Easiest way to travel to London from South of France?

[NoIdea!]

I'm new to living in the South of France. I have relatives who live in the SW of London. I have only ever flown to England however this time I have a 1 and 3 yr old to take along as well, with no additional adult help.  I must admit I'm not looking forward to bundling them into the car, driving to the airport, parking the car in long term park, doing the airport thing, arriving in London, again doing that airport thing, and finally negotiating the tube with luggage, pram and 1 &3 yr old by myself. Then in two days turning around and reversing it all.  I do however live near a TGV or thought about driving and getting the ferry across.  However I have not travelled either way before.  Is it easier than flying - more time consuming? excuse my ignorance but what is the best ferry to cross (where? who?) to get to London? Is the drive from south of france to the ferry a horror drive in febuary re weather?

Thanks alot

Frances

[Brilec]

Well, the car journey would be best part of two days each way, and toddlers get very bored.

[Blanche Neige]

The TGVs I believe have designated  "family" carriages but the total train journey from S. France to S.W.  London could be a long time for small children to sit still. The Eurostar trains do not have a lot of space for lugggage.

Where is your nearest airport? does it have flights into London Gatwick? There are good onward train and coach connections from Gatwick airport.

Edit: I have just re-read your post and I think that flying is the only way to travel if you are only spending 2 days with the relatives then returning to France.

[andyh4]

I have to agree with the others here.

It takes me 9 hours non-stop driving from the Ardèche to Calais - add 3 hours for the kids food and watering stops.  Plus you are maybe starting further South.  2 days each way seems the realistic view.

You don't say where you are in S France but TGV from Avignon to Waterloo takes from 6.5 to 8 hours with 1 to 3 train changes - a bundle of laughs with luggage children etc...  You can check train times throughout Europe through www.bahn.de - select the english language flag and off you go - even gives bus and tram connections in many cases

[Mpprh]

"TGV from Avignon to Waterloo takes from 6.5 to 8 hours with 1 to 3 train changes "

Actually during summer weekends Waterloo to Avignon is direct.

Peter

 

[Miki]

How does the TGV arrive and then leave Waterloo ? Or I guess it must be Eurostar all the way ?

On TV the other day, I saw that from St Pancras in 2007, the Eurostar

train will take just 2h 15minutes to Paris ! And it was reported also

that some services were used for ski resorts as well !

[andyh4]

[quote user="Mpprh"]

"TGV from Avignon to Waterloo takes from 6.5 to 8 hours with 1 to 3 train changes "

Actually during summer weekends Waterloo to Avignon is direct.

Peter

 

[/quote]

 

peter, at the end she indicates that she intends to travel next month - so a bit of a long wait for the train.[:)]

 

Mikki, Eurostar is technically a version of the TGV -  just not advertised as such.

 

[Miki]

Andy,

Yes, I realise that ! Mind you, after exiting the tunnel in England, in my experience, it was anything but TGV !!

Between 6 and 12 years ago, I was a regular on the TGV travelling umpteen

times in France and often changing at Paris or Lille if I was going to

catch the Eurostar service to Waterloo.

As everyone else knows,  Eurostar is thought of as an Anglo-French train

and my thoughts on Peters post, was that I couldn't see a TGV (French

and no connection with us) going though the tunnel and up to London (it

might do but my thoughts were that it would be Eurostar) and so asked

whether it was actually Eurostar all the way to Avignon, if there was

not to be any changing at all. It just seemed that would be the case,

is it ?

[Dick Smith]

I'm a bit confused by all this TGV/Eurostar talk, but a few years ago when I went to Cholet I had to change from Eurostar to TGV at Lille, but whether that was due to the system or the route I don't know.

[just john]

The biggest disappointment I have had was using the train to travel back from Angouleme; apart from the cost, it took longer than my usual drive, (we did just miss the due connection cause of the station transfer mind you ) and was a lot more restrictive and inconvenient. however this palled into insignificance compared to the NIGHTMARE of crossing Paris with OH and two suitcases, to change stations from Montparnasse to Nord. Friends pointed out afterwards that it is just a platform change when travelling through Lille and that makes the journey a bit easier.
I don't think I'm ready yet to try the journey again [+o(] especially not with tots.

[naps]

I'd certainly recommend flying, if you're only going to be there for a couple of days you can really keep the baggage to a minimum. 

I don't think driving is an option for you.  We drive from Western France to Calais and it's a 6 hour non-stop run, of course we do stop and we share the driving.  If I were to attempt it alone with the children, stops would have to be more frequent - and let's be honest, a they can drive me to distraction when I'm doing the school run, so a 7+ hour drive, without having a co-driver to act as entertainer is just unthinkable!

[Blanche Neige]

Dick

My sister took the train to Avignon last Summer but had to change at Lille on the way out. Inbound it was the one train from Avignon to W'loo (I think this was a Eurostar train). I believe it is only in July and August that the train does this through route to Avignon.

Back to the original question,

I would recommend flying, carry belongings in a rucksack so that you can carry luggage and the smallest child as well if need be. Also take one small piece of hand luggage to include change of clothes for children in case they are sick or have an accident! at least when you fly you can check in hold baggage and be free of it for a while. If it's only for a few days away then you shouldn't need too much luggage.

