Getting to the Chunnel

Fastest and cheapest way is to take the Tube (Picadilly line) from the airport direct to King's Cross/St Pancras Station. Travel time is just over an hour: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/

Thank you so much for your prompt reply. We land at Terminal 1. Which terminal connects with Piccadilly?

You're welcome. Terminal 1 has a station for the Picadilly: http://tinyurl.com/2d7asqc

You can travel in more comfort as well: take the non-strop Heathrow Express to Paddington (15 minutes only) and a short subway trip (3 intermediate stations only) to St. Pancras. Going with the subway all the way means more than 25 intermediate stations and roughly 1h05 travel time.

Nancy I am going to tell you this just to make it easier on you if you have to ask a local anything about the train to Paris. Do not refer to it as the Chunnel. It is only referred to as the Eurostar or you may get some rolled eyes. I did the same as you years ago since I had heard it referred to as the Chunnel in the newspaper here,, but its not used overseas at all. When you arrive at the station, grab a snack for the Eurostar,, if you are going second class( which totally comfortable) you have to purchase food from a concession in a car ,, and its only a few sandwiches and packaged chips. There are many places in the station to get some good take on snacks.

Nancy,
You can also purchase a carnet (10 individual tickets) or two for the Paris metro at the departure lounge at St Pancras or on the Eurostar itself in the snack bar car. They will cost a Euro or two more on the Eurostar but you won't have to stand in line anywhere once you get to Gare du Nord. I would allow at least three hours maybe more to clear customs and get to St. Pancras, especially if you were able to purchase Eurostar tickets 120 days prior to your travel date as they are inexpensive but nonrefundable. There are usually 2-4 international flights landing around 7AM and the lines can be quite long at Heathrow. All the more reason to take the Heathrow Express to Paddington then on to St. Pancras. I would not book Eurostar departure tickets before 11AM. St Pancras is quite comfortable and it has excellent facilities if there is a longer wait involved.

"...Going with the subway all the way means more than 25 intermediate stations and roughly 1h05 travel time.. Even with the 25 stops,the Underground is still a better option than the Heathrow Express. When one uses the latter, you have to deboard the airport train at Paddington Station, haul yourself and your luggage down to the Underground Station, wait on line to purchase Underground tickets, figure out which line to take and direction to walk, walk to the actual platform and wait for a train going in the direction of St Pancras. All of that adds up to a chunk of wasted time/money/aggravation that can be saved to going direct on the Picadilly Line; especially if one has never been to London before.

Michael, you make sound like it was a big enterprise to transfer in Paddington. It is an English-speaking country in a subway with good signaling and you can buy your ticket at the airport for both the the airport train and the subway. Now I realize Nancy is travelling early in the morning. I had mistaken her travel time for 7 PM, which would make the Paddington line dangerous as it crosses some rather rough neighborhoods of West London (it is like taking the subway from JFK to Central Manhattan at night going through all those dangerous areas of the other boroughs at night, with seedy characters on board, while hustling luggage = pickpocket big target on my back!)

Thanks to all of you for your help. We have been to London several times, and taken the Heathrow Express and the underground, so we are very familiar with both. Sounds like we have a couple of good options. Also, thanks for the heads up on terminology! You have all been very helpful.

You could take the Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect train to Paddington. Walk toward the front of the station after de-boarding, then follow directions to the taxi stand. Take a taxi to St. Pancras. Tell the taxi driver you are going on the Eurostar. He/she can take you to the station entrance that is closest to the "chunnel" train. It won't cost a lot and will be a lot easier than hauling your luggage around Paddington to the Tube station. I always arrive at Heathrow in the early am, so take the Tube to the St. Pancras area. In the evening it may be a different experience. I've never had a problem or felt unsafe on the London Underground. BTW, they don't call it "chunnel" in Europe, even tho you will see that in the RS books. Channel tunnel, if anything. Just say Eurostar to Paris or wherever if you are trying to find your train. You can buy tickets for the Paris Metro at the St. Pancras station once you have entered the Eurostar area (after security, passport control). Then you will be ready to hop on the Metro as soon as you arrive in Paris.

Don't forget you have a non-negotiable 30 minute minimum check-in time at the ticket barriers at the Eurostar part of St Pancras. It is very strictly enforced. If you are late for check-in you don't go. And the tickets are worthless. It is 5 stops from Paddington to Kings Cross St Pancras: Edgware Road Baker Street Great Portland Street Euston Square
Kings Cross St Pancras. I work in the transport industry in the UK and have not heard that the western park of the Piccadilly Line (Andre said Paddington Line but I believe he meant Piccadilly) is any worse for pickpocketing than elsewhere in London. Is that what you meant, Andre? If so is that based on specific reports? Getting from Heathrow by Underground (much of which is actually above ground) is pretty straightforward as both ends of the ride are step-free or can be (note the Wheelchair symbol on the maps) but entry to the Circle and Hammersmith Lines at Paddington is not. One thing, and as you have been previously here, to remember is if your plane lands early or you clear Customs and Immigration early, if its a weekday there will be most of London on the tube with you until 9:30 or 10. If its a weekend check for weekend engineering works which shut various lines. This info is available on the Tfl website several weeks (13) ahead. And, as others have said, Channel Tunnel, the bit under the water, has been corrupted by some American to be "chunnel", a term never used in the UK or France. Eurostar, for passenger trains (for a few more months until DB and others also get into the act) and Eurotunnel for car and truck trains, use the Channel Tunnel as only part of their route. It would be like calling Interstate 80 the Bay Bridge.

Thanks again for all your help. We've spent a lot of time in London, weeks at a time seeing plays, and we've never had a problem with theft. Obviously one has to be vigilant in any big city, but we are seasoned travelers and careful with our wallets! And I promise never to use the term "chunnel" again. That was the term used on the internet, so I just picked it up, but I promise to use only Eurostar from now on. It does seem that it would be easier to just hop a flight with BAA from LHR to Orly, and then take the Air France shuttle to our hotel in the Rue Cler, but we thought it would be a new adventure to take the Eurostar, and we do love the trains in Europe. Wish we had more opportunity to travel by train in the U.S. Thanks again, everyone, for all the advice.

Transport for London figures the travel time from Heathrow to King's Cross/St. Pancras as 46 to 52 minutes with the Heathrow Express plus the tube and as 63 minutes with the tube alone. Heathrow is the start of the Piccadilly Line so you are pretty much assured of a seat and a spot for your luggage. If you catch the tube after taking the Heathrow Express to Paddington you will be battling morning commuters. Your possible time saving of 17 minutes using the Heathrow Express will cost you £15.50 or about $24 each or about $84 per hour each. I advise taking the tube alone. Key advice above is to check for weekend engineering works and to buy your Eurostar tickets from www.eurostar.com 120 days out.

I personally wouldn't take the chance of trying to find the proper tube, especially with luggage. I would just get a taxi. My husband and I did that in 2010.