London to Paris Eurostar alternatives

Fly RyanAir...
Howard


On 10 Nov 2003 17:40:26 -0800, old_muggle DeleteThis @email.com wrote:

 >We will be in London and had hoped to travel to Paris for two nights
 >before returning. Unfortunately, the eurostar rates for 4 of us is
 >nearly $500. Is there a less expensive alternative?
 >
 >Thanks

Retired Teacher, Terrible Mechanic, Worse Plumber!
LPFM Page: <a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://home.att.net/~optcamel/fmradio.htm" target="_blank">http://home.att.net/~optcamel/fmradio.htm</a>
 >> Stay informed about: London to Paris Eurostar alternatives 

Thanks for the replies,

The midweek $45 return fare is sold out. BA looks like it may be a
good alternative. It works out to be a little less than Eurostar and
is quicker. Air France was not competitive and the coach takes too
long from 6 to 12 hours. I don't think we are seasoned (robust)
enough travelers to brave ryanair.

Given BA and Eurostar are about the same, is the chunnel trip
something we shouldn'g miss?
 >> Stay informed about: London to Paris Eurostar alternatives 

old_muggle.RemoveThis@email.com wrote in message ...
 > We will be in London and had hoped to travel to Paris for two nights
 > before returning. Unfortunately, the eurostar rates for 4 of us is
 > nearly $500. Is there a less expensive alternative?
 >
 > Thanks


we flew easyjet from london (luton) to paris (cdg) for about USD$50
total. go to <a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://www.easyjet.com" target="_blank">http://www.easyjet.com</a> and see what they offer you. if
you buy train tickets from london to luton (thameslink) you get an
extra discount on the airfare booking. good luck.
 >> Stay informed about: London to Paris Eurostar alternatives 

Travel mid-week (for 59 GBP per person), or you could fly for a similar
price with British Airways or Easyjet. The cheapest option is the bus at
about 30 GBP each... but it takes something like 8-9 hours. You can also
do train+boat+train (slightly faster than the bus) but I've no idea how much
that costs.

phil


In article ,
<old_muggle.RemoveThis@email.com> wrote:
 >We will be in London and had hoped to travel to Paris for two nights
 >before returning. Unfortunately, the eurostar rates for 4 of us is
 >nearly $500. Is there a less expensive alternative?
 >
 >Thanks
 >> Stay informed about: London to Paris Eurostar alternatives 

Howard N. Lute wrote:
 > Fly RyanAir...

They don't fly to Paris...

Krist
 >> Stay informed about: London to Paris Eurostar alternatives 

wrote in message

 > We will be in London and had hoped to travel to Paris for two nights
 > before returning. Unfortunately, the eurostar rates for 4 of us is
 > nearly $500. Is there a less expensive alternative?
 >
 > Thanks

<a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://www.gobycoach.com" target="_blank">www.gobycoach.com</a> (but check how long it takes)
<a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://www.ba.com" target="_blank">www.ba.com</a>
<a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://www.ryanair.com" target="_blank">www.ryanair.com</a> - if you have an open definition of both London and Paris.
AirFrance
 >> Stay informed about: London to Paris Eurostar alternatives 

On 11/11/03 10:51 am, in article 3fb0b145.DeleteThis@news.admin.ch, "Krist"
wrote:

 > Howard N. Lute wrote:
  >> Fly RyanAir...
 >
 > They don't fly to Paris...

No, but if you want to spend a weekend in a field halfway to the Belgian
border they are economical.

Something a colleague mentioned the other day: if the Ryanair plane is ready
to take off, it will do, even before the schedule. Except that it waits for
the bus that goes from Port Maillot.

J.
 >> Stay informed about: London to Paris Eurostar alternatives 

wrote in message

 > Thanks for the replies,
 >
 > The midweek $45 return fare is sold out. BA looks like it may be a
 > good alternative. It works out to be a little less than Eurostar and
 > is quicker.

Have you priced and timed in the trips to and from the airport (LHR or LGW)
and the checkin time ?

 > Air France was not competitive and the coach takes too
 > long from 6 to 12 hours. I don't think we are seasoned (robust)
 > enough travelers to brave ryanair.
 >

Ryanair is fun - but the trips to and from the remote airports can be
tedious (or fun) if you actually want to visit outside the main cities.

 > Given BA and Eurostar are about the same, is the chunnel trip
 > something we shouldn'g miss?

