies much like AT&T was split in the local Bells).
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
If you book 60-90 days in advance, you can get a fare of £12.00 for London-Nottingham if you take the right trains at the right times. Still, even though I like traveling by train, flying CDG-East Midlands makes a lot of sense in this case.
Posted by
OP
Whitby, Ontario
101 posts
Hi Al, actually I am going to Ravenshead which is between Nottingham and Mansfield so its ideal really. They have a direct bus link from the airport to Nottingham though my sister lives in Hucknall so they will probably come and pick me up. So its going to be right on my back doorstep as well!
Been a long time since I have been back home, and Im just amazed at how the price of everything has crept up. 100 bucks in Canada is buying a bit more than 50 pounds in the UK [current approx exchange rate!!]
I think flying is going to make the most sense.
Pete
Posted by
Sydney
275 posts
One advantage with the Eurostar for you is that it now goes into London St Pancras station. This is the same station that Nottingham services go out of, so you will not have to use the tube or a taxi to transfer.
Posted by
Nottingham, UK
658 posts
Hi Pete
In that case this is a 'no-brainer'.
From any angle the only route that makes sense is to fly into EMA.