Eurostar London to Disneyland Paris - direct or via Gare du Nord?

[ptaylor]

Looking for some tips on traveling from London to Disneyland Paris via Eurostar.

I see two main options - direct or via Gare du Nord. London to Gare du Nord has lots of times each day, making it very flexible. But, I'm concerned about how difficult it is to switch trains to the RER to get to Disneyland Paris or Val D'Europe. I'm traveling with two small kids.

What are your thoughts on the two routes?

thanks!

 

[peep]

Direct is certainly easier, especially with 2 kids in tow.

As a group of adults we're usually ok with the getting off at Gare du Nord and switching to the RER but it can be quite crowded and I imagine it'll be stressful if it's your first time doing the journey. The only benefit is the flexibility with more train options.

 

[Swissmiss]

Looking for some tips on traveling from London to Disneyland Paris via Eurostar.

I see two main options - direct or via Gare du Nord. London to Gare du Nord has lots of times each day, making it very flexible. But, I'm concerned about how difficult it is to switch trains to the RER to get to Disneyland Paris or Val D'Europe. I'm traveling with two small kids.

What are your thoughts on the two routes?

thanks!

While of course the direct would be easier, it is still doable to switch to the RER. Years ago when my daughter was only about 5 years old we had to switch in a hurry from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon in order to catch the last train home of the evening. This meant running up and down stairs, with a small suitcase and my child. Was it a great experience? No. Did we survive? Yes. And you would only need to change plateforms from one RER to the other.

 

[AndyS2992]

We always go direct. No stress, you get on the train knowing that once it arrives you'll be stepping straight out in to Disneyland. Never had an issue.

 

[Robbiem]

I agree direct is much easier if the time and price are right. Another option is to look at changing trains at Lille Europe. Its a much easier change and has frequent trains you can buy a through ticket and if you are returning you clear customs in Lille while waiting to change trains

 

[Swissmiss]

I agree direct is much easier if the time and price are right. Another option is to look at changing trains at Lille Europe. Its a much easier change and has frequent trains you can buy a through ticket and if you are returning you clear customs in Lille while waiting to change trains

I have done this route too and yes, it is very easy to change trains in this station.

 

[peep]

I agree direct is much easier if the time and price are right. Another option is to look at changing trains at Lille Europe. Its a much easier change and has frequent trains you can buy a through ticket and if you are returning you clear customs in Lille while waiting to change trains

I was going to mention this too but I haven't seen it pop up as an option directly on the Eurostar website for a while. I agree that this is a great option even if sometimes arriving at Lille and getting the next train is a mad rush.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

We’ve done both, we didn’t speak any French our first trip and the transition at Gare du Nord was very stressful for us, we managed thanks to some very helpful locals but it added an hour to our trip and probably took a year off my life. The next trip we did direct and it took all the stress out of the trip, we loved it.

Even though we have now been a few times, have learned enough French to communicate at a basic level, and are quite comfortable going all over Paris on the RER we still take the direct trains whenever possible, it‘s just so much easier we feel it’s worth it.

Even flying into Charles de Gaulle we take the direct express train, it’s more expensive but it saves a lot of time vs the RER and we just want to get to Disney.

 

[Robbiem]

Another thing to remember with the RER is that it is a metro type train so doesn’t have dedicated luggage space, reserved seats etc. It also makes a lot of stops. Its good for going to/from the resort and Paris to visit the other but not the best or easiest way if you have bulky luggage etc

 

[LondonTom]

I agree direct is much easier if the time and price are right. Another option is to look at changing trains at Lille Europe. Its a much easier change and has frequent trains you can buy a through ticket and if you are returning you clear customs in Lille while waiting to change trains

This is the route I normally go, as it gets you in earlier than the direct train often too and a later train for your return so you can get almost a full day on the final day (often leave after Stars on Parade)

The change is super easy too both going and coming back, just up the escalator and down to the other platform when your train arrives, or coming back a bit of dash to passport control (unless there are works/strikes and your ticket actually says Lille-Flandres rather than Lille-Europe and you don't realise until 20 minutes before your train! But as long you are aware, its only a 5-10 minute walk along a pretty straight road).

You can also get a beer and/or food while you wait from what used to be an Irish Pub, then Le Pub and now a "New York" style dinner called Factory and Co (I have a habit of marking the start of a DLP trip with a Affligem Fruits Rouges)

​

 

[fTs]

Guess direct will soon no longer be an option from London, Eurostar will end services on 5th June 2023.



I believe this is due to the new EU entry/exit system coming the month before and not wanting to add this to the already sparse border control facility at Marne-la-Vallee.

 

[marni1971]

Guess direct will soon no longer be an option from London, Eurostar will end services on 5th June 2023.



I believe this is due to the new EU entry/exit system coming the month before and not wanting to add this to the already sparse border control facility at Marne-la-Vallee.

Yes. Another “benefit“ of Brexit.

 

[Robbiem]

Guess direct will soon no longer be an option from London, Eurostar will end services on 5th June 2023.