[andyh4]

Dick,

The Eurostar units are built to the smaller UK loading gauge - in other words they are narrower to avoid hitting bridges and platforms.  So a conventional TGV cannot run to Waterloo, but a Eurostar can run throughout the French Electrified network - and beyond in some cases. 

The reality is that they generally only run from Waterloo to South of Paris during holidays - so July Auguts to the Med and February half term to the Alps. 

 

One complication being that due to under utilisation of the units SNCF has taken/bought back a portion of its Eurostar units for other services (non UK)

 

When the St. Pancras route is open I think that TGVs proper will be able to run through to London.  Maybe then Eurostar units can be cascaded onto North of London routes. 

[Jc]

In many cases the easiest way is to take the Eurostar to Lille,walk across the platform and straight onto a TGV to the rest of France.

[Jc]

It is not just loading gauge;until the new line is completed all the way to St.Pancras,the trains have to rely on Southern Region(I know that is their old name) and their third rail system which is the limiting factor for speed,not the state of their lines.

[Jc]

I should have clarified;Eurostar have third-rail pick-ups-TGV don't and won't.

[Steve Last]

A neighbour in our village in N Vaucluse swears by the train as she lives in Wimbledon.... says its typically 7 mins from there to Waterloo, then about 6 hours 30 to Avignon via Lille, which is easiest with a simple cross platform transfer and about a 20 minute wait to stretch legs.  Usually says if she is going back they will leave our village by taxi about 1 pm for a 2.20 train (Avignon is about 55 mins away) and expects to be home by 10pm.  That compares with us driving or flying and we only travel midweek if at all possible.

We drive if we are staying 2 weeks or more and especially if we have bulky items to bring e.g. cat in large box!! Driving we do it one go which is possible only because of good autoroutes and having a comfortable car), which is leave 7 am for the tunnel at 5.30, out at Folkestone and a 2 hour drive to Marlow where we live. Total journey time that way is 13 hors + or - an hour.  

Flying north we will drive Marseille (leave 2 hr 30 before flight) and fly to Gatwick, then its an hour drive aftre retrieving the car from parking.  Total journey time is typically 6 hrs 30, (2.5 hours house to flight departure, 2 hours flight, 2 hours retrieve car and drive home) have to allow longer for southbound due to uncertainties of M25/23 and longer check-in etc at LGW than MRS. Overall flying is about half the road time, but with less flexibility as timing is determikned by flight availability.  

We have contemplated the train but it would be no quicker than flying due to need to get into London from here.  Costs work out to be approx £400 round trip by road (£85 fuel and £45 tolls each way plus tunnel at about £130 return using Frequent traveler advance purchase, regardless of number of people.  By air it's £20 fuel to Gatwick plus air tickets, plus probably £25 per day for parking plus a rental car for the duration, so for 2 at at "off peak" air rates it's about  the same cost as driving after 12 days, however on the drive we really lose a full day in each direction whereas flying you lose 1/2 a day each way.   

For SW London trips I would think the train is by far the best if you don't need local "wheels".

Good luck!

Steve

  

[Blanche Neige]

" she lives in Wimbledon.... says its typically 7 mins from there to Waterloo, then about 6 hours 30 to Avignon via Lille, which is easiest with a simple cross platform transfer and about a 20 minute wait to stretch legs.  "

 

Steve that sounds like an excellent journey if one is not travelling alone and with two very young children and luggage. The 6 hrs.30 on the train might be a tad long for the little ones.

Just a thought  re. your own journey; have you considered taking the train service from Reading which goes right into Gatwick South Terminal. If you haven't got too much luggage it might save transfer times and  money spent on airport parking. It would also avoid the uncertainties of the M25 / M23  .

I wonder if the original poster will ever let us know which option she chose?

[Russethouse]

Plenty of parking at Reading too !

I wonder if the Gatwick - Reading train stops anywhere handy for the original poster ?

[Blanche Neige]

Gay

The original poster is wanting to go to S.W. London so I don't think this train will be any good to her. The route is Gatwick, Redhill, Reigate, Dorking, Guildford, N.Camp and various stops onwards to Reading. approx 1 hr. Gatwick to Reading on the fast train. However, plenty of other trains do go from Gatwick to other places.

[NoIdea!]

A couple of months later

Sorry for my tardiness......my computer crashed.  However now I am back on line...yay.  I ended up flying - kids were great.  Have to do the trip again in May....this time with my elderly mother [Www] However I am thinking of getting the train this time - especially if we can get a special as it will be so much cheaper and I dont plan to do as much shopping this time[:P]

Thanks for your help - especially the cost comparison - that was great. Ohh and I live near Aix en Provence.

Cheers.

 

[Sprogster]

Used the Eurostar from Paris to Waterloo two weeks ago, for the first time since the high speed track was opened in Kent last year. You only now slow down when you get to Dartford and the final part of the link will open next year. Even then the non stop journey was just two and a half hours.

I am about an hour and a half south east of Aix and have used plane, train and automobile from London and St. Malo by way of comparison! Very impressed with the newer TGV duplex double decker trains that run from Gare du Lyon to Avignon & Marseilles.

If you can plan in advance, UK airfares thanks to the low cost carriers are generally much cheaper than the TGV/Eurostar, if you are travelling from London to the South of France. One of the reasons why the French government are not exactly great supporters of low cost airlines, is because of the perceived threat to the heavily government subsidised TGV network.