Paris to London by Eurostar: tickets, documents and arrival
Prepare for a Paris–London Eurostar journey, including Gare du Nord, UK entry permission, luggage and the separate London onward trip.
Keep the Eurostar departure as the main appointment of your travel morning. You need time at Paris Gare du Nord before the train leaves, not simply enough time to reach a platform at the printed departure time.
Follow the instructions for the Paris departure
Use Eurostar’s check-in guidance and the arrival time on your own booking. Security and border checks make this different from an ordinary domestic train. The required timing can depend on the station and ticket product.
Complete the passenger information requested before travel. Keep the ticket and the passport you will use accessible, and check luggage limits when packing. Do not assume a bag accepted by an airline is automatically within every rail product’s allowance.
Check UK permission before leaving France
Use the GOV.UK checker for your nationality and purpose of travel. Where an ETA is required, it costs £20 and approval must arrive before you travel. It is linked to the passport used to apply.
British and Irish citizens do not need an ETA; other exemptions depend on status and route. Read the ETA guide rather than applying because another passenger needs one. Permission to visit France does not automatically give permission to enter the UK.
If you return to the Schengen area after London, check the conditions for that later entry too. Time in the UK is outside Schengen, but it does not reset the rolling 90-in-180-day calculation. Use the official rules for your status when planning a longer stay.
Read the times in the right time zone
London is one hour behind Paris. The booking shows local departure and arrival times, so the difference on the clocks is not the train’s travel duration. Use the operator’s full journey details when arranging a pickup or another booking.
The London arrival is St Pancras International. King’s Cross is next door, while Euston, Paddington and other mainline stations are separate departures. Add the transfer and time with your luggage before buying an onward train ticket.
Keep the first London journey simple
Choose your local route using the accommodation address. Ordinary London pay-as-you-go fares and caps have their own rules; Eurostar does not cover every Tube, bus or airport journey. Use the same eligible card or device consistently for local travel.
For a journey in the other direction, read the London–Paris route and the instructions for St Pancras. The Paris departure process and a London departure should not be treated as identical just because the cities are the same.