Eurostar Paris to London: Station, Tickets, Formalities, Tips

The Eurostar terminal at the Gare du Nord

All Eurostar trains to London leave from the Gare du Nord (18 rue de Dunkerque, 75010 Paris), served by metro lines 4 and 5 and RER B and D (see our guide to the metro and RER and our overview of Paris stations).

The London terminal is not at platform level: it occupies the first-floor mezzanine, in hall 2, marked by a British flag. You reach it by the escalators opposite platform 17 or by the lifts opposite platforms 9 and 10. Trains then leave from platforms 3 to 6.

Once through the ticket gates, you go through three steps in a row:

• Security check: luggage goes through X-ray scanners, as at an airport, but with no limit on liquids.
• Exit from the Schengen area: check by the French border police.
• Entry into the United Kingdom: check by the British police, based in the station (these are known as juxtaposed controls).

On arrival in London, you therefore step straight off the train, with no further checks. The departure lounge has free wifi, shops, cafés and a cash machine dispensing euros and pounds.

What time to arrive

One to two days before your journey, Eurostar sends an email giving the recommended arrival time for your train: follow it. Once the gates have closed, access is refused, even if the train is still at the platform.

Journey time, timetables and prices

The direct Paris-London journey takes about 2h16 to 2h30 depending on the train. Remember the time difference: London is one hour behind Paris, so a train leaving at 8am arrives around 9.20am local time.

Tickets are sold on the Eurostar website and app as well as on SNCF Connect. The entry-level Standard fare is €44 one way (based on a return trip), but these seats go fast. Bookings open several months in advance; booking six weeks to three months before travelling is generally a good compromise, and the first departures in the morning and the last in the evening are often the cheapest. On Fridays, Sunday evenings and during school holidays, prices rise sharply.

The three classes: Standard, Plus and Premier

Since late 2024, Eurostar has offered three classes. All have wifi and power sockets at every seat.

Prices as observed in September 2026, adult one way. The Premier lounge in Paris is at 22 rue de Dunkerque, near exit 7, and opens up to two hours before departure. For most travellers, Standard is enough; Plus becomes worthwhile when the price difference is small, which happens on some less busy trains.

Luggage, liquids and prohibited items

• Allowance: 2 pieces of luggage + 1 piece of hand luggage in Standard and Plus, 3 + 1 in Premier, 1 + 1 for a child.
• Size: 85 cm long maximum on the London routes. No strict weight limit, but you must be able to carry your luggage yourself.
• Extra charge: an additional piece of luggage is charged (from £35 on the London routes) and must be declared before travelling.
• Liquids: no restrictions, unlike on a plane. You can bring a bottle of water, a flask and a full toiletry bag.
• Alcohol: a limited quantity is allowed for consumption on board (for example one bottle of wine or four cans of beer).
• Prohibited: weapons, knives and sharp objects, including pocket knives, are confiscated at the security check.

Formalities: passport, ETA and EES

Passport compulsory

The United Kingdom is not part of the European Union or the Schengen area. European citizens, French citizens included, must present a valid passport: an identity card is no longer accepted for a tourist stay. Every child, babies included, needs their own passport.

UK ETA: £20 per person

Since 25 February 2026, the electronic travel authorisation (ETA) has been compulsory for visitors from visa-exempt countries, including nationals of the European Union, the United States, Canada and Australia. Only holders of a British or Irish passport and people who already hold a UK visa or residence permit are exempt. Every traveller, including a baby, must have their own.

• Price: £20 since 8 April 2026 (£16 previously).
• Validity: two years, or until the passport expires if that comes first, for stays of up to six months.
• Application: only via the official UK ETA app or the UK government website. The answer often arrives within minutes, but allow a few days' margin. A refusal cannot be appealed.

Nationals of other countries (China, India, Russia, for example) need a standard UK visa, to be applied for well before departure. For entry formalities into France for Americans, see our guide visa for Paris (United States).

EES, the European Entry/Exit System

Gradually introduced since 12 October 2025, the EES replaces passport stamping with biometric registration (fingerprints and facial photo) for third-country nationals, British and American citizens included. European citizens are not affected.

On the Eurostar, registration takes place on departure from London (entry into the Schengen area); on departure from Paris, your exit is recorded by the French police. During summer 2026, EES checks were still carried out manually at the desks and the kiosks installed at St Pancras had not yet been activated; full roll-out was postponed until after the summer period. For a non-European traveller, keeping to the recommended arrival time is generally enough.

Pets and children

• Pets: dogs and cats are not allowed on trains to and from London. Only assistance dogs and cats are accepted, free of charge, on request at least 48 hours before travelling and with the health documents required by the United Kingdom.
• Children: under-4s travel free on an adult's lap (one per adult); a ticket is needed if you want a seat. From 4 to 11, a reduced child fare applies in Standard and Plus. From 12 to 15, a child may travel with a person aged 16 or over.

Arriving at St Pancras International and returning to Paris

Trains arrive at St Pancras International, north of central London. King's Cross St Pancras Underground station, shared by the two neighbouring stations, is served by six lines (Victoria, Northern, Piccadilly, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan). Contactless payment by bank card works directly at the London Underground gates. Black cabs wait outside the station.

For the return to Paris, the rules are the same at St Pancras: arrive 75 minutes before departure in Standard and Plus, 45 minutes in Premier, gates close 30 or 15 minutes before. You go through security, UK exit and then entry into France (with EES registration for non-Europeans); at the Gare du Nord, you get off without any checks. To reach your accommodation from the station, see our guide to taxis in Paris: use the official taxi rank and turn down drivers who approach you in the concourse.

Eurostar or another means of transport?

Prices as observed in September 2026. The plane is only faster on paper: outlying airports on both sides, security checks with liquid restrictions and queues at UK border control on arrival (see our guide to Paris airports). The coach remains the cheapest option, at the cost of a whole day of travel; in Paris, it leaves from the Bercy coach station or the Pershing one (Porte Maillot) depending on the service.

Brussels, Amsterdam: the Eurostar to the Benelux

Since the merger with Thalys, the red trains to Belgium and the Netherlands also carry the Eurostar brand and leave from the Gare du Nord, but from the main concourse rather than the London terminal. Allow about 1h22 to Brussels-Midi (tickets from €29) and 3h20 to Amsterdam, with stops in Antwerp and Rotterdam on some trains. These journeys stay within the Schengen area: no systematic border checks, but valid ID is required, and you only need to be at the station 20 minutes before departure, ready to board at least 10 minutes before in Paris. The luggage allowance is stricter: 75 cm long maximum.

Pitfalls and tips

• Fake ETA websites: intermediaries charge far more than £20 for the ETA. Only use the official app or the UK government website.
• Identity card brought instead of a passport: boarding is refused on the spot. Also check the expiry date before booking.
• Arrival time: security and passport queues get longer on Fridays, Sunday evenings and during holidays. Arriving 30 minutes before is not enough.
• Gare du Nord: the station is very busy; keep an eye on your belongings and beware of fake porters or fake staff offering help at the ticket machines (see scams to avoid).
• Suitcase too big: over 85 cm, plan for an extra charge booked in advance.

Going further

To prepare the rest of your trip, see our guide to booking in advance in Paris, our tips for getting from the airport to the city centre if you arrive by plane, and our estimate of the budget for a trip to Paris.