Tag: London Transportation

At first glance it may seem difficult to get from London to Disneyland Paris, but it really isn’t. You can get from London to Disneyland Paris with little to no hassle, and there is one route you can take that requires no transferring!

There are four different ways to get from London to Disneyland Paris. You can take the train directly to Disneyland Paris, the train to central Paris then the Paris metro to Disneyland Paris, you can fly, or you can take the bus.

This guide will only cover the first three methods because I don’t think taking the bus is practical or worth even suggesting to you.

The bus takes almost six hours and requires two to four transfers. That is way too much of a hassle when the Eurostar train is much quicker and than the bus.

In addition to telling you about all your different options to get to Disneyland Paris from London, this guide will also give you guidance on choosing the right option for you and your travel style.

Knowing the pros and cons of each travel method will help you choose what will work best for you. Different modes of transportation work best for different people, and my goal is not to tell you what works best for me but guide you in finding what works best for you!

Eurostar Train from London Directly to Disneyland Paris

This is the most direct, convenient, and quickest way to get from London to Disneyland Paris. Eurostar has one direct train a day from London St. Pancras station directly to Marne-La-Vallée (the train station located right at Disneyland Paris).

It leaves London at 10:15am and arrives at Disneyland Paris at 2pm. It is so quick and easy, but the downside is that there is only one train per day, and you may have to get up fairly early to catch the train depending on where in London you are staying.

NOTE: The direct train does not run between London and Disneyland Paris between early January and mid-February. You need to plan an alternative route if you are travelling during this time.

You will have to use the London Underground to get to St. Pancras in most cases, and that can take upwards of 45 minutes if you’re staying on the opposite side of the city and need to transfer to multiple different lines on the Underground.

Getting Train Tickets

You need to purchase your tickets online in advance on the Eurostar website. Tickets are available for purchase 180 days in advance. You should purchase your tickets as early as you can! This will give you the most options when choosing your seats, and Eurostar ticket prices increase as the date of departure gets closer and closer.

Eurostar tickets aren’t cheap to begin with, and they become extremely expensive if you’re booking tickets only a week or two in advance. I don’t normally plan things very far in advance when I travel, but I always get my Eurostar tickets the day I decide I’m going to be taking the train between London and Paris.

You need to print your ticket before you board the train. You will need a physical ticket. Unfortunately having an electronic ticket is not good enough, but hopefully that will change soon!

Be Sure to Get to the Station Early!

It is essential that you arrive at St. Pancras at least half an hour before your train departs! You need to go through security as well as customs, so be sure to have your passport or EU residence card easily accessible!

It is airport-style security, so you will have to remove your belt and remove any loose change from your pocket. Your bags will go through a scanner and by x-rayed. You will then go to a customs counter to get your passport stamped or your residence card checked.

Then you are free to board the train when it is time.

The entire process goes pretty quickly, but you don’t want to be too rushed. It is always safer to leave a little extra time than not enough and be stressed and rushing.

The first time I took the Eurostar from London to Paris, there was an issue with the Underground, and I arrived at St. Pancras ten minutes before the train departed! The staff was incredibly helpful and got me through security and customs quickly then escorted me to the train, but it was far too stressful!

Disneyland Paris Packages that Include the Train

You have the option to book a package directly through Disneyland Paris that includes your Eurostar train directly from London to Disneyland Paris. You can learn about the packages on the Disneyland Paris website.

A few of the features include:

• Complimentary luggage transfers from the train to your Disneyland Paris hotel
• Activity and colouring sheets for children on the train
• Round-trip direct train from London to Disneyland Paris and back
• Park tickets for the duration of your stay
• Accommodation at a Disneyland Paris hotel

This package option can be a good choice for some families. You need to review all of the package features before you make your decision. The inclusion of luggage transfers and the Eurostar tickets being arranged for you probably isn’t enough to justify the package price.

However, if you get a good deal on the hotel and the extra perks are attractive to you and your family, the package may be a great option. You really need to crunch the numbers of what the package costs versus what it would cost to pay for everything out-of-pocket. Oftentimes the package deals don’t save you as much money as they claim to.

