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How to take a thrilling high speed rail journey Milan to London
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Milano / Milan / Mailand to London by train
Due to the landslide which has damaged the railway used by the direct trains from Milano to Paris, ticket sales by this route have had to be inevitably suspended until further notice.
Hence the only Milan to London rail journeys which are currently on sale are the journey options which involve travelling via Switzerland and require two connections between trains.
Though when the option of taking the trains which avoid Switzerland is available to book, there can still be worth considering.
The departure / arrival times may be more convenient and the journey is more scenic too.
Routes you can take to go from Milano / Milan / Mailand to London
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Via stations: Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris Lyon and Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris Nord
Option 1: by direct train from Milano Centrale to Paris
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
from 11hr 5min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 x connection per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
Travel Information
This journey option isn't currently available.
Trenitalia has introduced its top tier Frecciarossa 1000 trains to the Milan to Paris route and the early morning departure, which is typically scheduled to leave Milano Centrale at 06:25, has an easily timed daily connection into the Eurostar which is usually scheduled to depart from Paris at 15:13.
Arriving at the Gare De Lyon
You will need to make the transfer from the Gare De Lyon, where the Frecce train will arrive, and the Gare Du Nord, from where the Eurostar will depart.
Checking-in at the Gare Du Nord:
At the Gare Du Nord the check in and waiting area for the Eurostar (the 'Hall Du Londres') is at an upper level, above the main concourse.
The access to this upper level is some distance from the voie/platforms/tracks that the Eurostars depart from.
The escalators leading up to Eurostar departures are located at the rear wall of the station building, on the opposite side of the concourse to voies/platforms/tracks 14 - 15.
When the service is operating normally, the transfer across Paris by the RER train will take less than 25 mins, from stepping off the TGV at the Gare De Lyon to being on the concourse at the Gare Du Nord.
So if the Frecce train from Milano arrives in Paris on time and the RER is as it should be, you will be at the Gare Du Nord around one hour 15mins prior to the departure of the Eurostar.
Eurostar recommends that holders of Standard Class And Standard Premier tickets should arrive at the Gare Du Nord 90 minutes before departure.
But because the access to Eurostar check-in won't be closed off until 30 mins prior to departure, being at the Gare Du Nord 75 minutes prior to departure, as per the usual schedule, will allow enough time to make the Eurostar.
Eurostar recommends that holders of Business Premier tickets should arrive at the Gare Du Nord 30 minutes before departure, with access to check-in being closed off from 15 mins prior to departure.
The Eurostar on to London:
Final Destination: London St Pancras
Note that these trains will no longer be calling at Ashford International or Ebbsfleet International, until an unspecified date likely to be in 2025 at the earliest.
Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind; hence what can seem like a discrepancy between the journey time and the interval between the departure and arrival times.
Our guide to arriving by Eurostar in London is here.
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between Milano Centrale and Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris LyonYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Paris Gare de Lyon
**This train also calls in: ** Torino*
These Frecce trains share both the most scenic part of the route, the section of the journey through the Alps between Torino and Chambery; and the high-speed line between Lyon and Paris, but in contrast to the TGV trains:
- Once they reach the Milan suburbs they race to Torino at up to 280 km/h on the high speed lines between the two cities.
- They divert off the direct route in order to travel through central Lyon, so that they can call at Part-Dieu station.
Train 2
Between Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris Nord and London St Pancras InternationalYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with distinct phases and highlights:
1: There is little to see from the high speed lines in France, particularly after Lille (the trains to Paris will rush through Lille Europe station).
2: The train will slow down as it approaches The Channel Tunnel.
Announcements are no longer made that the train is about to enter the tunnel.
The journey through the tunnel will take around 22 mins.
3: As the train nears Ebbsfleet International station, comes the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway on a high bridge.
4: After Ebbsfleet International (which can only be seen from the right) the train will enter a tunnel under the River Thames.
As the train exits this tunnel, from the left, the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge can be seen.
5: For most of the final 8 -10 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to enter London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
Tickets
Book Early And Save: Yes
Online bookings open: up to 6 months ahead of of the travel date
Eurostar does not sell tickets for this journey.
Seat reservations are automatically included when booking tickets for both trains.
Your ticket will not include the RER train across Paris from the Gare De Lyon to the Gare Du Nord.