I believe this is due to the new EU entry/exit system coming the month before and not wanting to add this to the already sparse border control facility at Marne-la-Vallee.

Its more economics than politics.

Eurostar services to Amsterdam have proven very popular post covid so using the dlp trainsets for these runs is better from a business pov, especially as this is a business route with higher paying passenger. Dlp passengers can travel with a quick connection at Lille Europe for almost the same runtime. Eurostar lost a huge am of money over the past few years (the service was only ran on per day to keep rights) so the decision to prioritise high revenue routes makes sense.

Savings on customs infrastructure will be a bonus but at the moment checks take place on departure so entry to the eu will take place in london

 

[fTs]

Its more economics than politics.

Eurostar services to Amsterdam have proven very popular post covid so using the dlp trainsets for these runs is better from a business pov, especially as this is a business route with higher paying passenger. Dlp passengers can travel with a quick connection at Lille Europe for almost the same runtime. Eurostar lost a huge am of money over the past few years (the service was only ran on per day to keep rights) so the decision to prioritise high revenue routes makes sense.

Savings on customs infrastructure will be a bonus but at the moment checks take place on departure so entry to the eu will take place in london

At the moment Marne-la-Vallee has a unique exception to juxtaposed controls which means there is no passport checks by UK border force before departure and instead this is done on arrival in London unlike any other Eurostar destination. However, the new EES next year means exit controls including finger printing equipment etc. is needed before departure which means the juxtaposed controls exception no longer has as much benefit.

Although this will help Eurostar move the train assigned to this route for the day to a more profitable one with business customers and one which means the train is used for more than one return trip a day but Eurostar are still not using all their trainsets yet.

 

[Robbiem]

At the moment Marne-la-Vallee has a unique exception to juxtaposed controls which means there is no passport checks by UK border force before departure and instead this is done on arrival in London unlike any other Eurostar destination. However, the new EES next year means exit controls including finger printing equipment etc. is needed before departure which means the juxtaposed controls exception no longer has as much benefit.

Although this will help Eurostar move the train assigned to this route for the day to a more profitable one with business customers and one which means the train is used for more than one return trip a day but Eurostar are still not using all their trainsets yet.

Interesting I didn’t know Marne la Valee had different border controls. I’ve only traveled via Lille. Still there is no reason why the trains couldn’t stop at Lille for boarder controls as the Amsterdam route did originally when there were no checks in the Netherlands. I’m not sure if the other leisure routes like the ski services do this as I can see places like chamonix having large boarder facilities for even lower frequency services

When you did this you effectively changed trains at Lille (you had to leave the train with all your luggage, complete boarder controls and reboard) so by timing things effectively you could put DLP passengers in spare capacity on the other routes. As well as saving a trainset you free up a slot on the LGV Nord high speed route which is probably worth more money to SNCF (the majority owner of eurostar)

Of course all of this disadvantages people traveling from the UK no matter the reason. It will be interesting to see if this changes how the resort is marketed from a travel POV.

 

[LondonTom]

Damn I was considering, not bothering with the Lille change for my next trips (typically was slightly earlier in, later returning to the UK) and going for the direct route

Mostly will affect families as I wouldn't want to do that change with kids really as the transfer to TGV always seemed a bit hectic, especially if its busier and the luggage racks are full.

 

[Robbiem]

Eurostar is basically stripping itself back to serving the capitals and Lille (for interchange)

Eurostar stations in Kent to stay closed for at least two years

Europe-bound trains won’t stop at Ashford and Ebbsfleet International stations for at least ‘two to three years’

www.independent.co.uk

As well as DLP this will leave three UK side stations (including Stratford international which has never run services) built for eurostar with no services to the continent

 

[AndyS2992]

Hugely disappointed but getting the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord and then getting the RER A train I hear is apparently cheaper and takes no longer and is easy so will just have to do this in future.

Transferring at Lille seems more of a faff but willing to try that too.

 

[Swissmiss]

Hugely disappointed but getting the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord and then getting the RER A train I hear is apparently cheaper and takes no longer and is easy so will just have to do this in future.

Transferring at Lille seems more of a faff but willing to try that too.

FYI, the RER A doesn‘t run through Gare du Nord, you have to take another RER and transfer at a station where they cross (can’t remember the name and too lazy to look it up).

Coming from London into Paris is easier than going to London from Paris because of the passport cont roll at Gare du Nord before boarding the Eurostar.

Even if you have to transfer from a Eurostar to another train at Lille it is an easier connection because it is all in the same station.

 

[AndyS2992]

FYI, the RER A doesn‘t run through Gare du Nord, you have to take another RER and transfer at a station where they cross (can’t remember the name and too lazy to look it up).

Coming from London into Paris is easier than going to London from Paris because of the passport cont roll at Gare du Nord before boarding the Eurostar.

Even if you have to transfer from a Eurostar to another train at Lille it is an easier connection because it is all in the same station.

You’re right, forgot to mention you have take the Metro down to Chatalet Les Halles station first which isn’t too much of a problem.