Route Briefing: London to Paris
Let's be honest — London to Paris is one of the most iconic short hops in all of travel, and the fact that you can be sipping a café crème on a Montmartre terrace just a few hours after leaving home makes it almost absurdly easy to justify. At just over an hour in the air, this is barely enough time to finish a crossword, which means your energy is better spent thinking about what you'll do once you land rather than worrying about the journey itself.
Paris rewards visitors who simply wander. The Eiffel Tower is every bit as breathtaking in person as you've imagined, the Louvre is genuinely overwhelming in the best possible way, and the Seine at dusk has a quality of light that explains why painters have been obsessed with this city for centuries. Beyond the landmarks, the real pleasure is neighbourhood life — the covered markets, the boulangeries, the unhurried pace of a long lunch. French cuisine here isn't a tourist performance; it's just how people eat.
From Charles de Gaulle, the RER B train connects directly to central Paris and is by far the most reliable and affordable way into the city. From Orly, the Orlyval shuttle links to the RER network. Both options drop you close to the major arrondissements without the unpredictability of road traffic.
Timing matters on this route. Summer between June and August brings the full Parisian experience but also the crowds and the higher fares. Spring and early autumn offer a genuinely lovely balance — comfortable temperatures, manageable tourist numbers, and that soft golden light the city does so well. Christmas in Paris is magical if you don't mind the cold.
On fares, a roundtrip under £80 is absolutely achievable if you're flexible. British Airways, Air France, and easyJet all serve this route regularly, and mixing airports — say, flying Gatwick to CDG on the way out and Stansted to Orly on the return — can unlock meaningfully cheaper combinations. Book four to eight weeks out for the sweet spot on pricing. One tip worth taking seriously: the Eurostar train from St Pancras to Gare du Nord is genuinely competitive on both price and convenience, depositing you straight into central Paris without any airport faff. It's worth comparing both options before you commit, because sometimes the train simply wins.