The Pros and Cons of Taking the Train Directly to Disneyland Paris

Pros:

• It is direct! This is by far the most attractive part of this transportation method.
• The trains arrives steps away from Disneyland Paris. You don’t need to worry about figuring out how to get to Disneyland Paris after you get off the train.
• It is quick. The journey takes less than three hours!

Cons:

• The train from London to Disneyland Paris only leaves once per day.
• Last-minute tickets are going to cost you a pretty penny.
• It doesn’t run between early January and mid-February.

Eurostar Train from London to Central Paris

The next option is to take the train from St. Pancras station in London to Gare du Nord in Paris. Trains leave London for Gare du Nord approximately once per hour (normally at half past the hour). This means it is a lot easier to fit catching this train into your travel schedule because there are many more trains that leave.

The train from London to Central Paris takes about two and a half hours, so the transportation time to Paris is comparable to taking the train to Disneyland Paris directly.

This train is also direct, so you don’t need to worry about transferring to another train during your journey. You still need to go through security and customs, so all the previous advise regarding getting to the station early is still important!

Tickets

All of the ticketing information that was outlined in the section about the train directly from London to Disneyland Paris still stands.

You should book your ticket as early as possible and up to 180 days in advance. Even though there are a lot more train options, it doesn’t mean that it is less of a risk to wait and book your ticket closer to the date of departure.

Eurostar still raises their ticket prices the closer it is to the date of departure. There are a lot of different train options, but it is a very popular route and often sells out. This is especially true if you are travelling on a weekend, during peak hours, or over a holiday.

Ticket prices will already be more expensive during those times than they are during non-peak times, and they will only go up in cost the longer you wait.

Trust me. You don’t want to procrastinate about booking your Eurostar ticket. You will end up regretting it in the long run, and you may even decide that taking the train isn’t worth it because the price has increased so much.

So please, please take my advise and book your train ticket early!

Getting from Gare du Nord to Disneyland Paris

You’ve made it from London to Paris but now you have to get from central Paris to Disneyland Paris. In order to do that, you need to take the RER train to Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy. You can either take RER B or RER D. Both RERs run very frequently.

In this post, I am only going to take about the RER B because it is the simpler of the two routes.

The first step is to follow the signs for the Paris Metro/RER. They will be easily visible as you walk from the train platform. Once you are in the portion of Gare du Nord that houses the RER, you will need to purchase tickets.

There are green ticket machines that allow you to purchase tickets without queuing to purchase them from a ticket booth. The ticket machines are very easy to use and offer many different language options if you don’t speak French.

Pro Tip: Walk past the first set of ticket machines you see right when you enter the station. They are always the busiest! There are more ticket machines further into the station that are less busy.

A one-way ticket from Gare du Nord to Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy costs €7.50. The ticket machines accept cash, debit, and credit.

Navigating the RER Once You Have Your Ticket

Now that you have purchased your ticket and are ready to get on the RER, follow the signs for RER B in the direction of Robinson / Saint-Rémy-lés-Chevreuse.

You can get on any train that stops on your side of the platform as you are getting off at the very next stop. Don’t get comfortable when you board the train because it isn’t a long ride!

You get off at Châtelet Les Halles (the next stop after Gare du Nord) and transfer to the RER A. The transfer from the RER B to the RER A is incredibly simple. You simply walk from one side of the platform to the other.

The RER A has two different routes, so you have to be careful to make sure you get on the correct train. You need to get on the train that ends at Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy. If you get on the incorrect train, you will have to backtrack and get on the proper train. It is a hassle that is easily avoided by ensuring you are on the correct train.

There will be an overhead display on the platform showing the end destination of the train. If it doesn’t say Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy, don’t get on that train.

Trains to Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy run approximately every ten to fifteen minutes.

The journey once you get on the RER A takes just over half an hour so get comfortable and enjoy the ride. You don’t have to worry about accidentally missing your stop because Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy is the last stop on the line.

