Eurostar vs. Flying (Paris)

[iAlex]

Planning on taking the OH to Paris for 3 nights at the end of November. Thurs/Fri/Sat.

Leaving after the OH finishes work on Friday night and coming back Sunday evening.

Are there are benefits to going on the train over flying?

Any recommendations for websites/companies to look at/book through. Never been to Paris before so hotel recommendations also welcome.

Looking to spend no more than £600 travel and accommodation if possible.

Cheers

[soad]

iAlex said:

Are there are benefits to going on the train over flying?

You get to see more

[sjg]

Starting from where?

[manic47]

Did a similar trip in the summer via Eurostar - we are only 55 mins train ride from St Pancras which helps
Security was much much faster than at an airport, plus you have the advantage of not ending your journey 20 miles from the city centre.

I paid just under £600 with lastminute.com for 2 tickets, and 3 nights here http://www.pullmanhotels.com/gb/hotel-7229-pullman...

We are going again after Christmas, we'll probably stay in the Latin Quarter as it's closer to a lot of things.

[williamp]

Here in Leicester I can be in the centre of Paris in udner 4 hours by train, with one platform change. You cant go that quickly flying from London.

I prefer the Eurostar- pay the litrtle xdtra for 2st class and get as much free booze as you can manage, and a half decent meal on the joruney.

[AndrewW-G]

iAlex said:

Planning on taking the OH to Paris for 3 nights at the end of November. Thurs/Fri/Sat.

Leaving after the OH finishes work on Friday night and coming back Sunday evening.

I can see one little problem . . . . if your planning on being in Paris for three nights Thurs, Fri & Sat, then you may want to leave on Thursday and not after work on Friday

I used to work with a chap who commuted from Paris, he left Chester at 4pm, through the tunnel to the airport named after the bloke who left as soon as he could and didnt come back, cheap flight to Frogland and was home in Paris for dinner, so call it 4 hours door to door, as its almost 3 hours by train from your folks place to London, the train would be my second choice simply down to the amount of time spent traveling . . . The Chester Chron puts the travel time at five and a half hours from Chester to Paris on a good day

Oh and as for hotels . . . .George Cinq all the way

Edited by AndrewW-G on Sunday 31st October 18:14

[kVA]

soad said:

iAlex said:

Are there are benefits to going on the train over flying?

You get to see more

Yep

...and:
More legroom
Less worry about packing everything into as tight a space as possible
You can use your phone / check emails / watch porn DVDs the whole time
You might be lucky and have no-one in the seats opposite
Food and drink when you want it, not when they decide to bring the trolley (or you can be lazy and wait for them to come to you anyway)
Less waiting in a boarding gate (30 min check-in I think?)
Fresher air and less chance of catching everyone else's bugs (no pressurised cabin)
The train actually takes you to Paris - not some remote suburb 30 mins taxi-drive away
Need I go on...?

[croyde]

Train every time. Much nicer and can be just as quick.

[IforB]

You don't have to go through Charles De Gaulle aiport if you use the Eurostar. That is enough to recommended it for me.

[ewenm]

If I was in London, I'd get the train. Seeing as I'm not, plane it is for me.

[Psychobert]

George Cinq or my favourite is the Pershing Hall. Perhaps a little pricey though.. Couple of ideas for places to eat in the food forum here..

I'm in Paris pretty often with work and am about an hour from regular flights from Birmingham or a little more from London airports, but I almost never fly. Eurostar drops you right in the middle of the city, and you don't have to negotiate your way around CDG on the way back. Book in advance with Eurostar and you can pick up pretty good deals for decent tickets.

[4Lmike]

croyde said:

Train every time. Much nicer and can be just as quick.

+1

[Blue Meanie]

Train... More of an event than a plane.

[Dr mojo]

I live in N London. Left a meeting in central Paris at 5.30 Paris time and was in my house by 8 pm UK time. No stress,comfortable journey in Business premier with food and beverages and Internet access. check in time only 30 minutes.

Avoid the plane wherever possible

[Mobile Chicane]

Eurostar every time.

It's quicker than flying since there's far less pissing around with check-in / security, plus it takes you right into the centre of Paris.

[AndrewW-G]

Mobile Chicane said:

Eurostar every time.

It's quicker than flying since there's far less pissing around with check-in / security, plus it takes you right into the centre of Paris.

OP lives in Wallasey, so needs to factor the 3 hours + to get to London to get on the Eurostar

[Blue Meanie]

I used to live in Wallasey, and went to St. mary's

[Mobile Chicane]

AndrewW-G said:

Mobile Chicane said:

Eurostar every time.

It's quicker than flying since there's far less pissing around with check-in / security, plus it takes you right into the centre of Paris.

OP lives in Wallasey, so needs to factor the 3 hours + to get to London to get on the Eurostar

Where does he say that? Pardonnez-moi for using the information available.

If it were a question of (say) Central London to Central Paris, the Eurostar has it hands down. In my last job I worked two days a week in Paris and would honestly never fly.

[iAlex]

Blue Meanie said:

I used to live in Wallasey, and went to St. mary's

How long ago was that?

Whereabouts? I'm up Warren Drive end.

[iAlex]

AndrewW-G said:

iAlex said:

Planning on taking the OH to Paris for 3 nights at the end of November. Thurs/Fri/Sat.

Leaving after the OH finishes work on Friday night and coming back Sunday evening.

I can see one little problem . . . . if your planning on being in Paris for three nights Thurs, Fri & Sat, then you may want to leave on Thursday and not after work on Friday

Quite right, seeing as time travel is not an option.

Leaving Thurs afternoon, just booked a 17:50 slight from Liverpool to CDG.