How to Plan a Day Trip to Paris From London by Train

A day trip to Paris from London is the perfect addition to your time in England! Thanks to the fast and efficient Eurostar train, it’s never been easier to visit Paris for a day. The train from London to Paris takes just 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Honestly, one day isn’t enough for Paris — ideally, you should spend as much time there as you can. I would gladly stay in Paris for weeks on end.

But not everyone has lots of extra time on their trip. So is visiting Paris worth it if you only have one day to spare?

Absolutely — taking the train from London to Paris is always worth it. Even if all you have is one day, you can still make it the best day in Paris ever.

But if you’re only visiting Paris for one day, it’s best to plan your trip carefully so that you get as much out of it as you can. You don’t want to waste time getting on the wrong train or waiting in line at the Eiffel Tower.

I’ve laid out all the steps you need to take for your day trip, tips for train travel through the UK and EU, and a suggested itinerary for someone visiting the French capital for the first time.

Let’s take a look at the itinerary and travel route so you can have the best Paris day trip ever!

This post was most recently updated in January 2025.

Paris day trip from London FAQ

Why take the train from London to Paris

The train is far and away the best and easiest way to visit Paris for a day. Eurostar trains depart from London’s St Pancras International Station and arrive at Paris’s Gare du Nord Station frequently throughout the day. The journey time is about 2 hours and 15 minutes each way.

You can buy your Eurostar train tickets here.

This is the Channel Tunnel high speed train to Paris that goes underwater, beneath the English Channel. You go from the center of London to the center of Paris, plus the train journey is exceedingly pleasant and comfortable.

The bus from London to Paris, by comparison, takes between seven and ten hours. Not worth it!

Driving takes just under six hours — if you don’t hit traffic. And then you have to deal with finding parking in Paris.

You could fly from London to Paris, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a day trip. The flight takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes, but you have to factor in getting to the airport 90+ minutes before your flight.

Plus, nearly all of the London airports and all of the Paris airports are located significantly outside the city center, meaning it will take you even longer to get to your day trip itinerary.

(If you insist on flying to Paris for the day, I recommend either flying from London City Airport, which is centrally located though often very expensive, or flying from Heathrow and taking the Heathrow Express from Paddington Station, which takes just 15 minutes.)

Don’t forget: You need your passport when going from London to Paris, whether it’s by train, plane, or any other method. Even if you’re an EU citizen, you need your passport; Britain is neither in the Schengen Area nor the European Union anymore.

What time should you book the train for?

If it were me, I would want to have an early start and enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner in Paris before returning to London.

I would book a very early train to Paris (around 6 AM, reaching Paris around 9:15 AM because of the 1 hour time difference) and a very late train back to London. Perhaps even the last train from Paris to London (around 9 PM, arriving in London around 10:15 PM thanks to the time difference).

Bonus: Usually the first and last trains are the cheapest too!

Which Eurostar class should you book?

The cheapest tickets are in Eurostar Standard class, starting at $90 return. Seats are in a 2-2 configuration.

Upgrading to Eurostar Plus (formerly Standard Premier) costs about 50% more, and gets you a bit more space and a light meal.

At around 4x more, it’s hard to justify the cost, but if comfort comes first, there’s Eurostar Premier (formerly Business Premier). Premier seats are in a 2-1 configuration, so they are wider and even more spacious.

You also get more flexible booking conditions, priority ticket gates, lounge access, and a fine-dining meal and drinks served at your seat.

Book Eurostar train tickets from London to Paris here.

Alternatively, book a day tour from London to Paris via train here.

Tip #1: Be realistic about how much you can see on a Paris day trip from London

One day is not enough for Paris, nor is it enough for everything you will want to see on a day trip to Paris from London. You can’t see the Louvre Museum and the Musée d’Orsay and go to the Eiffel Tower and go to Hemingway’s bars and walk around Montmartre and see the show at the Moulin Rouge all in one day.

In fact, I wouldn’t advise visiting more than one museum on a day trip to Paris.

I encourage you to choose one or two activities that are absolute musts and to plan your day around them. Supplement your day with other activities that are close to your main priorities.

For example, if seeing Notre-Dame is a priority, you can easily fit in nearby destinations like Saint-Chappelle, Île Saint-Louis, Shakespeare and Company bookstore, and either the Marais or St. Germain des Prés neighborhoods.