The Pros and Cons of Taking the Train from London to Gare du Nord

Pros:

• It is quick and doesn’t require you to transfer trains.
• There are multiple departures every day.

Cons:

• You have to navigate the Paris metro.
• It takes longer than the Eurostar directly from London to Disneyland Paris when you factor in the time you’re on the metro.

Flying from London to Paris

The last option is to fly from London to Paris then taking public transportation to Disneyland Paris. You can often find inexpensive flights from London to Paris by using Sky Scanner or Google Flights.

The inexpensive flights you find are often on budget airlines like Ryanair or EasyJet. This means you have to be cautious of extra charges like baggage, pre-booking a designated seat, and printing a boarding pass at the airport that can increase the price of your ticket.

You may also have to fly out from smaller airports like Stansted that don’t have the best ground transportation options. Or land at Beauvais-Tillé in Paris, which doesn’t have great ground transportation options either.

I advise you not to land at Beauvais-Tillé as it takes approximately three hours to get from the airport to Disneyland Paris. It is worth it to pay a little bit more for your flight to land at Charles de Gaulle.

It would be ideal to get a flight out of Heathrow or Gatwick and land at Charles de Gaulle in Paris. This will give you the easiest and quickest flying route from London to Paris. If you can’t land at Charles de Gaulle, Orly Airport would be the next best option to land at.

Landing at Charles de Gaulle

There are three ways to get from Charles de Gaulle to Disneyland Paris.

TGV Train

This is the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to get from Charles de Gaulle to Disneyland Paris. It costs €17.50 per person one-way and only takes 15 minutes once you’re on the train. The train doesn’t run as frequently as the metro, so it is possible you will have to wait up to 30 minutes for the next train to arrive.

The TGV leaves from terminal two and is one level below the ticketing counters. You take the train in the direction of Marne-la-Vallée and get off at Marne-la-Vallée (2 stops away from Gare du Nord). You don’t need to book tickets in advance. Tickets can be purchased at the airport when you arrive.

This is the method I would recommend to most people.

The Magic Shuttle Bus

This is a bus that takes you from Charles de Gaulle to Disneyland Paris. It costs €23 for adults and €10 for children over the age of two. Children under the age of two ride free.

The Magic Shuttle Bus also departs from terminal two between sub-terminals 2E and 2F. Once you are near 2F, you will take exit 8 and walk outside until you reach the bus.

The bus rides takes approximately 90 minutes. It is more expensive and takes longer than the TGV, so I don’t recommend this option.

A Taxi

The final option is taking a taxi. A taxi costs €76 on average and takes approximately 40 minutes. This is quite expensive, and I wouldn’t recommend it to smaller groups. I would only suggest this as an option to people with a larger group where €76 is close to the cost of using public transportation.

You can get a taxi in any terminal, and they are available 24 hours a day.

Landing at Orly Airport

Just like with Charles de Gaulle, there are three way to get to Disneyland Paris from Orly. They are via RER, the bus, or a taxi.

Taking the RER

Taking the RER to Disneyland Paris from Orly requires two transfers and takes approximately 90 minutes. The cost of the entire journey is €10.

You start by taking Orlyval from the airport to Antony. At Antony you transfer to the RER B. You must make sure you get on an RER B train that stops at Chatelet Les Halles. At Chatelet Les Halles you will get off the train and transfer to the RER A.

As described earlier, you need to ensure you get on an RER A train that ends at Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy. You get off at Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy and walk directly to Disneyland Paris. It is as simple as that!

The Magic Shuttle

Orly has a Magic Shuttle that takes you directly to Disneyland Paris. The bus runs seven days a week between 9am and 7:20pm, and it costs €10 for an adult and €10 for a child. The shuttle takes 90 minutes on average, but it can take longer if there is a lot of traffic.

The Magic Shuttle departs from both the South and West terminals. They depart approximately every 40 to 80 minutes depending on the time of day. During peak hours, they depart more frequently at every 40 minutes. At off-peak hours, the bus runs less often at every 80 minutes.