Eurostar train ticket terms summary
The only ticket type are the Flexible tickets, but it is the class of service you opt to travel by, which impacts on the terms and conditions of travel.
*Exchanges
Book to travel in Standard and Standard Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure to the same destination up to one hour* before departure time.
- If the cost of your new ticket is more than the cost of your original ticket, you will be required to pay the difference;
- If the cost of your new ticket is less than the cost of your original ticket, you will not receive a refund of the difference.
Book to travel in Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure up until the end of the previous day, without having to pay any price differences on any other charges.
The Eurostar ticket terms summary is here
Refunds
Book to travel in Standard and Standard Premier class:
- Up to seven days or more before the date of departure you will need to pay a fee of £25 per person for a one-way / single ticket and £50 per person for a two-way / return ticket - So you will only receive any sum you paid in excess of these sums.
- Less than seven days before the date of departure, tickets are non-refundable - Also applies if you exchanged a ticket to an alternative departure, under seven days ahead.
Book to travel in Premier class:
Up until the end of the day before departure date, tickets can be refunded at no additional cost
Seat Reservations on the Eurostar
Reservations are mandatory so seats are assigned when booking - But after a booking has been completed, you use the ‘Manage Your Booking’ facility, which can be easily found on the Eurostar website and select specific seats within the travel class you have chosen.
You will need to enter a Booking Reference number - but other booking agents such as Trainline, Rail Europe, SNCF Connect, B-Europe and NS International, will also include this number on the communication sent to you.
The impact of the connections
Making the connection in Paris:
There is relatively new E.U. legislation which protects travellers against financial loss in the event of missed connections due to train delays, but it only applies to 'through tickets'.
The Eurostar terms and conditions specifically state that when booking journeys which combine Eurostar + Thalys trains 'through tickets' will be issued.
However, 'for all other journeys that combine a Eurostar Service and a service provided by another carrier(s), including when purchased in a single commercial transaction, those tickets will be separate contracts and issues regarding delays, missed connections, cancellations, compensation, and the management of aftersales will be handled accordingly'.
So as 'end-to-end' tickets booked in one transaction for this journey won't be classified by Eurostar as 'through tickets', you may need to re-book tickets for the Eurostar at the Gare Du Nord, in the unlikely event of a delay to the Frecce train from Milano, causing you to miss the Eurostar you are booked on to.
Trenitalia, which operates the Frecce train is not a member of Railteam, so its Hop On The Next Train policy does not apply.
Because Eurostar in effect classifies the the tickets for the Frecce train and its train as separate bookings even when booked in one transaction, you can de-risk the need to re-book the Eurostar, at a last-minute more expensive price, by making two separate bookings - for the Frecce train from Milan and a later Eurostar on to London.
Route Information
Via stations: Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris Lyon and Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris Nord
Option 2: by direct train from Milano Porta Garibaldi to Paris
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
tbc
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 or 2 x connections per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
Travel Information
This journey option isn't currently available.
The first TGV departure of the day, which typically leaves Milano Porta Garibaldi at 06:00 also connects into the same Eurostar departure on from Paris as the Frecce train from Milano Centrale (option 1)
It is due into the Gare De Lyon less than 15 mins before the Frecce train will be due to arrive there, so it connects into the same train on to London.
Though on at weekends and on Mon to Friday on some weeks, it is possible to depart from Milano Porta Garibaldi on a TGV departing at 12:10 and connect in Paris into a Eurostar.
The connection is into the final Eurostar of the day on from the Gare Du Nord, but the usual timetable allows more than two hours to make the transfer across Paris.
This later TGV typically has a connection available at Torino Porta Susa from the first Frecce train of the day on the Napoli - Roma - Firenze - Torino route; but connections from these cities to London in a single day by train aren't available on Monday to Saturday.
Arriving at the Gare De Lyon
You will need to make the transfer from the Gare De Lyon, where the Frecce train will arrive, and the Gare Du Nord, from where the Eurostar will depart.
Checking-in at the Gare Du Nord:
At the Gare Du Nord the check in and waiting area for the Eurostar (the 'Hall Du Londres') is at an upper level, above the main concourse.
The access to this upper level is some distance from the voie/platforms/tracks that the Eurostars depart from.
The escalators leading up to Eurostar departures are located at the rear wall of the station building, on the opposite side of the concourse to voies/platforms/tracks 14 - 15.
