Trains to Paris

Trains to Paris from Europe

It’s easy to get to Paris from major European cities, thanks to the high-speed rail infrastructure in Central and Western Europe. Below, you’ll find some of the most popular routes into Paris – including journey times and train operating companies.

Route	Fastest journey	Train operating company
London to Paris	2h 16m	Eurostar
Brussels to Paris	1h 22m	Eurostar
Amsterdam to Paris	3h 12m	NS, Eurostar
Barcelona to Paris	6h 47m	TGV INOUI
Milan to Paris	7h 03m	SNCF, Trenitalia
Berlin to Paris	8h 21m	Deutsche Bahn, SNCF
Prague to Paris	10h 30m	Deutsche Bahn, SNCF
Vienna to Paris	10h 04m	Deutsche Bahn, SNCF, ÖBB
Budapest to Paris	13h 01m	Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB

 

New direct Frecciarossa trains to Paris from Milan

Good news! You can now travel direct to Paris from Milan on a high-speed Frecciarossa train operated by Trenitalia. Frecciarossa 1000 trains take you from Milan Central station to Paris Gare de Lyon.

What’s more, you can enjoy plenty of amenities on board, including comfy seats, free WiFi, reading lights, at-seat power sockets, and lots of luggage space. Find out more about Frecciarossa.

You can learn more about international train travel in Europe on our Trains in Europe page.

Overnight trains to Paris

Overnight trains and sleeper services are a good travel option for long-distance journeys to Paris – you won’t have to pay for a hotel room, and you’ll arrive in the city centre in the morning with not a minute of sightseeing lost to transit. For more information on taking sleeper trains, read our Night Trains in Europe page.

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London to Paris on Eurostar

Since its first journey in 1994, Eurostar has become the preferred way of travelling from London to Paris for countless travellers. 14 services per day depart from St. Pancras International station and arrive at Paris Gare du Nord in 2h 18m (on average). Here’s what to expect on the Eurostar:

The journey

One of the biggest conveniences of the Eurostar is that it takes you from city centre to city centre. The train departs from London St. Pancras International station – which is a short walk away from King’s Cross St. Pancras underground – to Paris Gare du Nord, one of the city’s main terminus stations. We’d recommend getting to the station at least 45 minutes before your train is scheduled to depart as check-in closes 30 minutes prior to departure. That’ll give you some time to buy some snacks for the journey – which, by the way, you’re more than welcome to take on board!

There are three steps to the check-in process at St. Pancras: scanning your ticket, walking through a metal detector at security, and passport control. You can take liquids through security with you and there are no luggage weight restrictions. Regarding the former, Eurostar recently updated their alcohol allowance on the train – you can now bring a maximum of four cans of beer or one bottle of wine. Spirits are not allowed.

Eurostar trains will usually depart from platform 9 or 10. Seats are assigned so you’ll have to find the right carriage before boarding. Some trains have up to 22 carriages – be prepared for quite a walk if you’re sat in an end carriage!

Most Eurostar services will go direct to Paris Gare du Nord without stopping. The occasional service calls at Ebbsfleet International or Ashford International. Departing from London, you’ll speed past Stratford International and East London, through a tunnel underneath the Thames River and into the Kent countryside. Around 40 minutes in, the train reaches the mouth of the Channel Tunnel, and after 20 minutes travelling through the ‘Chunnel’ you’ll emerge into Northern France. At this point, Eurostar connects on to France’s high-speed rail lines to Paris Gare du Nord.

There’s no passport control at Gare du Nord so you can hop off the train and right into the city centre. It’s a short walk to the Louvre and Montmartre, or, you can head downstairs at Gare du Nord to the metro to access the rest of the city.

What’s on board?

There are three classes on board: Standard Class, Standard Premier Class and Business Premier Class. Standard Class is the most price-effective option. While you won’t have access to complimentary food and drinks as you would in Standard Premier or Business, you will be able to buy items from Café Metropole in the restaurant carriages. A sandwich, drink and snack costs around €10 – not the cheapest, by any stretch – so a great way to save money is to bring a packed lunch on board with you. Standard Class seats also have 2-pin and 3-pin plugs, wide seats and reclining tables. Every carriage has dedicated luggage space and overhead storage.

How to buy Eurostar tickets

You can book Eurostar tickets directly through Trainline, up to 180 days in advance. Use our Journey Planner above or visit our London to Paris information page, where you can check journey times, compare prices and book tickets.

Like air travel, Eurostar tickets are cheaper the further in advance you book them so go ahead and book now!

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Connections from Paris

Planning a rail adventure in France? Paris is perfect for exploring the rest of the country, with several train stations running high-speed TGV services to the south of France, Brittany in the west and the Belgian border region to the north. TGV trains are SNCF’s flagship high-speed service – modern, comfortable and incredibly fast (they can hit speeds of up to 300km/h). Here’s a summary of where TGV can take you from Paris. For more information, visit our SNCF and TGV pages.