If you want to spend part of your day in Montmartre, visit the Sacré Coeur, take a long walk down Rue Lepic, see Amélie’s Café des Deux Moulins, and walk down to the Opéra before checking out the rooftop terrace at Galeries-Lafayette.

And if you absolutely must visit the Louvre on your Paris day trip, take time to wander the Tuileries Gardens, visit the Palais Royal, and grab a hot chocolate at Angelina before window-shopping at the jewelry shops of Place Vendôme.

Tip #2: Include downtime in your itinerary

It’s easy to spend a Paris day trip going from attraction to attraction, but I think the magic of Paris is found in the in-between moments.

Sitting in a cafe with a coffee or a glass of red wine. Wandering cheese and pastry shops. Crossing the River Seine over and over again with no destination in mind. That’s the Paris experience you fall in love with!

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to get off the beaten path in Paris — just go to a new neighborhood and wander in whatever destination pleases you. I wrote a whole post about it.

This free time is where the Paris magic happens.

What to do on a day trip to Paris

I always tell people to travel to the destination that makes their pulse race. And that goes for Paris, too.

Prioritize the things that make you excited — the things that are most important to you personally, not the things that you think you should do. If you’re not into art, you don’t have to go to any museums! You can go on a day trip to Paris from London without seeing the Mona Lisa.

If your favorite movie in high school was Moulin Rouge! or Amélie, spend time walking around Montmartre.

If you love Monet, Van Gogh, and Degas, go to the Musée d’Orsay for the best collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings in the world.

If you’re a die-hard Doors fan, go see Jim Morrison’s grave at Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Beyond that, I think how you should explore Paris depends on your travel experience level. If you’re an experienced traveler, you can handle exploring by metro on your own.

If you’d like something a bit easier, or if you or your companion have limited mobility, a hop-on-hop-off Paris bus tour is a great option for getting around. These bus tours take you from attraction to attraction and let Paris unfold in front of you.

Bonus: If you book the full day tour from London to Paris by train, it includes a guided tour by bus and a Seine River cruise.

Perfect itinerary for one day in Paris

Book an early train from London to Paris and a late train back to London.

You have two options for getting to/from Paris:

1) You can book London to Paris train tickets here.

2) You can book a day tour that includes train tickets and a bus tour in Paris here.

Once you’ve arrived, this is my ideal Paris itinerary that takes in a lot of the central sights. It’s a particularly good option for a first time Paris visitor.

Morning: Visit Notre-Dame and nearby neighborhoods

Arrive at Gare du Nord and transfer to the metro line 4 toward Bagneux – Lucie Aubrac. Get off at Cité and walk four minutes to Notre Dame.

Alternatively, you can take the RER B line to Laplace, get off at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame, and walk six minutes to the cathedral.

Stop for a quick coffee if you’d like and then go see Notre-Dame, which has now re-opened! After the devastating fire in 2019, the Notre-Dame Cathedral re-opened to the public in December 2024.

Entrance to Notre-Dame is free, but it’s recommended that you reserve your entry online to avoid waiting in long lines at the cathedral.

Next, walk east to Île Saint-Louis and wander the streets. If you’re feeling really indulgent, get an ice cream at Berthillon! This ice cream is fantastic and world-famous.

Head north toward the Hotel de Ville and explore the streets of the Marais, heading further upward. Stop by Pierre Hermé for macarons — they’re the best in the city. Just be sure to eat them the same day; good macarons aren’t built to last.

Noon: Enjoy lunch at Breizh Cafe in the Marais

Breizh Cafe is home to outstanding Brittany-style buckwheat galettes and sumptuous crepes. There are several locations in Paris now; you want the Le Marais location at 109 Rue Vieille-du-Temple.

I usually get a galette with egg, cheese, and artichoke followed by a salted caramel crepe for dessert, along with their delicious homemade cider.

Make a reservation in advance if possible (they finally do online reservations, but only two weeks in advance). If not, try showing up early before the lunch rush (they open at 9 AM).

Alternative lunch: Walk up to Rue des Roisiers and wait in line at L’As du Falafel, one of the best cheap lunch spots in Paris. Order your falafel and walk a few streets away to Place des Vosges, where you can enjoy your falafel “sur l’herbe” or sitting on a bench.