When the service is operating normally, the transfer across Paris by the RER train will take less than 25 mins, from stepping off the TGV at the Gare De Lyon to being on the concourse at the Gare Du Nord.
So if the Frecce train from Milano arrives in Paris on time and the RER is as it should be, you will be at the Gare Du Nord around one hour 30mins prior to the departure of the Eurostar.
Eurostar recommends that holders of Standard Class And Standard Premier tickets should arrive at the Gare Du Nord 90 minutes before departure.
But because the access to Eurostar check-in won't be closed off until 30 mins prior to departure, being at the Gare Du Nord 90 minutes prior to departure, as per the usual schedule, will allow enough time to make the Eurostar.
Eurostar recommends that holders of Business Premier tickets should arrive at the Gare Du Nord 30 minutes before departure, with access to check-in being closed off from 15 mins prior to departure.
The Eurostar on to London:
Final Destination: London St Pancras
Note that these trains will no longer be calling at Ashford International or Ebbsfleet International, until an unspecified date likely to be in 2025 at the earliest.
Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind; hence what can seem like a discrepancy between the journey time and the interval between the departure and arrival times.
Our guide to arriving by Eurostar in London is here.
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between Milano Porta Garibaldi and Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris LyonYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
The TGVs to Paris don’t use the Milano to Torino high speed seed line, they still travel the old route via Novara.
After Torino/Turin comes a passage through the western Alps with great views, particularly from the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel).
Finally there comes the journey between Chambery and Paris, most of which is on the high speed line.
Train 2
Between Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris Nord and London St Pancras InternationalYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with distinct phases and highlights:
1: There is little to see from the high speed lines in France, particularly after Lille (the trains to Paris will rush through Lille Europe station).
2: The train will slow down as it approaches The Channel Tunnel.
Announcements are no longer made that the train is about to enter the tunnel.
The journey through the tunnel will take around 22 mins.
3: As the train nears Ebbsfleet International station, comes the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway on a high bridge.
4: After Ebbsfleet International (which can only be seen from the right) the train will enter a tunnel under the River Thames.
As the train exits this tunnel, from the left, the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge can be seen.
5: For most of the final 8 -10 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to enter London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
Tickets
Book Early And Save: Yes
Online bookings open: up to 6 months ahead of of the travel date
Eurostar does not sell tickets for this journey.
Seat reservations are automatically included when booking tickets for both trains.
Your ticket will not include the RER train across Paris from the Gare De Lyon to the Gare Du Nord.
Eurostar train ticket terms summary
The only ticket type are the Flexible tickets, but it is the class of service you opt to travel by, which impacts on the terms and conditions of travel.
*Exchanges
Book to travel in Standard and Standard Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure to the same destination up to one hour* before departure time.
- If the cost of your new ticket is more than the cost of your original ticket, you will be required to pay the difference;
- If the cost of your new ticket is less than the cost of your original ticket, you will not receive a refund of the difference.
Book to travel in Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure up until the end of the previous day, without having to pay any price differences on any other charges.
The Eurostar ticket terms summary is here
Refunds
Book to travel in Standard and Standard Premier class:
- Up to seven days or more before the date of departure you will need to pay a fee of £25 per person for a one-way / single ticket and £50 per person for a two-way / return ticket - So you will only receive any sum you paid in excess of these sums.
- Less than seven days before the date of departure, tickets are non-refundable - Also applies if you exchanged a ticket to an alternative departure, under seven days ahead.
Book to travel in Premier class:
Up until the end of the day before departure date, tickets can be refunded at no additional cost
Seat Reservations on the Eurostar
Reservations are mandatory so seats are assigned when booking - But after a booking has been completed, you use the ‘Manage Your Booking’ facility, which can be easily found on the Eurostar website and select specific seats within the travel class you have chosen.
You will need to enter a Booking Reference number - but other booking agents such as Trainline, Rail Europe, SNCF Connect, B-Europe and NS International, will also include this number on the communication sent to you.
The impact of the connections
Making the connection in Paris:
There is relatively new E.U. legislation which protects travellers against financial loss in the event of missed connections due to train delays, but it only applies to 'through tickets'.
The Eurostar terms and conditions specifically state that when booking journeys which combine Eurostar + Thalys trains 'through tickets' will be issued.
However, 'for all other journeys that combine a Eurostar Service and a service provided by another carrier(s), including when purchased in a single commercial transaction, those tickets will be separate contracts and issues regarding delays, missed connections, cancellations, compensation, and the management of aftersales will be handled accordingly'.