Destination	Journey time	Must-see attraction
Paris to Lyon	1h 52m	Gallo-Roman Museum
Paris to Bordeaux	2h 09m	Cité du Vin Museum
Paris to Avignon	2h 36m	Palais des Papes
Paris to Dijon	1h 34m	Jardin Botanique de l'Arquebuse
Paris to Strasbourg	1h 45m	Petite-France quarter

 

We’ve also got travel inspiration for Lyon, Nice, Marseille and Avignon so you know exactly what to do when you arrive.

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Visiting Paris

“Paris is always a good idea”, said Audrey Hepburn – and it’s hard to disagree. Where to start in the City of Lights? Read our travel tips below for a whistle-stop tour through Paris, and if you’re after something more substantial, our Paris travel hub is here to help.

Arriving into Gare du Nord station, you’ll be a short walk away from Montmartre – a pretty district that has remained faithful to the ‘village’ aesthetic. With its cobbled, meandering streets, Montmartre looks just like a postcard. A 40-minute walk south of Montmartre will take you down the hip streets of Pigalle. Particularly popular here is Rue des Martyrs – heaven for foodies, lined with trendy restaurants, bakeries and delis. Heading east leads to the buzzing Canal Saint-Martin, and to the République/Belleville area where the party awaits.

Walk south towards the historical centre and you’ll stumble upon the famous Père-Lachaise cemetery – the largest cemetery in Paris, it's also the resting place of Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde.

The nearby Bastille and Le Marais areas, parallel to the Seine banks, brim with private mansions, hip bistros, vintage shops such as Noir Kennedy, and concept stores like Merci. Follow the Seine to the west to find the Centre Pompidou, held together by colourful tubes and hosting modern masterpieces by Miró and Picasso. And let’s not forget the Louvre, gathering antiques, modern and classical art, and, of course, Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa under its glass pyramid.

On the left bank, the "bourgeois" area between Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Gare Montparnasse is dotted with theatres, cinemas, historical literary cafes, and brasseries like Les Deux Magots. The charming Luxembourg Gardens attract nearby Sorbonne students and families.

A walk west alongside the left bank leads to the Eiffel Tower. The Iron Lady faces the river and the grandiose Trocadéro hill on the right bank, with its fountains, gardens, and museums. There the avenue Kléber leads to the prestigious Champs Elysées. Among high street and luxury fashion shops, La Durée is a go-to place for macarons and afternoon tea. Fancy a spot of shopping whilst you're here? Check out our guide to the best shopping locations in Paris.

If you're into tennis and are in Paris around May/June, make sure you go to the famous Roland Garros tennis tournament. The closest station to the Stade de Roland Garros is Porte d'Auteuil – you can easily get there with the Metro. When you get out of the station, signs will point you towards the grounds but you can just really follow the crowd.

Staying in Paris for a while? Consider a day trip into the city’s surrounding areas – here are seven of the best. If you're visiting as a family, a day trip to Disneyland Paris is not to be missed. Be sure to also check out this guide on the best times to visit Paris.

Unfortunately, Notre Dame Cathedral is not currently open to the public, but here are a few other ideas for great days out in Paris: 

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Visiting from the USA?

Paris has long been a favourite destination for American visitors, and you don’t have to go far to find living evidence of the two countries’ historic relationship. Besides street names like Rue Benjamin Franklin, Avenue Franklin and Avenue du Président Kennedy, you’ll find statues of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson dotted throughout the city. Paris is also home to a miniature Statue of Liberty overlooking the Seine river – the original was a gift from France to the United States in 1886.

Before visiting, it helps to know a few basics. The currency in France is the Euro (€). Always try to pay in Euros where you can, unless you’re happy to be charged a 3-5% currency conversion fee. It also pays to learn a few French phrases, greetings and pleasantries – parlez-vous anglais? is a good place to start!

Restaurants are where differences in American and French custom are really laid bare. Firstly, it’s normal to eat much later in Paris – with most sitting down to eat at 8pm, sometimes as late as 10pm in the summer. Eating is considered a social occasion in France, so don’t expect a waiter to check up on you every five minutes. If you want their attention, raise your hand or make eye contact with them. Looking for somewhere to eat? Check out our guide to 10 of the best restaurants in Paris.

Secondly, you won’t be expected to tip as much as is custom in the US. Servers are compensated more adequately in Paris than their American counterparts, so tipping is less of a necessity and more an act of gratitude. Feel free to leave a tip of 5-10%.

Finally, as a member of the Schengen Area, France welcomes American visitors for up to 90 days without a visa. Just make sure your passport is valid for three months beyond your scheduled date of departure from the country!