Our verdict
Best overall
From London: Paris Day Trip, Guided Tour and Seine Cruise
Return Eurostar, a guided introduction to Paris and a Seine cruise, then free time, for about £260. Rated 4.6★ from 220+ reviews, it’s the simpler and better-reviewed of the two packages in our feed.
4.6★ · 223from £260 GetYourGuide →
Best value
Eurostar on your own, booked early
At Eurostar’s headline £39 each way, two return seats and a Seine cruise cost far less than two packages. On a busy date, or booked late, the gap closes fast, so price both before deciding.
Skip it if
You only have three or four days in London
A Paris day costs roughly 14–16 hours and £200–£400 per person. Spending that on London, or on an hour-away day trip, usually makes a short trip better, not worse.
London to Paris day trip: guided package or DIY?
A London to Paris day trip is perfectly doable on Eurostar, and the train is the whole trick. You leave St Pancras early, arrive at Gare du Nord about 2 hours 16 minutes later (plus an hour on the clock, since Paris is on Central European Time), and catch an evening train back. A package bundles the train with a guide, a coach or cruise, and sometimes lunch. DIY means booking Eurostar yourself and planning the day.
The package’s real value is the structure. Someone meets you at Gare du Nord, gets you to the river and back in time, and you don’t spend your first hour working out the Métro. The price is the catch. At Eurostar’s headline fare of £39 each way, DIY costs a fraction of a package. On a busy summer Saturday booked a week ahead, the difference narrows a lot. Price both for your date.
Tour vs DIY: the Paris ladder
| Option | £ per adult | Time on the train (return) | Time in Paris | Flexibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided day trip: Eurostar + guide + Seine cruise | ~£260 | ~4 h 30 min + check-in | Roughly 7–8 h, part guided | Fixed trains |
| Guided day trip with Louvre, Notre-Dame, Eiffel Tower & lunch | ~£409 | ~4 h 30 min + check-in | Roughly 8 h, mostly guided | Fixed trains |
| DIY Eurostar, Standard | from £78 return at the headline fare; often much more | ~4 h 30 min + check-in | Up to ~8 h | Your trains; fare rules apply |
| Private guide in Paris + your own Eurostar | Rail fare + guide’s day rate | ~4 h 30 min + check-in | Up to ~8 h | Total in Paris |
There’s no sensible private-driver option: the Channel Tunnel car shuttle and the drive into Paris add hours each way. If you want private, book Eurostar yourself and hire a licensed guide in Paris for the day. Package prices are the “from” prices in our partner feed today. Eurostar’s £39 is a “from” fare, and cheap seats go first.
Which Paris day tour from London is best?
| Tour | Price | Length | Rating | What’s in it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris day trip, guided tour & Seine cruise | ~£260 | 14.5 h | 4.6★ (220+) | Return train, guide, river cruise, free time |
| Paris, Louvre, Notre-Dame, Eiffel Tower & lunch | ~£409 | 16 h | 4.1★ (37) | Panoramic tour, visits, three-course lunch |
Paris day trips from London you can book now
From London: Paris Day Trip, Guided Tour and Seine Cruise
from £260
See on GetYourGuide
From London: Paris, Louvre, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower & Lunch
from £409
See on GetYourGuidePrices and ratings checked 21 Oct 2026; they change daily.
The cheaper tour is the better-reviewed and leaves you free time. The pricier one packs in more but holds a lower 4.1★ from a small base of reviews. Read the latest ones before you commit around £409.
Border rules for a Paris day trip in 2026
- Visitors to the UK (from the USA, Canada, Australia and elsewhere) normally entered on a UK ETA (£20) or a visa. It must still be valid for the return through UK border control, which for Eurostar happens at Gare du Nord before you board.
- Children need their own passports and, for UK entry, their own ETA where one applies.
- Check the ticket. Eurostar’s arrival time on the ticket is the one to follow. Its general guidance is about 75 minutes before departure for Standard and Plus, and gates close 30 minutes before departure.
Other Europe day trips from London
- Brussels: about two hours on Eurostar, with a compact centre (Grand-Place, chocolate, Atomium by Métro). It’s arguably an easier day than Paris.
- Amsterdam: around four hours each way on a limited number of direct trains. Make it an overnight, not a day trip.
- Disneyland Paris: no direct Eurostar since June 2023, so you’d take Eurostar to Paris and change. That makes a long day with small children.
- Coast without crossing the Channel: for a seaside day in England, the White Cliffs of Dover and Canterbury are an hour from St Pancras.
If you have only a few days, our first-time London itinerary and day trips by train pages cover closer options. Longer trips around Britain are on our Scotland and multi-day tours page.
Questions people ask
Can you do a day trip from London to Paris?
How early do you need to arrive for Eurostar?
Do I need ETIAS for a Paris day trip in 2026?
What is the EES and does it affect Eurostar?
What passport do I need for Paris from London?
Is Brussels or Amsterdam a better day trip than Paris?
Sources
- Eurostar — London to Paris train (journey time, fares from £39) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Eurostar — When to arrive at the station (check-in and gate closing) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Eurostar for agents — EES FAQ (kiosks, check-in times, three-year record) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- European Commission — Entry/Exit System (start 12 Oct 2025, fully operational 10 Apr 2026) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Travel Weekly — ABTA warns of scam ETIAS websites as launch date still unclear (13 Oct 2026) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK — France travel advice, entry requirements (passport validity, EES) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK — Electronic travel authorisation (ETA) for visitors to the UK (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- The Man in Seat 61 — London to Paris and Brussels by Eurostar (Brussels times, Disneyland trains) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- GetYourGuide — Paris tours (partner feed)
Written and checked by the Private Tours London desk