Though both SNCF, which operates the TGV train, and Eurostar are members of The Railteam Alliance which offers a Hop on the next available train (HOTNAT) policy.
It 'allows travelers to take the next high-speed service leaving from the same station as originally planned when a delay on or cancellation of a preceding Railteam member’s high-speed service prevents them from making their originally-planned connection. This service is free of charge and is subject to the following conditions:
- HOTNAT only applies at the station at which the passenger originally planned to change trains and in cases of train delays and train cancellations.
- The approval of HOTNAT is subject to the available capacity on board each train. Seats are not guaranteed'.
So 'issues regarding missed connection and cancellations' should be 'handled' by Railteam's HOTNAT policy.
Though HOTNAT can't be applied if the arrival into Paris is after the final Eurostar of the day has departed for London.
Route Information
Via stations: Basel SBB / Bâle CFF, Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris Lyon and Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris Nord
Option 3: travelling via Basel and and Paris
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
13hr 20min (approx)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
2 x connections per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
Travel Information
This journey can currently be booked
Depart from Milano Centrale at 07:20 and you will have more than an hour to make the connection between trains in Basel - and will be scheduled to have 2hr 30mins between the arrival in Paris and the departure of the Eurostar.
This journey with an end-to-end time of around 13hr 20mins, can typically be booked on Trainline
Or depart from Milano Centrale at 11;20 and the end-to-end journey time will be shorter at 12hr 10mins, but the time between the arrival in Paris and the departure of the Eurostar will be around 1hr 35mins - and the connection will be into the final departure of the day on to London.
This journey option can typically be booked with RailEurope.
Alternative journey options
When the usual schedule is disrupted the connection between trains in Switzerland may need to be made at Zurich HB station instead of in Basel.
Arriving at the Gare De Lyon
You will need to make the transfer from the Gare De Lyon, where the Frecce train will arrive, and the Gare Du Nord, from where the Eurostar will depart.
Checking-in at the Gare Du Nord:
At the Gare Du Nord the check in and waiting area for the Eurostar (the 'Hall Du Londres') is at an upper level, above the main concourse.
The access to this upper level is some distance from the voie/platforms/tracks that the Eurostars depart from.
The escalators leading up to Eurostar departures are located at the rear wall of the station building, on the opposite side of the concourse to voies/platforms/tracks 14 - 15.
When the service is operating normally, the transfer across Paris by the RER train will take less than 25 mins, from stepping off the TGV at the Gare De Lyon to being on the concourse at the Gare Du Nord.
So if the Lyria train from Basel arrives in Paris on time and the RER is as it should be, you will either:
- be at the Gare Du Nord around 2hrs prior to the departure of the Eurostar if you depart Milano at 07:20; or
- around 1hr 5 min prior to the departure of the Eurostar if you depart Milano at 11:20.
Eurostar recommends that holders of Standard Class And Standard Premier tickets should arrive at the Gare Du Nord 90 minutes before departure.
But because the access to Eurostar check-in won't be closed off until 30 mins prior to departure, being at the Gare Du Nord more than one hour prior to departure, as per the usual schedule, will allow enough time to make the Eurostar.
The Eurostar on to London:
Final Destination: London St Pancras
Note that these trains will no longer be calling at Ashford International or Ebbsfleet International, until an unspecified date likely to be in 2025 at the earliest.
Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind; hence what can seem like a discrepancy between the journey time and the interval between the departure and arrival times.
Our guide to arriving by Eurostar in London is here.
This journey is made up of 2 changes.
Train 1
Between Milano Centrale and Basel SBB / Bâle CFFYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Basel SBB
This train also calls at: Domodossola
Journey description:
If you're a fan of engineering achievements then this is an awe-inspiring journey.
After Domodossola the train travels through The Simplon Tunnel and after Visp it will travel through The Lötschberg Base Tunnel - both of which were previous holders of world's longest railway tunnel honors.
If your reserved seat is on the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel) the first highlight from a scenic point of view are the fabulous views over Lake Maggiore.
They can be seen north of Arona...
but what's particularly worth looking out for is when the train departs from Stresa.
