There are so many reasons for a trip to France. Gastronomy and wine tasting? Yes! Art exhibitions and theatre? Yes! Shopping? Disneyland? And we could go on like that forever. So, as there are too many answers for the question of ‘why to go to France’, let’s focus more on ‘what is the cheapest way to get there’! In this article we are happy to give you an overview of all means of transportation that won’t harm your budget and may even help you save up for your French adventures.
Here’s our guide on the cheapest way to get you to France
- Bus, from £20 round trip
- Eurostar train, from £60 round trip
- Plane, from £50 round trip
- Ferry, from £50 round trip
Bus, from £20 round trip
Yes, a good old bus trip is still the cheapest option, unless you have managed to get hold of sale tickets for the ferry or plane. There is quite a list of companies that go between the UK and France, like Eurolines, Flixbus, National Express, etc. What is good about the bus (apart from the price) is there are a variety of locations you can travel to and from. For example, Flixbus will be happy to bring you from London to Lille, Lyon, Amiens, Grenoble and, of course, Paris. Be ready to spend 8 to 10 hours on the bus (London - Paris), including a fascinating ferry trip for crossing the channel, so we recommend getting a good book on board and relaxing!
Eurostar train, from £60 round trip
From the heart of London to the heart of Paris in just 2.5 hours! Yes, not as cheap as a bus, but when evaluating the price, don’t forget to think of time as an asset you definitely want to save for French cuisine, long walks and wine tasting.
Book in advance to make sure you get a good price, because it can vary significantly depending on the date and the time slot, so check the tickets & book now to get the best offer, and remember there are no booking fees on Klook!
Want a ready solution for a one-day trip to Paris? Check out our special offer with Eurostar tickets, Eiffel tower visit, Louvre admission and Seine river cruise for a bargain price!
By the way, did you know that you can also take a direct Eurostar from London to Marseille, Avignon, Lyon and Lille? Check the picture below for all Eurostar routes!
If you are travelling in a car, you can cross the channel by using Eurotunnel le Shuttle which takes just 35 minutes to travel from Folkestone to Calais. Price per car starts from £31 (but the most frequent rate would be closer to £80) and you will need to stay in the car through the whole trip.
Plane, from £50 round trip
Surprisingly the fastest way can also be the cheapest sometimes. But you should really plan in advance or catch the sale to get your bargain tickets: £50 would already be a lucky price to get, but during the sale it can be even cheaper, while the normal price for a round trip would be between £60 and £90. EasyJet or Vueling would most likely be your airline of choice, but it is worth checking British Airways and Air France as well (always count your go-to-airport expenses when comparing the airlines).
Don’t forget that to get a best price for the flight you would need to get rid of luggage (read between the lines: you cannot bring cheese and wine back) and choose non-refundable fixed date tickets, so only book when you are sure.
Best thing about planes? Speed and wide choice of cities you can reach. London to Paris flights take slightly over 1-hour, or add another half an hour and you already reached Lyon! Just like magic, you can go to pretty much every French city. So if you are planning a weekend escape and know exactly which city you want to go to, put the value of your time on the cards and choose the plane.
Ferry, from £50 round trip
When you choose a ferry, the travel adventure starts even before you arrive at the destination. Important note on the price: it will only be cheap if you really want to go to the port city in France, otherwise you need to plan (and pay for!) your way to the port city in the UK and then from the French port city to your final destination in France.
What is truly great about ferries is the opportunity to explore beautiful port cities along the coast, which you may never visit if not for the ferry. DId you know: nowadays there are 5 ports in the UK that are connected to 8 ports in France by 65 ferries going between these two great countries on a normal day! Here is the list of routes among which you can choose:
From Portsmouth:
- To Caen: 5 hr 45min, operated by Brittany Ferries
- To Cherbourg: 3 hr, operated by Brittany Ferries
- To Le Havre: 5 hr 15 min, operated by Brittany Ferries
- To St Malo: 8 hr 50 min, operated by Brittany Ferries
From Dover:
- To Calais: 1 hr 30min, operated by DFDS Seaways (no foot passengers) and P&O Ferries
- To Dunkirk: 2 hr, operated by DFDS Seaways (no foot passengers)
To other locations:
- To Cherbourg, 4 hr 30 min, operated by Brittany Ferries
- To Dieppe, 4 hr, operated by DFDS Seaways
- To Roscoff, 5 hr 30 min, operated by Brittany Ferries
If you are travelling by car and want to cross the La Manche on ferry, be ready to pay around £150 for the car and 2 passengers, which is also a good price. Some routes as listed above only allow passengers with vehicles, so it gives you even more freedom of choice.
When in France, we have so many things for you to explore! Fall in love with Paris, find peace on French riviera, explore the wine regions (don’t forget Bordeaux), feel like a foodie in Lyon or go up in the mountains in Rhone-Alpes, visit castles in Loire valley or breath deep the sea air in Brittany & Normandy… we said in the very beginning that there are simply too many reasons to go to France! So now you have everything you need to choose the right transportation solution for your trip, the rest can be solved by Klook!