Alternative gluten-free lunch: As I update this post in 2025, I realize that neither galettes nor falafel are ideal for gluten-free travelers. If that’s the case for you, find any adorable Parisian-looking cafe in the Marais and dive into their menu. You can always find meat, fish, or an omelette with vegetables.

My friend Jodi creates extremely well-researched gluten-free travel cards that communicate what you can and can’t eat in the local language. Here’s the French card. Well worth the investment!

Afternoon: Tour the museum of your choice

Visit one of Paris’s world-class museums in the afternoon. Since you’re visiting Paris on a day trip and have limited time, I urge you to buy skip-the-line tickets in advance to avoid long lines, and be sure to double-check which museums are open that day.

Centre Pompidou (Beaubourg) is a short walk from Breizh Cafe. If you’re a fan of modern art and architecture, this is a great choice. (If not, I’d go somewhere more traditional instead.) There’s a fabulous view of the Eiffel Tower from the top, too.

Buy skip-the-line tickets to Centre Pompidou here.

Another option? Head to the Louvre and see the Mona Lisa (La Joconde) for yourself! The Louvre can be overwhelming; I recommend limiting yourself to two or three sections of the museum (I happen to love the golden Galerie d’Apollon). 

Buy skip-the-line tickets to the Louvre here. (Skip-the-line is a very good idea for the always-lined-up Louvre!)

My favorite Paris museum is the Musée d’Orsay, which is home to incredible Impressionist paintings in a fantastic old train station. Don’t forget to get a photo from the second level!

Buy skip-the-line tickets to the Musée d’Orsay here.

Not a museum fan? Check out a cool neighborhood instead! My top recommendations are Montmartre (18th arrondissement) or St. Germain (6th arrondissement). Pick out a destination in each — perhaps Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre, or Les Deux Magots in St. Germain — but spend the bulk of your time just wandering and soaking in Paris.

Note: Les Deux Magots is closed for renovations until March 2025.

Late afternoon: See the Eiffel Tower up close

You can’t visit Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower. But how you see it depends on how much time you have and what view you want.

You can take a hop-on-hop-off cruise down the River Seine if that interests you, and see the Eiffel Tower from the water.

I recommend taking metro line #6 or #9 to Trocadéro for the most stunning surprise view of the tower when you turn the corner. From there you can take all the photos you want.

I do NOT recommend actually climbing the Eiffel Tower. Why? Because you won’t be able to see it in your photos! But if you insist, once again I recommend buying skip-the-line Eiffel Tower tickets due to your limited time. Make sure your ticket includes the summit.

Instead, you can enjoy the most wonderful view from the Trocadéro Gardens and on the other side, Champs de Mars, a big long park that stretches out at the base of the tower.

For a good view of the Eiffel Tower and central Paris, I recommend nearby Arc de Triomphe. From the Eiffel Tower, it’s a 20-minute metro or bus ride, 10 – 25-minute cab ride (depending on traffic), or 30-minute walk.

Climb the Arc (once again…yep, skip-the-line Arc de Triomphe tickets are best here) and enjoy views of the Eiffel Tower as well as down the Champs-Elysées to Place de la Concorde.

A free alternative is to go to the rooftop of the Galeries Lafayette department store in the 9th. It’s not quite as close as the Arc, but it’s free to visit with a fabulous view — and a great way to experience a Paris sunset. Just don’t get sucked into the shopping!

Evening: Return to Gare du Nord train station

Sadly, your one day in Paris is coming to an end and it’s time to head back to London. You have to go through immigration again at Gare du Nord, so it’s wise to arrive 75 minutes before your departure.

If you’re coming from the Eiffel Tower, your best route is to take the RER C to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame and then transfer onto the RER B to Gare du Nord. It should take around 25 minutes. Alternatively, a cab will take 25-55 minutes, depending on traffic.

Enjoy that high-speed Eurostar train ride back to London, awash in your Paris memories. Now would be an excellent time to dive into those macarons you procured earlier!

Do’s and don’t’s for a day trip to Paris from London

I’ve traveled to both London and Paris countless times and want you to make the most of your day trip. Follow along with my do’s and don’t’s:

Do keep track of the time change. Paris is one hour ahead of London.