...and shows the beautiful islands in the lake - and it also showcases why ShowMeTheJourney has tried and failed to photograph these islands, they can only be glimpsed through the trees. (These videos above and the video below were taken from trains travelling in the opposite direction).The part of the journey between Domodossola and The Simplon Tunnel is also fabulous, as the train will thread through a valley as it approaches the tunnel.
The other scenic highlight is the part of the journey between exiting the Lotschberg Base Tunnel and arriving in Thun station.
The beautiful Thunersee comes into view on the right as the train arrives in Spiez.
Between Speiz and Thun the train travels by the shore of Lake Thun.
The lake is on the right when heading north.The train will reverse direction on departure from Bern.
Train 2
Between Basel SBB / Bâle CFF and Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris LyonYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
This is a journey of four distinct parts.
1: The first part of the journey from Mulhouse to Basel is on conventional tracks.
2: Between Mulhouse and Dijon there is a high speed line.
3:The train switches to conventional tracks north of Dijon, this is the most scenic part of the journey
4: Finally the train will travel on the high speed line north to Paris.
Train 3
Between Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris Nord and London St Pancras InternationalYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with distinct phases and highlights:
1: There is little to see from the high speed lines in France, particularly after Lille (the trains to Paris will rush through Lille Europe station).
2: The train will slow down as it approaches The Channel Tunnel.
Announcements are no longer made that the train is about to enter the tunnel.
The journey through the tunnel will take around 22 mins.
3: As the train nears Ebbsfleet International station, comes the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway on a high bridge.
4: After Ebbsfleet International (which can only be seen from the right) the train will enter a tunnel under the River Thames.
As the train exits this tunnel, from the left, the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge can be seen.
5: For most of the final 8 -10 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to enter London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
Tickets
Book Early And Save: Yes
Online bookings open: up to 6 months ahead of of the travel date
Eurostar does not sell tickets for this journey.
Seat reservations are automatically included when booking tickets for all trains.
Your ticket will not include the RER train across Paris from the Gare De Lyon to the Gare Du Nord.
Eurostar train ticket terms summary
The only ticket type are the Flexible tickets, but it is the class of service you opt to travel by, which impacts on the terms and conditions of travel.
*Exchanges
Book to travel in Standard and Standard Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure to the same destination up to one hour* before departure time.
- If the cost of your new ticket is more than the cost of your original ticket, you will be required to pay the difference;
- If the cost of your new ticket is less than the cost of your original ticket, you will not receive a refund of the difference.
Book to travel in Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure up until the end of the previous day, without having to pay any price differences on any other charges.
The Eurostar ticket terms summary is here
Refunds
Book to travel in Standard and Standard Premier class:
- Up to seven days or more before the date of departure you will need to pay a fee of £25 per person for a one-way / single ticket and £50 per person for a two-way / return ticket - So you will only receive any sum you paid in excess of these sums.
- Less than seven days before the date of departure, tickets are non-refundable - Also applies if you exchanged a ticket to an alternative departure, under seven days ahead.
Book to travel in Premier class:
Up until the end of the day before departure date, tickets can be refunded at no additional cost
Seat Reservations on the Eurostar
Reservations are mandatory so seats are assigned when booking - But after a booking has been completed, you use the ‘Manage Your Booking’ facility, which can be easily found on the Eurostar website and select specific seats within the travel class you have chosen.
You will need to enter a Booking Reference number - but other booking agents such as Trainline, Rail Europe, SNCF Connect, B-Europe and NS International, will also include this number on the communication sent to you.
The impact of the connections
Making the connection in Paris:
There is relatively new E.U. legislation which protects travellers against financial loss in the event of missed connections due to train delays, but it only applies to 'through tickets'.
The Eurostar terms and conditions specifically state that when booking journeys which combine Eurostar + Thalys trains 'through tickets' will be issued.
However, 'for all other journeys that combine a Eurostar Service and a service provided by another carrier(s), including when purchased in a single commercial transaction, those tickets will be separate contracts and issues regarding delays, missed connections, cancellations, compensation, and the management of aftersales will be handled accordingly'.
Though both Lyria and Eurostar are members of The Railteam Alliance which offers a Hop on the next available train (HOTNAT) policy.
It 'allows travelers to take the next high-speed service leaving from the same station as originally planned when a delay on or cancellation of a preceding Railteam member’s high-speed service prevents them from making their originally-planned connection. This service is free of charge and is subject to the following conditions:
- HOTNAT only applies at the station at which the passenger originally planned to change trains and in cases of train delays and train cancellations.
