Train v. car rental from London to Netherlands

If I were to do the same trip, I would take the train (~5 hours with Brussels layover) or budget airline flight (~2 hours) from London to the Netherlands, the IC/Thalys train to Paris (about 3 hours). Then take the Eurostar from Paris to London.

Renting a car in the UK to drive all the way to the Netherlands and then drop off in Paris seems like a huge (and possibly expensive) hassle. However, someone who is more knowledgeable about car rentals can always prove my opinion wrong.

First of all, I doubt if you'll find a rental car company that will allow you to pick up a car in the UK and drop it off in France. (I know that Auto Europe doesn't do it.) And do you really want to drive a car with the steering wheel on the right in France where you will drive on the right?

It would be better to rent a car in Maastricht and drop it in Paris. You'll still have to pay an extra fee for picking up a car in one country and dropping it in another.

If you take the Eurostar from London to Brussels and an IC train from there to Maastricht, the trip will take from 3hr46min to 4hr30min, depending upon your departure time.

The best way to go from Paris to London is on the Eurostar.

Book your London-Brussels and Paris-London tickets well in advance (up to 120 days allowed) at www.eurostar.com to get the best discount fares. As more tickets are sold, the price will keep going up.

All great suggestions! Since posting I contacted Auto Europe and learned if I pick up a car in London and drop off in Paris there's a 400 pounds (about $600) fee!! And if I keep the car and drive the final leg from Paris to London the rental car would be total about $275, plus gas, insurance, etc. and LOTS of driving. Just sounded great to see some different sites along the way instead of being inside a train car.

So, if I do the train thing like everyone suggests, I'm finding it difficult to get the routes - eurail site a bit confusing. Any help there? My London hotel is near the Paddington station and Lancaster Gate station and I'm going to the central Maastricht station. Then from there to Paris, I'm staying in the 7th district. I put all info into trip planners but so many stations listed! Is it best to buy each ticket separately or a 7 day pass (if there's such a thing).

Aside, when my son, who is flying into Brussels in August, needs to get a train to Maastricht, does he buy that at the Brussels airport the same day, or is that an advance ticket for a better fare?

THANKS!

For detailed train timetables use the German Rail site. After you get summary timetables for London-Maastricht, click on the arrow to the left of the departure time(s) of your choice to see the connecting points.

Eurostar trains from London to Brussels depart from St Pancras International and arrive at Brussels-Midi/Zuid. Eurostar trains from Paris to London depart from Gare du Nord. Buy your Brussels-Maastricht ticket when you get to Brussels. Same for your son. There is no discount for those short rides. There is no pass that will benefit you for these trains.

Thanks Tim for the additional info. I'll check out that site!

You're welcome, Gale.

There are ways to save on subway and bus travel in both London and Paris. How many days will you be in each city?

Just checked the German site and leaving from Paddington and having to get to St Pancras Int'l to go to Brussels then Maastricht (LOTS of transfers) will take 7hrs 45 min.! (Maybe with the time zone change it's 6 hrs 45 min.??) What was the 4.5-5 hrs that Anna and Tim were referring to? Is there a more direct train?
Thanks again ....

London Paddington
Mo, 18.10.10 dep 14:06 7:44 duration

Maastricht Mo, 18.10.10 arr 22:50

Tim, I'll be in London on a Fri-Mon and Paris Wed-Sun, Sunday is when I go back to London to catch the flight home. Are there student discounts for my kids for travel? And I thought booking a flight and hotels meant I was done planning! :)

If you decide to take the train for London-Maastricht and Maastricht-Paris, you can book your tickets on the Dutch National High-Speed Rail site, nshispeed.nl. It's a very user-friendly website.

If you book well in advance (3-4 months is the max allowed), and you'll get fares of around 60EUR for Adults, even cheaper for Youths. We booked Youth tickets for Amsterdam-London in October for 50EUR each.

Of course, I am not trying to twist your arm into taking the train, but I think you'll be able to see the scenery much better on the train instead of while driving. Paying attention to the road would get in the way of gawking at the view, I imagine :)

The reason you got such a long travel time with so many connections for London-Maastricht is that you entered London Paddington rather than London St Pancras International (or simply London) as your departure point. The German Rail site can only route you on National Rail overland trains so it gave you a very roundabout way to get from Paddington to St Pancras taking you outside London and then back in again. It doesn't have timetables for the London Underground.

Depending upon the route you choose, it will take 15-20 minutes to get from the Paddington Underground station to the King's Cross/St Pancras Underground station on the Tube. It will take 15 minutes on the Tube from the Lancaster Gate Underground station to King's Cross/St Pancras.

I'm glad that Anna suggested booking London-Maastricht on the Netherlands High-Speed Rail site. I had forgotten about that option. If you book well in advance, you can get a fare as low as €50 for the entire journey and you won't have to buy a separate Brussels-Maastricht ticket in Brussels. (You still will have to connect to an IC train to go from Brussels to Maastricht.)

Correct, I looked up tickets using the website I posted above, so the journey is from London St. Pancras to Maastricht.