Do research opening times in advance. This is especially important for museums. The Louvre and Centre Pompidou are closed Tuesdays, while the Musée d’Orsay and Musée Rodin are closed Mondays, to start.

Do say, “Bonjour, madame!” or “Bonjour, monsieur!” whenever you enter a shop or restaurant. This is considered basic manners in France and if you don’t, you may be treated rudely in return. Also be sure to end interactions with, “Merci!”

Don’t leave central Paris. Leaving central Paris will tack on a lot of time to what is already too short of a trip. Versailles, for example, is just outside the city but can easily eat up more than half a day.

That also goes for Chartres, Giverny, Reims, the Loire Valley, the beaches of Normandy, Disneyland Paris, and other day trips from Paris. Save them for a longer trip!

Do guard against pickpockets. If you use a purse, I recommend using a black crossbody purse that zips shut, preferably made of leather or faux leather. Keep your hand on it.

You can also keep valuables in the hidden pocket of a Speakeasy Travel Supply scarf — I guarantee nobody will pickpocket you there!

Don’t leave love locks anywhere. They’re damaging to structures and your lock will be removed anyway. Just enjoy the city of love without vandalizing it in the process.

Don’t go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: This may seem like shocking advice, but when you’re on top of the Eiffel Tower you can’t see the Eiffel Tower.

It’s like going to the top of the Empire State Building in New York — the most iconic building will be missing from your photos.

Definitely go to the base of the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadero Gardens, but if you want a good view from a building, I recommend the top of the Arc de Triomphe (close proximity), the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette department store in the 9th (a bit further away), or the top of the Sacré Coeur in Montmartre (furthest away but sweeping views over the whole city).

Don’t forget an umbrella! Paris’s weather is similar to London’s, but only London is famous for its overcast weather. The weather changes quickly in Paris and rain can come out of nowhere, even on an otherwise sunny day. This travel umbrella is small enough to pack away but strong enough to hold its shape on a windy day.

What to wear on a day trip to Paris

Parisians have a well-earned reputation for being among the best dressed in Europe. So what should you wear on a day trip to Paris?

It depends on the season, but my go-to outfit is a nice top or sweater, slim or skinny dark jeans, a faux leather moto jacket (this one is similar to mine) or sleek winter coat, and a beautiful scarf or pashmina (Speakeasy Travel Supply makes gorgeous scarves with a secret hidden pocket — perfect for Paris!).

For shoes, I recommend a pair of black flats with good arch support (I swear by black Abeo flats from the Walking Company). If it’s cold, you might prefer a pair of black boots.

My go-to stylish sneakers are these white leather Cole Haan sneaks. Top your look off with tasteful makeup, nice jewelry, and a pair of dark sunglasses.

You might enjoy dressing up a bit, especially if it’s warmer out. Wearing a nice dress makes for better photos and could earn you more cordial treatment from locals or even get you mistaken for being a local.

What not to wear: Shorts, athletic sneakers, baseball caps, old-looking t-shirts, and anything with a university name on it will immediately brand you as a foreigner anywhere in Europe, but especially so in Paris. I recommend leaving those items at home.

Wrapping up your day trip to Paris from London

Is a day trip enough time in Paris? No.

But if a day is all you have, it’s absolutely worth it! From London, you can conveniently reach the city center of Paris in just a few hours. Wave goodbye to Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey because you’re off to Paris!

You can spend an incredible day touring the famous churches and cathedrals of Paris, wandering down charming streets and museum corridors, snacking on crepes and macarons, and basking in views of the Eiffel Tower.

So don’t let your limited time discourage you! There’s a lot you can experience in Paris on a day trip from London. These two iconic cities compliment each other really well.

Plus, who says your day trip has to be your only Parisian experience? Once you’ve gotten a taste of the city of light, I bet you’ll be planning your next trip back!

Ready to go? Book train tickets from London to Paris here!

More on Paris:

• Solo Female Travel in Paris — Is it Safe?
• Where to Stay in Paris: Best Neighborhoods and Hotels
• 33 Most Famous Streets in Paris
• How to Spend a Layover in Paris
• 100 Travel Tips for Paris
• The Art of the Chilled Out Trip to Paris

Have you done a day trip to Paris from London? Share away!