Travelling from London to Strasbourg by train via Paris has never been easier since the opening of St Pancras International Station in the heart of London.
Taking the train from London to Strasbourg via Paris can be a bit costly if you leave it too late but it is certainly more convenient than flying. My London to Strasbourg train trip lasted about five hours and I enjoyed every minute of it!
The train trip from London to Strasbourg takes about five hours, including 2.5 hours on the Eurostar and 1 hour 50 minutes on the TGV. Add to that about 30 minutes checking in at London St Pancras and about 15-20 minutes walking from Gare du Nord to Gare de l’Est.
Reasons To Visit Strasbourg
I decided to cross Europe from London to Budapest and then on to Hodmezovasarhely and Brasov using my Interrail pass in the summer of 2017.
I normally fly home to Hungary but the airlines put the prices up because of the swimming championship and the Formula I and I didn’t want to be robbed by them so I decided to look at cheaper alternatives but there weren’t any.
I then thought about looking at the Interail pass and how much it would cost. The flights were all around £300 and the Interrail pass came in at the same cost, so I decided to take the train home instead!
True, I would have to pay for hotels and food while travelling home, but I didn’t mind it as I really enjoy travelling by train. I went to Hungary from London by train twice already so I knew it was possible in the time I had. I had to get home by Sunday night so I could start working on the Monday morning, which was my absolute latest deadline.
I live in London so I had to take the Eurostar to Paris and decide whether I wanted to go to Budapest via Frankfurt and Munich or Zurich and Vienna.
I already travelled through Germany many times, so I decided to go home via Zurich. Truth is, I already travelled via Zurich too, but overnight so I had no real memories. This time I decided to travel from Zurich to Vienna and to Budapest during the day to see the sights along the rails.
The Full Interrail Itinerary
The below links will take you to my other posts where I describe what to do in those places. Just click the links and they will open in a new tab. This way you can plan your own Interrail trip using my tips and advice.
Day 1: London To Strasbourg via Paris
Day 2: Strasbourg to Zurich via Mulhouse
I got up early in Strasbourg, quickly walked around town then headed over to Mulhouse for a few hours then to Zurich for the rest of the day.
Related Articles
Day 3: Zurich to Hodmezovasarhely via Vienna and Budapest
I spent the day on the train travelling from Zurich to Vienna and changing there to a train to Budapest.
Train Travel from Zurich To Budapest Via Vienna for more information
Day 4: Budapest to Ljubljana
I took the night train to Ljubljana from Budapest then travelled on to Torino for the night and finally to Paris and London. I will add these articles at a later date below.
Day 5: Ljubljana to Torino via Triest and Venice
Day 6: Torino to London via Modane, Chamberry and Paris
My London To Strasbourg Train Trip
I checked into the Eurostar at St Pancras International about 40 minutes before departure and had a seat in the waiting room. My train to Paris was going to depart from platform 7 – it was the new fleet with claims of free wifi on board.
Amazingly, my seat was in coach 7 and by coincidence my seat number was also 77, so it was basically a triple 7 to Paris!
The Interrail pass now also includes the Eurostar, so UK residents don’t need to fly to Europe to start their journeys which was just perfect for me!
Instead, for a 30 euro booking fee any pass holder can board the train and travel in comfort to Paris. This is what I did when I got on the 17:31 train to Paris Gare du Nord.
The Eurostar is super fast and the journey takes only two and a half hours direct, non-stop. There was also supposed to be internet on board when I tested the wifi it did not work.
Sights Along The Eurostar Tracks
While the Eurostar is nice and fast there is not much scenery because most of the time it is in the tunnel under the sea. Also, to reduce noise emission in populated areas there are high fences along the tracks so you cannot see very much either.
When it’s not in the tunnel or speeding past a fence then you can see the London or Paris suburbs and the French rolling hills and English pastures.
Once I arrived in Paris Gare du Nord I started walking towards the exit, making my way to Paris Gare de l’Est to change to the Thalys train to Strasbourg.
I’ve been to Paris many times so I decided to get a fast train to Strasbourg and spend the night there. Luckily I was able to catch the last train at 21:56 which was amazing!
My Eurostar arrived in Gare du Nord at 21:06 and since I had plenty of time I walked across to Gare de l’Est. Even if you are short on time you can easily walk it, the two stations are only about ten minutes away from each other.
Getting To Gare de l’Est
Both stations have been renovated recently and they look beautiful with the carved stones and huge windows everywhere. There are plenty of fast food restaurants nearby so if you are hungry just sit and or take away to eat on board the train.
The architecture in Paris is amazing which you can sample walking between the two stations. This walk in itself is an amazing introduction to Paris architecture with the pretty balconies, carved statuettes and cast iron drainage pipes.
Gare de l’Est station is probably the biggest station in the world. There are dozens of platforms and the place just looks vast, like a city in itself.
I was so fascinated by this station that a few years ago I decided to rent a room at the nearby Ibis Styles hotel where most of the rooms overlook the platforms. I really enjoyed my stay there because I could listen to the trains all night and check the high speed trains coming and going.
The station has a separate commuter section and the high speed section so make sure you check the platforms before you get on any trains. Many long distance regional trains also depart here so if you don’t want to pay a reservation fee just get on one of those.
The Train To Strasbourg From Paris
I was in a hurry so I had to get the TGV, but it only cost 10 euros extra so I didn’t mind. The train was pretty busy and it was also a special double decker service just like when I travelled to Marseille. Back then I was sitting on the upper deck but this evening I was sitting downstairs.
The train to Strasbourg travelled at 320 kilometers per hour and arrived in Strasbourg in 1 hour 48 minutes after departure!
It was already dark so there wasn’t much to see but it was still amazing to see the city lights from teh window as we whizzed past!
I arrived at the main station in Strasbourg just before midnight. I was super hungry so I decided to look for somewhere to eat but everything was closed already unfortunately!
Hotel In Strasbourg
I was staying at the Montempo Apparthotel near Strasbourg Gare station. It is a very good hotel with some of the rooms overlooking the railway tracks. My room and window was right in front of the mainline railway!
After I spent more than an hour looking for something to eat and had no luck I decided to put myself away for the night!
Please read the next article to find out what to do in Strasbourg in one day then in Mulhouse, Zurich and Budapest. And please don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter and comment at the bottom of the page! Thanks!