London airport to Paris via Eurostar................why not?

The best way to get to Paris from the U.S. is to fly there on one ticket rather than buying a ticket to London and a separate ticket from London to Paris. If you want to take the train on the same day you arrive (which I personally do not recommend and would never do myself), you first have to go through immigration which could take anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours or more based on current reports. It then takes at least an hour to get from Heathrow to St. Pancras. You have to check in for the Eurostar 30 minutes in advance. The Eurostar is great if you are already in the city. But if you are at the airport, why spend several hours more to travel just to get to the train.

Because it is less hassle to get to Paris by air when you are already at the airport. Otherwise you would have to go through immigration and customs in London then get to Pancras station to catch Eurostar for which if you want a reasonable price you have to buy your ticket quite ahead. Now imagine if your flight is delayed; you have to buy new full (and high) price ticket assuming that one is available and then you go through immigration again, this time for France. It's much easier just to change planes at London's airport and then go through immigration and customs just once in Paris.

I see, many hours lost trying to get out of airport and into town. Worst case scenario, it takes up to 3 hours to get to Eurostar station. Ok makes sense. I would also rather fly into Paris. I am planning a London Paris or Paris London trip and am mesmerized by Brit air's direct from Tampa flight that is afew hundred bucks cheaper than multi city option. It's the direct aspect that's calling me as opposed to the price.

Kelly, If you're planning to visit both London and Paris, would it be possible to start with the London visit and then take the train to Paris a few days later? It would be much easier to use open-jaw flights (inbound London, outbound Paris) as that would save the time and cost of another trip across the channel. Even if one is "mesmerized" by the cheap flight costs, having to use Heathrow is something I'd try to avoid regardless of the cost (and in fact that's what happened when I booked my flights this year - even the travel agent commented that the Heathrow connection was "ugly"). Note that you MUST check-in for EuroStar departure a minimum of 30-minutes prior to departure. They seem to be quite firm on that rule. If your flight to London was delayed or it took longer to clear the airport and get to St. Pancras station, your pre-booked ticket would be useless. One other factor that would be an issue for me, is that you'd be making the trip from the airport to the EuroStar and then to Paris in a jet-lagged state, something which would be NO fun. Note that you'll clear French Immigration just after you go through the airport-style security at St. Pancras, prior to boarding the train. Happy travels!

We prefer to avoid CDG so we do what you are suggesting. Two weeks ago we flew RT to Istanbul from London and booked the Eurostar for Paris four hours after our scheduled arrival back at Heathrow. We took the Heathrow Express to Paddington then a taxi to St. Pancras. We had several hours to spare but bought sandwiches at Marks and Spencers in St. Pancras, purchased two carnets of Paris metro tickets, and relaxed at the departure lounge. Sure it cost a bit more but it's easy, relaxed, and we enjoy the Eurostar ride into the center of Paris. Just allow some extra time booking the Eurostar in case of a late flight or the union slowdown at Heathrow immigration.

"Just allow some extra time booking the Eurostar in case of a late flight or the union slowdown at Heathrow immigration." There is no union slowdown at Heathrow immigration. There was a one day strike last week.

The flight I am looking at states that it flies into Gatwick. On another post, someone stated that Gatwick offers an easier more direct connection to St Pancras. I would assume that Gatwick makes it easier to get thru customs/immigration for a more timely arrival to Eurostar? Probably less volume.

There has been no union slowdown at Heathrow or any other airport, as far as I am aware. There have been cutbacks in staff - huge, and more coming - and people have been overworked and criticized that they would take a lunch period or a work break when people are queued up... They work very long hours, and with the shortages are being asked to work even longer. I work in an industry where my breaks are scheduled at all sorts of unsociable hours. I find that if I do not eat at regular times my system suffers so I modify my work so that I can. I'm sure that others, even people traveling, will acknowledge that it is reasonable that workers get breaks. If the people traveling have jobs I imagine that they arrange to have breaks. If there were enough staff then breaks could be covered and the public wouldn't even know they weren't there. When you have only 3 positions covered out of 20, it makes a difference when one goes away. So ... off soapbox.... Gatwick better? Usually it is; and the run on First Capital Connect from Gatwick to Kings Cross is usually uneventful but they can have problems. They had signalling problems on that line yesterday, and a broken rail last week. Stansted, usually an airport easy to get in and out of, which serves the budget airlines, had queues of two hours there the week before last according to the London Evening Standard. You still have to leave enough time.

" I would assume that Gatwick makes it easier to get thru customs/immigration for a more timely arrival to Eurostar? Probably less volume." Correct

To add to what Nigel said. Those involved in the Heathrow debacle (Government, Border Force, British Airports Authority and the airlines) have been throwing blame at each other but nowhere are the unions mentioned as being involved or blamed.

Reason is mostly time and, more important, coordination of tickets. You can usually put a Heathrow-Charles de GAulle leg in the same ticket of your transcontinental flight to London (or vice-versa). That means any problem with the transcontinental flight that makes you lose your connection will be taken care of by the airline(s) concerned in London. However, if you plan on taking that train, you can do one of the following: (a) wait until you arrive at St. Pancras and buy the ticket there (very expensive, chance of fully-booked train) (b) buy a "tight scheduled" train and risking losing it in case of delays with the flight (= being constrained to spend as in a + lost cheap advanced ticket) (c) buy a "loose scheduled" train and assume the likelihood of a long overlay in the train station with nothing much to do.