With the Eurostar train that travels 13 times/day and gets you between London and Paris in just two hours, a day trip to London from Paris is completely feasible. And if you’re limited on time, there’s nothing better than the ability to explore two epic cities while you’re in Europe.
Below you’ll find out everything you need to know when making the trip across the pond to London, plus a one day itinerary for spending the day in London.
From Paris: How to Have the Best Day Trip to London
How to Get to London from Paris
The fastest and easiest way to travel between Paris and London is on the Eurostar. From Paris, you’ll leave Gare du Nord in the west. You’ll then arrive to St. Pancras International in Central London. You can purchase tickets here.
For everything you need to know about traveling between Paris and London, read this guide!
Spending the Day in London – Morning
Trains leave Paris as early as 7am, so you can get into London by 8am with the time change. (London is one hour behind Paris). You’ll arrive to London’s St. Pancras International train station where you can head out to explore the city!
After grabbing a quick breakfast, I suggest making it to the Tower of London by the time they open at 10am. Tower of London is a great way to learn about some of the history of London, as it’s an old castle where Kings and Queens used to live. Today, it also houses the Crown Jewels which is a major attraction within the castle complex. I recommend booking tickets ahead of time, which you can do here.
If you’re not interested in visiting the Tower of London, other must-see attractions in London include…
- Westminster Abbey
- Churchill War Rooms – I also suggest adding on a historic walking tour of Westminster; book here
- Buckingham Palace
Spending the Day in London – Afternoon
Once you’ve finished at the Tower of London, or whatever other sites you plan to pack in in the morning, I suggest heading to Borough Market for lunch. Borough Market is an expansive, outdoor food market that houses over 100 food stalls. There are so many options to choose from, not to mention tons of places to get drinks; it’s a really fun way to spend the afternoon in London! If you want to try lots of different foods and places, book a Borough Market food tour!
Please note, Borough Market is closed on Mondays.
If you’re interested in going to a food market, but the weather isn’t great, instead of Borough Market, head to Seven Dials Market which is an indoor food market in the Covent Garden area. Seven Dials Market has 19 different restaurants to choose from.
If going to a food market isn’t your scene, instead, I’d suggest heading to a traditional English pub for fish n’ chips. Some of my favorite pubs in London include Princess Pub, The Lamb and Flag, and Ye Olde’ Cheshire Cheese.
Get in the English spirit by joining a pub crawl!
Spending the Day in London – Night
The latest train that runs from London back to Paris departs at 8pm. So you have plenty of time to spend the evening exploring London too! If you’re wanting the real, London experience; of course you can’t miss seeing a show on the West End. You can search for shows and book tickets through London Ticket Direct, and if you want to see a discounted show, wait until the last minute and book through their “Last Minute” option.
If you don’t have time for a show, instead head to one of the many beautiful parks throughout London – Hyde Park, Primrose Hill, and more – and sit back and relax before getting back on the train. You could also visit Portobello Road Market – the largest antique market in the world. Depending on the time of year, the market stays open until 5-7pm.
Please note, Portobello Road Market is closed on Sundays.
Before leaving London, I’d suggest one last drink to celebrate at Gordon’s Wine Bar. Gordon’s is in an underground cave and is the oldest wine bar in London.
CONSIDERING SPENDING THE NIGHT IN LONDON? BOOK YOUR EXPERIENCE BELOW!
Traveling between Paris and London is easy with the Eurostar. If you’re limited on time and want to see both cities, I hope you consider this as one of your options!
If you’re able to spend more time in London or want a more comprehensive guide to the city, don’t miss: A Complete Guide to Visiting London
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Kylee is a Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) nurse passionate about making travel affordable and accessible to nurses. Inspiring nurses to travel both near and far, Kylee began Passports and Preemies in 2017 while volunteering in Skopje, North Macedonia as a way to reach nurses and advocate for the prevention of nurse burnout by traveling. Kylee is the original creator of the “8 Day Vacay” – a vacation geared towards nurses who aim to take advantage of the potentially 8 days off between work weeks with no need to use PTO.
