The most convenient and an affordable way to travel from jolly old London to the City of Light is also the most exciting—by taking a high-speed train ride through the longest undersea tunnel in the world. Here’s your guide to traveling from London to Paris via the Chunnel.
By Diane Bishop
Eurostar trains connect southern England with northern France via the English Channel tunnel (affectionately known as the Chunnel). With top speeds of 186 mph, the train begins its descent into the sea from the shore of Darby, England. From there it plunges into the depths of the English Channel and emerges like one of Jules Verne’s metal-clad sea monsters onto the sands of Calais, France.
Our adventure begins around 9 a.m. at the St. Pancras International train station in London. We have one rolling suitcase and one backpack each, for a combined weight of 78 lbs. What we don’t have is my purse, which I realize as soon as our Uber drives away. I begin screaming, “My purse! My purse! I don’t have my purse!” When this doesn’t make it magically reappear on my neck we come up with a plan. I know it is back at our flat. We have arrived early for our train, but there is no way we can go back and pick up my purse and get back to the station before it takes off.
We head to the Eurostar ticket station and get in line. My mind races. What if we can’t book a ride for today? Our friend in Paris left the keys for her flat with a neighbor. What if we can’t get in touch her to let her neighbor know? Sacre bleu! What if we have to try to communicate directly with the neighbor who speaks only French?
I wonder if the sound of my heart thumping loudly in my chest is disturbing the people around me but, being British, they politely seem not to notice. Eurostar’s customer service rep is calm and reassuring. He can book us on the afternoon train. The change of tickets with upgrade to First Class (all that’s left) only comes to an additional 30 pounds per ticket. We ask if there is a place we can store our luggage while we make our run back and forth. He says there is, but adds in a low voice that it would be safer for us to hold on to our luggage.
Slow Stroll Travel Tip #1:
Don’t store your luggage at St. Pancras International.
We lug our 132 lbs. of luggage out to the taxi queue. Miraculously, there is no line. I tell the driver what happened and that we need to go back to where we were staying and then immediately return to the station. When he hears this is a double fare his eyes light up and he begins calling me darling as he loads us into the hackney. We are still in morning rush hour traffic and watch helplessly as the fare meter moves faster than we do.
Slow Stroll Travel Tip #2:
Don’t book your transportation at a time that requires you to travel during rush hour. Alternatively, take a form of transportation such as Uber that has a preset price based on distance, not time. Our Uber cost to the station cost 10 pounds less than in the cab.
We retrieve my purse, which was hiding in plain site on the kitchen table, and slog through traffic back to the station. We thank the cabbie, grab our 187 lbs. of luggage and head into the station.
We get a bite at a grab-and-go sandwich bar while I make panicked calls and send frantic emails to our friend with the Paris apartment we will be house-sitting. When she calls back she is the voice of calm and reason and tells us she will let her neighbor know about our late arrival; it is not a problem. Taking a big breath, I feel my shoulders drop down from my earlobes. Finally, we can take a breath and look around.
St. Pancras International is a wonder of Victorian Gothic architecture. Upon its opening in 1868, the station boasted the largest enclosed space in the world and in important gateway into London. Its design of wrought iron ribs rising 100 ft. high has been copied across the world, including at Grand Central Station in New York. In 1874 it made history when the first Pullman with a restaurant and sleeping accommodations pulled out of the station. Until then, passengers had to bring their own food. In the 20th century it survived being bombed in World War I and World War II.
Today it is a small city unto itself with 150,000 visitors daily arriving by train, bus, and the Tube. The station has restaurants, 45 retail shops, artwork, an occasional concert (John Legend and Ed Sheehan have performed here) and a piano for anyone who wants to pound out a song. Those in a celebratory mood can unwind over oysters and a Grande Marque vintage at the world’s largest champagne bar. Weary travelers can check into the luxurious St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel.
Harry Potter fans will recognize the Neo-Gothic façade on its exterior: Harry and Ron flew past St. Pancras in the Weasley’s Ford Anglia. The hotel is featured in numerous other films including “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “Batman Begins,” “Shirley Valentine” and “The Secret Garden.”
Slow Stroll Travel Tip #3:
St. Pancras has free WIFI and vegan options.
Next we haul our 229 lbs. of luggage to Eurostar security, which is similar to U.S. airport security with the exception that we don’t have to take off our shoes and there are no liquid limitations.
Slow Stroll Travel Tip #4:
You can carry more luggage on trains than planes. Eurostar allows two pieces of luggage plus a handbag or laptop. Plus, there are no weight restrictions on the luggage.
The Eurostar waiting area is spacious and much quieter. We grab a seat between a hair-cutting station (20 pounds for your choice of 25 different haircuts) and a long computer charging bar filled with travellers. Toward the back is a grab-and-go sandwich shop, an ATM, a bar, a duty-free shop (remember, we are headed to another country), and, perhaps most importantly, toilets.
We would think back on those glorious commodes wistfully when we learned that there was one bathroom on every other car on the train and, incredibly, every bathroom door was permanently stuck in the open position. Harv fiddled with one door for a while before making his way to the water closet two cars down, only to find a man fiddling with that door. Unable to close the door, the man shrugged, went in, and did his business.
Slow Stroll Travel Tip #5:
Don’t count on the train having usable bathrooms.
ALL ABOARD FOR ADVENTURE
Once aboard the train, we stowed our 187 lbs. of luggage and tried to think about anything other than the fact that our train would soon be submerged more than 250 ft. below the English Channel. About 30 minutes into the ride, we entered a black tunnel and began our descent beneath the sea. Being a huge Disney fan I imagined it would be something like the Disneyland ride Finding Nemo and for one crazy instant I had the impulse to yell, “Dive! Dive! Dive!” The only clue that we were headed down was found by looking to the front of the train car, which was slightly lower than the back.
Although I am not claustrophobic, the idea of riding a train underwater left me feeling a bit anxious. I made a point of not knowing how far under and for how long until I was safely in France. Once I had solid ground under me again I learned that the underwater portion of the journey lasts about 31 miles, with the train slowing down to 100 mph during that stretch for safety reasons. Once it re-emerges, the train speeds back up to 186 mph.
Two hours and 15 minutes after boarding the train, we arrive at the Gare du Nord train station in Paris. It is time to grab our 237 lbs. of luggage and say Bonjour to Paris.
The Gare du Nord is the busiest train station in Europe. Unlike St. Pancras International, this station is utilitarian. There are only a few restaurants, very little seating, and the surrounding neighborhood can be sketchy. It does have a Tourist Information Center with free city maps and comprehensive mass transit options.
Slow Stroll Travel Tip #6:
At Gare du Nord grab your free city map, head straight to your next destination, and bid the train station au revoir!
You might also enjoy reading about our tour of a beautiful Paris neighborhood here, visit a classic film lovers’ Paris bookstore here, or find a step-by-step guide to making European travel insanely affordable here. And remember to subscribe to our newsletter via the sign-up box on this page for insider tips, pictures and recipes. Thank you for visiting! We are glad you are here! Happy travels!
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Ann Crawford says
You make it all sound so fun and easy…..because the way you’re doing it, it is! Thanks for all the wonderful tips.
Diane Bishop says
Hi, Ann, It is fun and easy, with an occasional crazy minute thrown in. : )