- The approval of HOTNAT is subject to the available capacity on board each train. Seats are not guaranteed'.
So 'issues regarding missed connection and cancellations' should be 'handled' by Railteam's HOTNAT policy.
Though HOTNAT can't be applied if the arrival into Paris is after the final Eurostar of the day has departed for London.
Route Information
Via stations: Lausanne, Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris Lyon and Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris Nord
Option 4: travelling via Lausanne and Paris
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
12hr 10min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 x connection per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
Travel Information
This journey can currently be booked
Depart from Milano Centrale at 08:20 and you will have around 40 mins to change trains in Lausanne - and will be scheduled to have 2hr 5mins between the arrival in Paris and the onward departure of the Eurostar.
Arriving at the Gare De Lyon
You will need to make the transfer from the Gare De Lyon, where the Frecce train will arrive, and the Gare Du Nord, from where the Eurostar will depart.
Checking-in at the Gare Du Nord:
At the Gare Du Nord the check in and waiting area for the Eurostar (the 'Hall Du Londres') is at an upper level, above the main concourse.
The access to this upper level is some distance from the voie/platforms/tracks that the Eurostars depart from.
The escalators leading up to Eurostar departures are located at the rear wall of the station building, on the opposite side of the concourse to voies/platforms/tracks 14 - 15.
When the service is operating normally, the transfer across Paris by the RER train will take less than 25 mins, from stepping off the TGV at the Gare De Lyon to being on the concourse at the Gare Du Nord.
So if the Lyria train from Lausanne arrives in Paris on time and the RER is as it should be, you will be at the Gare Du Nord around 90 mins prior to the departure of the Eurostar.
Eurostar recommends that holders of Standard Class And Standard Premier tickets should arrive at the Gare Du Nord 90 minutes before departure.
But because the access to Eurostar check-in won't be closed off until 30 mins prior to departure, the train from Lausanne can arrive in Paris around an hour late and you should still make the connection in time
The Eurostar on to London:
Final Destination: London St Pancras
Note that these trains will no longer be calling at Ashford International or Ebbsfleet International, until an unspecified date likely to be in 2025 at the earliest.
Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind; hence what can seem like a discrepancy between the journey time and the interval between the departure and arrival times.
Our guide to arriving by Eurostar in London is here.
This journey is made up of 2 changes.
Train 1
Between Milano Centrale and LausanneYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Geneve
This train also calls at: Stresa and Domodossola
If your reserved seat is on the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel) there are some fabulous views over Lake Maggiore after Arona.
Though this video, filmed in the opposite direction, only gives a sense of the view of the beautiful islands that can be seen by the lake shore, shortly after the train has departed from Stresa.
ShowMeTheJourney has been a tad unlucky with the weather when making this train ride.
The train then travels through a spectacular valley between Domodossola and The Simplon Tunnel - which for much of the 20th century was the world's longest railway tunnel.
Between Visp and Sion, the train threads through spectacular valleys lined with vineyards.
The views on this part of the journey are wonderful from both sides of the train - but the video shows what can be seen on the right.
And then the journey ends with a flourish, as either side of Montreux, there are some great views over Lake Geneva from the left of the train
This clip was also filmed from a travelling in the opposite direction - and technically it isn't our best attempt at capturing a train journey, but it gives a sense of what you can expect to see in fine weather!
Train 2
Between Lausanne and Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris LyonYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
This is a route yet to be taken by ShowMeTheJourney hence a lack of images.
Though according to the rail map of Europe, the journey isn't on any scenic railways, despite the first 35 mins of the trip being spent travelling through western Switzerland.
The train will only sped around an hour travelling on a high speed route.
Train 3
Between Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris Nord and London St Pancras InternationalYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with distinct phases and highlights:
1: There is little to see from the high speed lines in France, particularly after Lille (the trains to Paris will rush through Lille Europe station).
2: The train will slow down as it approaches The Channel Tunnel.
Announcements are no longer made that the train is about to enter the tunnel.
The journey through the tunnel will take around 22 mins.
3: As the train nears Ebbsfleet International station, comes the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway on a high bridge.
4: After Ebbsfleet International (which can only be seen from the right) the train will enter a tunnel under the River Thames.
As the train exits this tunnel, from the left, the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge can be seen.
