But what about the train-ferry combination, the one many may recall fondly from their childhoods? It is still feasible, but these days it is not a streamlined option. You’ll need to purchase train and ferry tickets separately and finesse train station-port transportation on your own. The journey will also take 10 hours, so it’s best to leave that option to your memories. Instead, here are some more affordable ways to get from London to Paris and back again.

Related: 

• 50 Ways to save in Paris
• 21 Simple tips to save in London

Affordable Travel From London To Paris

Here are the most viable and cheapest ways to get between these two European centers.

Air: Fast but not so efficient

Though flying between London and Paris is by no means our recommended mode of transportation — the distance is simply too short to warrant the hassle, not to mention the carbon expenditure — there are a few ways to get between these two dynamic capital cities by air. These days the Paris-London route is used disproportionately for passengers connecting on to a long-haul destination, with the exception of business travelers flying in and out of London City Airport. That said, we did find one-way fares starting at $38 searching a few months in advance, but of course that doesn’t include all of the rail or taxi fares in between the airports and the city center.

• easyJet flies from London Gatwick to Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

• From London Luton, easyJet flies to Paris-Charles de Gaulle. You can find one-way fares three months in advance for as low as £30 (about $38).

• From London Heathrow, Air France flies to Paris-Charles de Gaulle with fares as low at £77 ($99), while British Airways flies to both Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly for as low as £47 ($60).

Rail: Comfortable and quick

The only direct train linkage from London to Paris these days is the Eurostar, which travels between London’s St. Pancras International and the Gare du Nord in Paris 15-17 times per weekday. The trip usually takes 2 hours and 15 minutes, with maximum speeds of up to 186 mph. However, Eurostar started rolling out brand new trains in late 2015 that can make the journey in only 2 hours at speeds of up to 200 mph.

The experience feels a bit like air travel, with its security checks and passport control in both directions. Because the UK is not part of the Schengen Area, passengers go through passport control prior to boarding their trains. Traveling from Paris to London, passengers first exit France through French passport control and then enter the UK via British passport control. In London, passengers will officially enter France in the station, submitting passports to French passport control before boarding their train to Paris.

From London, return Eurostar London to Paris fares begin at a very reasonable £41 round trip ($52) (between midday and midnight on a Monday; anytime on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday; and between midday and midnight on a Saturday). Booking nonrefundable tickets as far as possible in advance (up to 120 days) is your best bet for finding this low-cost fare. The cheapest tickets sell out first, so the earlier you book, the more you save.

Bus: Long but super cheap

The bus is usually the least expensive way to travel between Paris and London. It also takes much longer than a flight or the train. BlaBlaCar Bus and FlixBus are two major bus lines traveling between the two capitals. French BlaBlaCar Bus takes between 7.5 and 9 hours. The FlixBus journey takes between 9 and 10 hours. Both lines advertise free Wi-Fi and electrical outlets.

One-way FlixBus (formerly Eurolines) fares begin at £25 ($32). The FlixBus terminal in London is Victoria Coach Station; the Paris terminal is Bercy Seine.

BlaBlaCar Bus (formerly OUIBUS, and before that, iDBUS), a subsidiary of French train company SNCF, is a more comfortable option, with good legroom. Fares begin at around £25 for a one-way journey — promotional one-way fares and overnight trips can dip even lower. The BlaBlaCar Bus terminal in London is Victoria Coach Station; the BlaBlaCar Bus Paris terminal is Paris-Bercy.

What’s your preference?

How do you prefer to travel from London to Paris? Have any tips on ways to save on any of the transport options listed above? Share your tips with us in the comments section!

The post The cheapest way from London to Paris: Planes, trains & buses from £25 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

In recent months, budget coach operators have been edging into the cross-Channel market, providing deeply discounted fares for travel between London and the near continent. And no doubt giving established operator Eurolines cause for thought.

Megabus connections

Megabus’ garish yellow-and-blue coaches (shades of Ryanair in their choice of livery) started running from London to four continental destinations last spring—a big step for a company that has hitherto focused on its extensive UK network.

The budget company offers now two routes across the Channel: London to Paris with an en-route stop in Boulogne, and London to Amsterdam with a stop in Brussels. Checking for travel dates in January 2013, we found fares from London on both Megabus routes to the continent from just four pounds (about €5) one-way. A real travel bargain.

An iDBUS in London. Photo: Eastleighbusman

iDBUS crosses the Channel

iDBUS launched in July this year. The long-distance coach operator is a wholly owned subsidiary of French rail giant SNCF. iDBUS based its first hub in Lille and last month opened a second base in Lyon.

iDBUS’ debut routes linked Lille with Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels and London, but the company has expanded rapidly.

iDBUS departures from London

From London, for example, iDBUS now offer nine departures a day to France. There are seven coaches each day from London to Paris, with four of those services making an en-route stop in Lille. That’s only a short hop from the autoroute, so the Lille stop just adds an extra 25 minutes on to the London to Paris travel time (upping it from 8h 35m for the non-stop services to nine hours for those which make the short detour into Lille).

The two other departures from London each day run to Lyon, each stopping along the way at Charles de Gaulle Airport (which is located just off the autoroute northeast of the French capital). London to CDG takes eight hours, while London to Lyon takes 16h 30m.

Slow but cheap

Compared to the train, iDBUS is slow, slow, slow. London to Paris on Eurostar typically takes just 2hrs 20mins, and Eurostar’s direct London to Lyon service (which launches on May 4) will link the two cities in well under five hours.

So on both the Paris and Lyon routes the bus takes more than thrice as long as the train. But with one-way fares from London to Lille and Lyon of just £9 and £29 respectively, iDBUS makes a pitch to budget travelers who might otherwise just stay at home. These fares are very much cheaper than the best offers by rail.

London to Italy by coach

Last month, iDBUS added new services from Lyon to Italy to its network. Although they are not yet advertising through fares from London to Milan (via their Lyon hub), those with a real appetite for long-distance coach travel can now create budget itineraries from London to Italy.

The post Discount Coach Routes: London to France and beyond appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.