Also -- feel free to correct me if I'm wrong -- but if the arrival/departure times listed are local as I assume they are (i.e. depart 9am London time, arrive 2pm Maastricht time), then the journey itself should actually be even shorter, considering time zone changes. I believe the Netherlands are 2 hours ahead of the UK until late October.

Ah yes, I was thinking GMT here. Netherlands are GMT+2, London is GMT+1 right now.

Steve,

Here's why it's far better to take the train. It's nearly three hours by train from Schiphol Airport to Maastricht. Adding in the time it takes to get from London to Gatwick and go through security, it will take more than twice as long from city center to city center by plane + train than by train alone. And the train will be cheaper. And it will give you more departure times from which to choose. And it will be more comfortable. And it will leave a smaller carbon footprint. Case closed!

Steve, I really don't want to argue with you any further on this thread. However, for the record I do need to point out that flying from Heathrow to Brussels and then taking the train to Maastricht will still take longer city center to city center and will still cost more than the lowest discount fare taking the Eurostar to Brussels and an IC train from there to Maastricht.

Gale,

If you take the Eurostar from London to Brussels and/or from Paris to London, be aware that you will have to go through airport-type security in London and in Paris and you are required to check in at least 30 minutes before departure.

Steve,

Auto fuel prices have gone up since you last priced them.

Currently the cheapest petrol (95 octane gasoline) is £1.14 per litre. Diesel, which I put in my car, is £1.17 per litre. I run a Honda Accord and it now costs me about £67 to fill the tank. At $1.50 per £ for easy conversion that's just about exactly 100 of your American dollars, not counting Forex fees. For that money I get between 500 and 600 miles.

A little cheaper in France, a little less again in Belgium, much less in Luxembourg - but even there twice US prices.

Gale,

Here's some information on getting around in London and Paris.

London: For your limited time buying Oyster cards at an Underground station, loading about 20 GBP on each of them, and using them for pay-as-you-go would be your best option. The Oyster computer will automatically give you the best fare and you will never pay more than the cost of a one day travelcard for the zones in which you travel on any particular day. You can top up the cards as needed and when you leave London you can get a refund on any unspent money plus your deposit. See this page on the Transport for London site.

Your 16-year-old can benefit by ordering an Oyster photocard now. Go to this page, click on "how do I apply?", and scroll down to the heading "I live outside London."

Paris: Buy ten-ticket carnets, as needed, at a metro station. Share the tickets with your children on Wednesday-Friday. Each ticket is good anywhere the metro goes and on the RER in zone 1. Each ticket allows unlimited transfers until you exit the system. Each ticket allows bus-to-bus transfers up to 90 minutes after boarding the first bus. On Saturday your children should each buy a one day, zone 1-3 Ticket Jeunes pass. The pass is for anyone under 26 and is only good on weekends. If you will be taking several rides on Sunday before you leave for London, they can each buy another Ticket Jeunes for Sunday. Otherwise they can share your carnet tickets on Sunday. The current cost of a zone 1-3 Ticket Jeunes is 3.30 EUR. (However, fares are adjusted every year on 1 July so the price may be higher when you get to Paris. The same thing applies to carnets for which the current price is 11.60 EUR.)

Some important questions: You said you will leave Paris on Sunday and go to London from where you will fly home. Does your flight leave on Sunday or Monday? What is your departure time? Which airport?

Wow, you guys are amazing, and informative! I'm taking notes :)

I'm leaving Paris Sunday to go to London to catch a 3:30pm flight. Long day of traveling, so not sure yet if I want to leave Paris early so I have some time in London before catching my flight, or if it's just easier to head straight to Heathrow from Paris.

Renting a car sounded great only so I could enjoy some leisurely exploring of the regions, but I guess with time and costs considerations the train may be a better option- if I can figure out which station to put in on the order site!

I also thought if I had a car while in Maastricht I could head out of the small town and explore some castle nearby! (yes, I still can with a bus I guess).

Thanks for all the info!!

It's important to be at Heathrow a full three hours before a flight across the Atlantic so you should be there by 12:30. Since it's a one-hour Tube ride from King's Cross/St Pancras to LHR, that means you need to arrive in London no later than 11:30. There is a train that leaves Paris at 10:13 and arrives at 11:28, but I would recommend taking an earlier train. Eurostar trains usually run on time, but why take a chance on being delayed? Take either the 09:13 train that arrives at 10:34 or the first train of the day that departs at 08:07 and arrives at 09:36. If I were doing this, I'd play it really safe and take the 08:07 train.

I don't think it's a bad idea to rent a car in Maastricht, use it to explore the area, and drive it to Paris, stopping wherever you choose along the way. Just be prepared to pay extra for picking up a car in one country and dropping it in another.