All you get to see of the actual tunnel is blackness out of the windows
But some people like to say they have done it.
 >> Stay informed about: London to Paris Eurostar alternatives 

On 10 Nov 2003 17:40:26 -0800, old_muggle.DeleteThis@email.com wrote:

 >We will be in London and had hoped to travel to Paris for two nights
 >before returning. Unfortunately, the eurostar rates for 4 of us is
 >nearly $500. Is there a less expensive alternative?
 >
 >Thanks

\TRy this, we did it two weeks ago.
Take the train from Victoria to Dover Priory station.
At the station there is a shuttle bus that takes you
to the P&O and the SeaFrance loading station, there
you can buy tickets as footpassengers, they take care
of your big cases, you go on board the ferry, cases
are waiting at the Calais debarkation point, shuttle
busses take you to Calais town centre for the train
toParis, or overnight in Calais.
he Seafrance boat we went was plush, smooth
crossing and very relaxing. You also get to see a
little of the English and French countryside.
The Eurostar London city centre to Paris city
centre is faster and more convenient, but unless
you book ahead very expensive, also if you do
get cheap rate they will not allow changes unless
you pay a stiff penalty.
 >> Stay informed about: London to Paris Eurostar alternatives 

You are only going for two nights. Consider the total travel costs as
follows:

(Presumably) central London accommodation - Waterloo International Waterloo
International - Gare du Nord 9 (By Eurostar -(which by the way has a check
in time unlike most trains) [3 hours]
Gare du Nord - Central Paris accommodation

This is pretty good use of precious time on a two night trip. Especially the
hotel-station trips will be quick. If you can travel out early on day 1 and
late back on day 3, you will have 1/2 + 2 days in Paris. If you only take
"carry on" luggage you can keep costs down by using the Underground/Metro
rather than taxis each end.

So the question might be: how expensive is your time on this trip compared
to your quote for $500 for 4? Certainly the bus/ferry option would be very
slow compared. Anyone with experience of whether the flight option would be
quicker hotel door to door?

Clive Reid
reid RemoveThis @nu.ac.za

wrote in message

 > We will be in London and had hoped to travel to Paris for two nights
 > before returning. Unfortunately, the eurostar rates for 4 of us is
 > nearly $500. Is there a less expensive alternative?
 >
 > Thanks
 >> Stay informed about: London to Paris Eurostar alternatives 

On 11 Nov 2003 08:55:34 -0800, (csmytheee)
wrote:


  >> We will be in London and had hoped to travel to Paris for two nights
  >> before returning. Unfortunately, the eurostar rates for 4 of us is
  >> nearly $500. Is there a less expensive alternative?
 >
 >we flew easyjet from london (luton) to paris (cdg) for about USD$50
 >total. go to <a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://www.easyjet.com" target="_blank">http://www.easyjet.com</a> and see what they offer you. if
 >you buy train tickets from london to luton (thameslink) you get an
 >extra discount on the airfare booking. good luck.

Does your figure of $50 include the cost of getting out to Luton
and in from CDG? It should if you are comparing to Eurostar.

************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@cox.net) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
 >> Stay informed about: London to Paris Eurostar alternatives 

Thanks for all the great information. I decided to go ahead with
Eurostar due to the convenience and travel time. The flights were
good alternatives but with additional advance arrival time over the
train and travel time from the airport it seemed like the train might
actually be faster. Clive, thanks for your points. I'm looking
forward to the Eurostar. Now, if we could just find a good convenient
hotel for less than 200 euro that would accommodate all 4 of us. But
I guess that's another thread.

Thanks again.
 >> Stay informed about: London to Paris Eurostar alternatives 

I'd go Eurostar IF you are staying in London central prior to the Paris
trip. Because you are already reasonably close to Waterloo International
Station. Also the trip is very comfortable and drops you off in the middle
(north) of central Paris. Personally I would not miss traveling on the
Eurostar.

Clive Reid
reid DeleteThis @nu.ac.za


wrote in message

 > Thanks for the replies,
 >
 > The midweek $45 return fare is sold out. BA looks like it may be a
 > good alternative. It works out to be a little less than Eurostar and
 > is quicker. Air France was not competitive and the coach takes too
 > long from 6 to 12 hours. I don't think we are seasoned (robust)
 > enough travelers to brave ryanair.
 >
 > Given BA and Eurostar are about the same, is the chunnel trip
 > something we shouldn'g miss?
 >> Stay informed about: London to Paris Eurostar alternatives