5: For most of the final 8 -10 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to enter London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
Tickets
Book Early And Save: Yes
Online bookings open: up to 6 months ahead of of the travel date
Eurostar does not sell tickets for this journey.
Seat reservations are automatically included when booking tickets for all trains.
Your ticket will not include the RER train across Paris from the Gare De Lyon to the Gare Du Nord.
Eurostar train ticket terms summary
The only ticket type are the Flexible tickets, but it is the class of service you opt to travel by, which impacts on the terms and conditions of travel.
*Exchanges
Book to travel in Standard and Standard Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure to the same destination up to one hour* before departure time.
- If the cost of your new ticket is more than the cost of your original ticket, you will be required to pay the difference;
- If the cost of your new ticket is less than the cost of your original ticket, you will not receive a refund of the difference.
Book to travel in Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure up until the end of the previous day, without having to pay any price differences on any other charges.
The Eurostar ticket terms summary is here
Refunds
Book to travel in Standard and Standard Premier class:
- Up to seven days or more before the date of departure you will need to pay a fee of £25 per person for a one-way / single ticket and £50 per person for a two-way / return ticket - So you will only receive any sum you paid in excess of these sums.
- Less than seven days before the date of departure, tickets are non-refundable - Also applies if you exchanged a ticket to an alternative departure, under seven days ahead.
Book to travel in Premier class:
Up until the end of the day before departure date, tickets can be refunded at no additional cost
Seat Reservations on the Eurostar
Reservations are mandatory so seats are assigned when booking - But after a booking has been completed, you use the ‘Manage Your Booking’ facility, which can be easily found on the Eurostar website and select specific seats within the travel class you have chosen.
You will need to enter a Booking Reference number - but other booking agents such as Trainline, Rail Europe, SNCF Connect, B-Europe and NS International, will also include this number on the communication sent to you.
The impact of the connections
Making the connection in Paris:
There is relatively new E.U. legislation which protects travellers against financial loss in the event of missed connections due to train delays, but it only applies to 'through tickets'.
The Eurostar terms and conditions specifically state that when booking journeys which combine Eurostar + Thalys trains 'through tickets' will be issued.
However, 'for all other journeys that combine a Eurostar Service and a service provided by another carrier(s), including when purchased in a single commercial transaction, those tickets will be separate contracts and issues regarding delays, missed connections, cancellations, compensation, and the management of aftersales will be handled accordingly'.
Though both Lyria and Eurostar are members of The Railteam Alliance which offers a Hop on the next available train (HOTNAT) policy.
It 'allows travelers to take the next high-speed service leaving from the same station as originally planned when a delay on or cancellation of a preceding Railteam member’s high-speed service prevents them from making their originally-planned connection. This service is free of charge and is subject to the following conditions:
- HOTNAT only applies at the station at which the passenger originally planned to change trains and in cases of train delays and train cancellations.
- The approval of HOTNAT is subject to the available capacity on board each train. Seats are not guaranteed'.
So 'issues regarding missed connection and cancellations' should be 'handled' by Railteam's HOTNAT policy.
Though HOTNAT can't be applied if the arrival into Paris is after the final Eurostar of the day has departed for London.
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.
See if there’s a unique journey guide for your trip, featuring info on the trains, tickets & stations.
- Austria by train
- Innsbruck
- Salzburg
- Wien / Vienna
- Belgium by train
- Bruxelles / Brussels
- Czechia by train
- Praha / Prague / Prag
- Denmark by train
- København / Copenhagen
- France by train
- Lille
- Lyon
- Marseille
- Paris
- Germany by train
- Berlin
- Frankfurt (Main) / Francfort sur le Main
- Hamburg
- Köln / Cologne / Koeln
- München / Munich
- Great Britain by train
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- London
- Manchester
- Hungary by train
- Budapest
- Italy by train
- Bologna
- Firenze / Florence
- Milano / Milan / Mailand
- Roma / Rome
- Torino / Turin
- Venezia / Venice / Venedig
- Verona
- Netherlands by train
- Amsterdam
- Norway by train
- Oslo
- Poland by train
- Warszawa / Warsaw
- Portugal by train
- Lisboa / Lisbon
- Porto
- Spain by train
- Barcelona
- Madrid
- Sweden by train
- Stockholm
- Switzerland by train
- Basel / Bâle
- Bern
- Genève / Geneva
- Zürich / Zurich
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This is one of more than 100 train travel guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.
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