So I checked out train fares. On the nshispeed from London to Maastricht is 50 Euros, or about $60 each. Maastricht to Paris is 30 Euros, or $37 each. Paris to London on Eurostar is $65 each. There are 3 of us on the first leg and then only 2 of us since we drop off my son in Maastricht where he's studying abroad. Total: $390 for all 3 journeys. For comparison, a car rental is $275 from London, and back to London (plus gas and the auto ferry). Pretty comparable, just a matter of flexibility (no set train schedule) and time to consider.

It's also hard to determine so far in advance what time I'll want to leave London in order to buy a train ticket now at a better price. I like the idea of flexibility and freedom to just be spontaneous!

Is it really necessary to get Oyster card and Paris tickets? I love walking and last time I was in Paris I don't remember even taking a bus - of course that was when I was in my 20's and happily wandering to all the pastry shops :)

Single rides on the bus in London aren't too expensive, but single rides on the Tube are. Two single rides on the Tube using paper tickets will cost you more than a one-day travelcard which gives you unlimited rides. Buy Oyster cards and let the Oyster computer do all the work for you. As I said in a previous post, you can get a refund on any unspent pay-as-you-go money you've loaded on an Oyster card.

Yes, Paris is a great walking city. But I think you'll go through at least one ten-ticket carnet in the time you're there since you can share the tickets with your 16-year-old. That's only five rides for the two of you together--and I expect you'll use two tickets to get to your hotel with luggage and two more to get from your hotel to Gare du Nord with luggage when you're ready to leave for London. Now you're down to six tickets (three rides).

Freedom and flexibility are great, but they can be costly. Compare the cost of full fare tickets on the Eurostar (London-Brussels and Paris-London) and on Thalys (Brussels-Paris) to the discount fares you've quoted and you'll see how large the difference can be.

However, if you pick up a rental car in Maastricht and drop it in Paris, you won't have to worry about the high cost of a last-minute standard fare ticket on a Thalys train from Brussels to Paris.

I thought it was safe arriving at Heathrow 2 hours early, didn't know it has to be 3. Plus a one hr tube from St Pancras to Heathrow!? Wow, what a day of traveling! Good thing I booked a late afternoon flight. Would it make sense to fly from Paris to Heathrow instead?

I wouldn't recommend flying from Paris to Heathrow on Sunday morning. If your plane is grounded because of weather or mechanical problems, you'll be stuck in Paris and you'll miss your flight home. In contrast, the odds of a major problem with a Eurostar train are very low.

Besides, it will be faster to take the Eurostar, even with a one-hour Tube ride when you get to London. It will take a little under an hour to get from central Paris to CDG. And you'll need to be there at least 90 minutes before departure.

I guess now's the time to decide if I should take the train to London (from Paris) Saturday night so Sunday isn't so hectic. If I'm staying in the 7th district in Paris how long does it take to Gare du Nord to catch the Eurostar? Is it safe to arrive in London at night to then get to a hotel? Is the train station in London where we arrive in a good neighborhood to stay the night there?
Can't wait to get this all scheduled already!!
BIG thanks everyone.

It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes on the metro from anywhere in the 7th arrondissement to Gare du Nord (certainly less from the northeast part of it).

The area around St Pancras International has been revitalized since the station was renovated to accommodate Eurostar trains. If you use common sense, you will be perfectly safe walking those streets late at night.

Two close by hotels in the Travelodge chain are London Kings Cross and London Kings Cross Royal Scot. Both are within 0.2km of St Pancras International. See here.

Thanks Tim. So if I arrive at St Pancras Int'l and stay near there, the next day I take the tube to Paddington to catch the Heathrow Express?

The Heathrow Express is probably the most expensive 15-minute train ride in the world. And by the time you walk from below ground to the surface at Paddington and wait for the next HEX train, it only saves you about 15 minutes over taking the Tube all the way. Use your Oyster card and take the Piccadilly Line directly from King's Cross/St Pancras to Heathrow (one hour ride).

I assume you will arrive at Heathrow at the start of your trip. You said that you will be staying near Paddington. If you want to go there directly from the airport, take the Heathrow Connect, not the HEX. It takes around 30 minutes and the fare is £7.90. Or buy your Oyster card at Heathrow and take the Tube.

Helpful info guys! I think it now makes sense to take the train from Paris to London Saturday night before I depart from Heathrow Sunday back to the States. Based on your info I'll stay in a hotel Sat. night near St Pancras station both for being near arriving from Paris and to catch the Picadilly Line to Heathrow on Sunday.

Just curious though, you mention it takes one hour from Kings Cross/St Pancras to Heathrow, but only 30 min from Heathrow to Paddington on the Heathrow Connect. I didn't think the St Pancras station was that far from the Paddington station.?? Or is the "Heathrow Connect" more direct and best to take back to Heathrow?

Like the Heathrow Express, the Heathrow Connect is an aboveground train. It's slower than the HEX because it stops a few times while the HEX does not. Because travel time on the Heathrow Connect is double that of the HEX and it doesn't run as often as the HEX, the total travel time for taking the Tube from King's Cross/St Pancras to Paddington and the Heathrow Connect from there to LHR actually will be longer than simply taking the Tube (Piccadilly Line) all the way.