Quick Flights from London to Paris

The flight from London to Paris takes about an hour and ten minutes, but nobody lives at the airport. Add the journey to Heathrow or Gatwick, the time before departure, and the trip from Charles de Gaulle into Paris, and you are looking at four to five hours door to door. Eurostar takes about two hours and twenty minutes from St Pancras to Gare du Nord, centre to centre, with no airport queues.

For most people travelling between central London and central Paris, the train wins on time and comfort, and it is often competitive on price if you book early. Flying makes sense when it is much cheaper, when you live near an airport rather than St Pancras, or when you are connecting to a long-haul flight.

Paris has two main airports. Charles de Gaulle (CDG) is the bigger, 25 km north of the centre, with the RER B train taking about 35 to 45 minutes to central Paris. Orly (ORY), 13 km south, is smaller, and the T7 tram and metro line 14 link it to the city.

Most London flights go to CDG, but some, especially from London City, go to Orly. Check which airport your hotel is closer to. Taxis in Paris have fixed fares from the airports, around 56 euros from CDG to the Right Bank and 36 euros from Orly, but traffic can be bad.

British Airways and Air France operate the full-service flights, with a bag and a drink included, and easyJet, Ryanair, Vueling and others operate low-cost services. Fares on full-service airlines are higher but include more, and they have better connections if you are heading on.

Low-cost fares can look very cheap, but a cabin bag, a seat and any hold luggage cost extra. Compare the total. Our guide to budget airlines versus legacy carriers explains where the gap closes, and our page on Air France explains its network.

Since Brexit, you must have a passport valid for at least three months after your return date, and less than ten years old on arrival, and you can stay up to 90 days in any 180. At St Pancras, you go through exit and French entry checks before boarding, so allow 60 to 90 minutes.

The EU's Entry/Exit System, which records fingerprints and photographs, has been phasing in since October 2025, and can lengthen queues. ETIAS is planned, with a changing start date, so check the latest official information before you travel. Airports have similar checks.

For flights, book four to eight weeks ahead for ordinary weeks, and two to three months for holidays and half-terms. For Eurostar, book as early as you can, since the cheapest tickets go first.

Turn on a fare alert and glance at the trend a few times a week. Our guides to tracking fare drops and the best time to book flights in 2026 explain how, and the page on last-minute flight deals explains short-notice fares.

Paris rewards a little local knowledge. Look for the formule, a fixed-price lunch menu, which is much cheaper than dinner. Boulangeries sell good sandwiches, pastries and quiches for a few euros, and street markets are great for picnics.

Avoid restaurants with photo menus and staff pulling in customers, particularly around the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame. Walk a few streets away, and you will find better food at lower prices. Bookings are advisable for dinner at weekends.

The metro is fast and cheap, and a day or multi-day pass saves money. Since 2025, a single Navigo Easy card or contactless payments are accepted on some lines, so check the current options. Walking is the best way to see many areas.

Taxis and ride-hailing apps are available, and bikes are easy to rent. Be careful with pickpockets on the metro and at tourist sites, and keep bags zipped and in front of you.

Versailles, Giverny, Fontainebleau and Disneyland Paris are easy day trips by train, while Reims and Rouen are about an hour and a half away. The high-speed trains from Paris reach Lille, Lyon, Bordeaux and Strasbourg quickly.

If you want to see more of France, consider flying into Paris and leaving from another city, or using the Eurostar to Paris and a TGV onward. Open-jaw tickets can be good value.

Paris in December is atmospheric, with Christmas markets, lit-up department stores and ice rinks, but prices rise in the weeks before Christmas. Fashion weeks, the French Open in late May and early June, and big concerts affect hotel prices.

Check the city's calendar before booking. A clash can double the price of a hotel, and flights and trains also rise on key dates. Our guide to Christmas and New Year flights from the UK explains the festive pattern.

French air traffic control and rail strikes occasionally disrupt flights and trains, particularly in spring and autumn. Check the news before you travel and build flexibility into your plans.

When a flight is cancelled or badly delayed, UK rules give you a right to care and to be rebooked or refunded, with compensation in some situations. Eurostar has its own compensation scheme. Our guide to delay and cancellation rights explains more.

The UK GHIC gives access to state healthcare in France, but it does not cover repatriation or private treatment, and you pay part of the cost upfront. Travel insurance is sensible, and an annual policy is cheap for frequent travellers.

Keep your GHIC and insurance details with your passport. Pharmacies in France can advise on minor problems.

Give us your dates, your London airport or station, and whether you want a flight or Eurostar, and a specialist can compare the options, check packages and find the best price. We can also arrange hotels, tickets and transfers.

Run a few searches below on different dates; seeing the spread is often more useful than any rule of thumb. If one of the prices looks right, give us a call and we will read the fare conditions and bag rules line by line first.