Flight vs EuroStar reality check

Stephanie, Regarding question (2), you should be able to connect with the 15:00 departure of the EuroStar, but of course it's a bit of a gamble, as any one of a number of factors could cause delays (late flight, etc.). Regarding question (3), you'll clear French Immigration control prior to boarding the EuroStar (just after passing through the airport-style security). AFAIK there won't be any further checks when you arrive at Gare du Nord. Language issues will NOT be problem there. As I recall, they looked at my Passport, stamped it and didn't really say much of anything. As those officials work in London, they will be able to function in English. Note that you MUST check-in at least 30-minutes prior to departure of the EuroStar. Happy travels!

There has to be a later flight to Paris. An hour is not enough. The normal argument is that once at the airport, stay at the airport. It is not simple or easy to get to the Eurostar. The tube works but is long - over an hour - and I think two changes. Remember with the Eurostar you are required to check in thirty minutes early. So it is really 2:30. We fly open jaw almost exclusively and have never found it to be more expensive and often cheaper. I am sure there are exceptions and the games this summer could be causing a lot of problems. There is no language barrier especially with the people serving the tourists. Immigrations is almost nothing and it is conducted in English. Customs is nothing - walk through and wave.

Stephanie,, I am only going to address your last question. The "language barrier" will not be an issue. It would help if choosing to take a taxi in Paris to write down your destination on paper and show it to them, with the post or zip code( will start 750 and end with two digits) ,, with is because even a slight difference in pronounciation can lead to mistakes, and with the zipcode the taxi driver knows right away which arrondissemont you are in as they are all coded) I repeat in customs and at airports in general, language is not not an issue,, millions and millions of english speakers do fine every day.

For the flilght, one hour is not enough to transfer at Heathrow, especially since you will be traveling on separate tickets. I would be comfortable with the 3:00 train, though. You might consider Heathrow Express into London and taxi from there, to avoid traffic problems getting into London. But others may know better if that is a problem.

Stephanie, 1. Not sure what you mean by take a car to Eurostar??? If you're landing at Heathrow, simply hop on the Tube( it stops at Heathrow) and go to St Pancras( King's Cross) station. The Eurostar to Paris departs from there. To save time, you can take the Heathrow Express direct from Heathrow to Paddington station( cost about 18 BPs), and from there it's just a few stops to St Pancras.. 2. Not sure on that one...if you take the Heathrow Express mentioned above, that will save you quite a bit of time, however perhaps some other poster can comment on total time( Arrival-Customs-Heathrow Express Paddington-St Pancras ) 3. Don't worry about french, or any other language for that matter. Other than a bit of french( just enough to get by), I speak only english, and I've never had a problem with "the language barrier" anywhere in Europe. Language differences are only a barrier if you let them be...
I'm not one of those "it makes more sense to fly" people...heck, it's only 2 hours by train from London to Paris via Eurostar, and you get to see some of the country side... And as for flying "open jaw", it's often more expensive, and what's wrong with planning a circular route for your trip, so that you don't cover the same ground? Besides, London is a great city, I enjoy starting and ending my Europe trips there!

Item #2. You aren't allowing enough time for EITHER transfer IMHO. I have done this both via plane and train (it's easier to get Frequent Flyer miles to London then Paris :) ) I allow 4 hours for a flight and a little more then that for the train. You "probably" would make the 3 PM EuroStar, but I would want another hour. Figure an hour or so to get out of the airport in London, then an hour to get to the station... it's now almost 2 for the 3 pm train. All it takes is a delay in landing and this gets too tight for me! Making the 12:45 BA flight is really going to take lots of luck! And if you miss it you are out of luck. BA may charge you the FULL fare for a new ticket which pretty much negates ANY savings! Book a later flight! Item #3 Not sure why the "langage" barrier m,akes a difference on either option. Both places are used to Americans. (Actually I often get through immigration with out saying practically anything.. it's not required to chat and customs is a walk through)

I'll emphasize what others have said. You need to allow up to one hour to clear immigration/passport control and claim your luggage. It will take one hour to get from Heathrow to King's Cross/St Pancras on the Tube (Piccadilly Line). There is a mandatory 30-minute minimum check-in time for the Eurostar. You will go through security and passport control at St Pancras. If your plane is late, you'll be out of luck. Book the 16:01 train. If you book a separate ticket on BA, you'll be out of luck if your flight is late and you miss your connection. I just checked the British Airways site and didn't see a 12:45 flight to CDG. There is one that departs at 13:45 which would be a good choice. Or to be even safer, book the 14:45 flight.

