To want to get Eurostar instead of flying to Paris

[Vernatts123]

DW and I are in a heated argument over this.

August Bank holiday break away in Paris Friday morning to Monday evening. 4 adults, one under 3.

Both agree we need to drive down to London from Birmingham as more economical than the train for this many people. (Birmingham flights too expensive) .
Eurostar works out £260 each, maximises time spent in Paris on Friday and Monday. We can park at family in London and get the tube to St Pancras.

Flights that cost 350 each to maximise time, hand luggage only so likely more than this once luggage included. £80 minimum parking fee at Heathrow.

DW is being pushed by other adults to fly because that’s what they are used to doing. I really don’t like flying, and working in the environment sector I appreciate the impact of short haul flights for carbon emissions.

its got now to the point where DW is calling me aggressive for pointing out basic financial difference and timings.

Who on earth would choose to travel through Heathrow over a bank holiday weekend?! Show them the pictures of the e-gate fiasco from Friday. 'Tis only fools who would choose Heathrow over St P.

I ❤️ the Eurostar.

I wouldn't even consider flying to Paris.

OP hasn't said they are going to Disney.

Oops, sorry, misread previous post. Ignore.

Eurostar 100%. It is a far more enjoyable experience than flying.

We've done both France and Belgium by Eurostar, this year we're going to the Netherlands.

Taxi or something like Resort Hoppa? That might be cheapest for 5 people for a short journey?

Probably taxi or a private transfer? We used the Magic Shuttle for ease due to the time of day but it was about 50 euro each way for 3 of us.

Eurostar all the way - and I live quite close to LHR airport.
The best thing is that you end up in central Paris, and you can (very cheaply) make your way to anywhere else in Paris via the Metro. Buy a ticket bundle 10 tickets) and you will be saving a LOT of travel money. You can also get a really lovely meal on board - which you won’t on a flight!

update

Talked it through with the two friends me laid out my case…

We are going on the Eurostar!!

DW admits she was very anxious about friends not wanting to go if I pushed Eurostar, hence her reaction over the phone.

thanks for the advice folks!

Flightfree travel is the way forward

We live near Cardiff and KLM do flights to Paris from there. Just seems more convenient than going up to London Paddington on the train and schlepping across to St Pancras.

We fly to London from NI and then Eurostar it. It's still been cheaper overall than flying to CDG and co ordinating transport etc from there. That said, it's been a few years so might not work out that way now.

Surely you can go Eurostar, and he can fly? What's the problem?

Er, the problem person is a 'she', not a 'he' 😀

Before I lived in London I was in another UK city about two hours from London and sometimes it was actually cheaper and/or easier to get the train to London and then the Eurostar than fly direct from the city where I lived.

I actually moved to London in part to be close to the Eurostar.

Great result, OP. Hope you all have a fab trip!

I agree, the omens are not good for a pleasant trip, however you get there.

I took the Eurostar to Brussels. Nice way to travel, way more comfortable seats than economy class in a plane, and you arrive right in the city centre. They still have security at Eurostar but no checkin and the advice is arrive 90 mins before train departure; I breezed through security in 5 minutes but it got a bit busier later on.

A third option is drive the whole way, taking a ferry or the car Shuttle train. For a full car it's probably the cheapest but slowest way, comfort will depend on how nice your car is, carbon footprint is worse than Eurostar but it's not that bad with a fuel-efficient car.

Not sure if anyone has also mentioned the utter chaos that has been caused by the French air traffic controllers striking.... regularly over the last few months and their dispute hasn't been settled so bound to be more coming up... Not to mention the baggage handler strikes and border control strikes at the airports... It really is crazy to go near an airport at the moment if there is a viable other option!!!! Eurostar isn't only convenient... it could save you hours and hours of queuing, your bags not arriving and/or the huge disappointment of flights bring cancelled at the last minute...

Well, the Eurostar cancelled almost all the trains in the March rail strikes in France too...