The Magic Shuttle drops guests off at the Disneyland hotels. If you are going straight to the parks without dropping off your luggage, you should get off at the Disneyland Hotel stop as that is the closest hotel to the park entrance.

This is the most popular method of getting from Orly to Disneyland Paris, so it is quite often very busy. It isn’t guaranteed that you will be able to sit with your family.

I would recommend this as the best option to get from Orly to Disneyland Paris.

It takes the same amount of time as the RER, but you don’t need to transfer. You just get on the bus and get off. There is no need to figure out if you’re getting on the proper train and going in the right direction. It is far less stressful.

By Taxi

The final option is to take a taxi from Orly to Disneyland Paris. Below are the prices for a taxi to the parks:

• 1-4 passengers – € 65
• 1-5 passengers – € 70
• 1-6 passengers – € 75
• 1-8 passengers – € 80

You can pre-book your taxi here. If you don’t want to pre-book a taxi, you can pick up a taxi at any terminal when you land.

This is a good option for people with a large group. It is potentially less expensive than taking your entire group on the shuttle, and you don’t have to wait for the next shuttle to arrive.

Pros and Cons of Flying

Pros:

• It is great for people who are staying near an airport in London or who are going directly from London to Disneyland Paris without leaving the airport.
• It is a great alternative for people who are afraid of taking the train.
• You can use frequently flyer miles or points to save money if you have them.

Cons:

• It takes a lot longer than the train by the time you get to the airport, go through security, board, fly, disembark, go through customs, and then take public transportation to Disneyland.
• It is often more expensive than the Eurostar.

So What Mode of Transportation Do I Recommend?

This is a difficult thing to answer because, as I said at the start, everybody has different travel needs. I think what will be most helpful is to highlight what type of traveler would enjoy each of the three different options. This will help you choose what is best for you!

Train Directly from London to Disneyland Paris

But my personal favourite method of transportation is taking the train directly from London to Disneyland Paris. It is just so convenient!

This is the best option for people who are staying on or near Disneyland Paris property. It takes away the stress of trying to get from Gare du Nord or Charles de Gaulle to Disneyland Paris.

You simply get off the train and head to your hotel. It is the least stressful way to get from London to Disneyland Paris.

I would highly recommend taking the Eurostar from London to Disneyland Paris directly to anybody who is going to Paris specifically to go to Disneyland Paris and isn’t doing anything else in Paris.

Train from London to Gare du Nord

Taking the train from London to Gare du Nord is great for people who are staying in central Paris or who are doing more in Paris than just Disneyland Paris. This option allows you to arrive in central Paris and then find your hotel in central Paris before heading to Disneyland Paris for a day trip.

This is also a great option for people who are travelling from London to Disneyland Paris during the winter when the direct train isn’t running. It gives you the convenience of taking the train with just a little extra hassle of taking the RER from Gare du Nord.

The train to Gare du Nord also gives you more flexibility than the direct train from London to Disneyland Paris because it runs more often. It is easier to fit into your travel schedule than the direct Eurostar train that only leaves once every morning.

Flying from London to Paris

This would personally be my last option. It is by far the longest option and often isn’t less expensive than taking the Eurostar train.

I think this could be a good option for people who are landing in London and going directly to Paris without leaving the airport or people who are travelling to Disneyland Paris from a different city in England other than London.

Taking a flight may be quicker and more convenient than going all the way into London then catching a train to Disneyland Paris.

But I wouldn’t recommend this option to people who are staying in central London. It is much easier to take a train from St. Pancras to Paris than head all the way to the airport and flying to Paris.

Conclusion

It is very easy to get from London to Disneyland Paris no matter what transportation option you choose. You could take the train first thing in the morning and still have half a day in the parks!

I would recommend looking into taking a Eurostar train. They are quick, convenient, clean, and you can find less expensive tickets if you book far enough in advance.

It is super easy to get from London to Disneyland Paris, and it makes a great addition to your Europe trip. I mean who doesn’t want to spend a few days at Disney?