Thanks everyone, that is all VERY helpful. I will not worry at all about getting through customs/immigration... I really appreciate that. There are many other flights to Paris but it seems like we would end up getting there later than if we take the EuroStar (but it is good to know that we have to be there at least 30mins early). I will really think about all this.

Regarding Immigration/Customs in France, here's how it usually goes for me: I hand the agent my passport. I smile. He sneers back. He looks at the photo. He looks at me. He stamps my passport. He hands it back to me. He looks at the next person in line. Welcome to France. If you decide to take a flight from Heathrow to CDG, remember, you don't go through immigration or customs at Heathrow. You'll do that in Paris. If you decide to do this, go to the following website, plug in your flight number under "connecting flights," and it will give you detailed instructions on what to do. If you check luggage, make sure it is checked through to Paris or you'll have to retrieve it at Heathrow. http://www.heathrowairport.com If you take the Eurostar, you will go through immigration and customs and then have to travel into London. My suggestion....even if it costs a bit more, flying from Heathrow to Paris in your situation will be a lot less stressful and tiring considering you've just been on a plane for 10-11 hours.

Stephanie, are you doing carry-on only, or will you have checked baggage? I hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that if you check your bags, you will have to reclaim and re-check for the second flight, since it is a separate ticket and different airline. In that case I believe you WILL have to go through immigration before you reach baggage claim. Just another incentive to carry on. .

No checked baggage here, just carryons. And that website at Heathrow will be a great help Thanks. Will it also estimate a time for me? So could we make a 1:45 or a 2:45pm BA flight?

The Heathrow website will give you the minimum connect time between flights, but you need to know which terminal you arrive at and depart from. You should be able to find this information on your proposed flilghts. The BA website, for example, will show that for each departing flight. Most of the BA flights to the continent depart from either T3 or T5. You also need to build in additional time in case your inbound flight from Seattle is late.

When you know what flight you want to take to Paris, before booking it, go to the Heathrow site and plug it in. It will tell you what terminal it leaves from and how long they suggest the minimum time should be to connect between those terminals. And, they'll give you detailed instructions on how to do it.

"carry on only" ALWAYS allow time as if your bag was checked, because that may happen Thanks to the "fees" for checked bags, more and more people are carrying on more and more. That means overheads are full and you may have to give up your luggage. Make sure valuables are in the piece that fits under the seat in front of you

Stephanie Have you checked the European Discount Airlines for flights from London Heathrow to Paris? I don't know if they will work for you but the prices are wayyyy cheaper. Try skyscanner.com. Also read the FINE PRINT. Lots of restrictions on size, dimensions, and no. of pieces of luggage. And they are pricey with any overages. Everything costs extra, seat reservations, early boarding, a cup of water, etc. But the total is still a good price. The earlier you buy, the cheaper the price. Make sure you are looking at London Heathrow rather than the several other airports around London. The same with Paris. Paris Orly and Paris Charles de Gualle are fine. Stansted is too far outside of Paris. Good luck! Bobbie

Even without luggage, put up with the tube rather than the Heathrow Express and an awkward change to the tube at Paddington. Eurostar can look good value starting at £39 single or £69 return to Paris and in most cases there is no loss from missed connections IF you are travelling by rail throughout - BUT you may feel you need to pay more to give some flexibility if your flight is late on the outward journey. And if you are planning to travel in the Olympic period, if an acceptable fare is offered book it quickly! And for unannounced reasons (maybe temporary due to the recent French terrorist incident?) passport checks seem to be leading to long queues for Eurostar which can make both departing and arriving an unpleasant experience.