Since the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 there has been something of a disagreement about the best way to travel between London and Paris.
Many people, especially businessmen working in central London, travel this route on a weekly basis, and their choice could cost or save them a considerable amount of time and money.
Some argue that the train is more pleasant, while many believe that flying will always be the best method of travel.
But who is right? Let's take a look...
Flights are economy class, and the train is standard class.
Both trips are during regular business hours.
Flight: £109 Train: £29.
50 While the price rises to £64.
50 for people wanting to travel in morning peak hours, the train is clearly the more economical option.
Flights from London to Paris rarely drop below £100 as it's such a popular route - though I've flown in the past for as little as £80 on an economy ticket.
As well as boasting a low ticket price, the train offers direct service to and from the centre of each city.
For a businessman working in the city this offers a great saving in both time and money on the otherwise expensive taxis to and from Heathrow, Gatwick and Charles de Gaulle.
Cost doesn't necessarily matter for a businessman, as the cost of travel is usually claimed on expenses in any case.
The travel time, though, may be a deciding factor.
Flight: 1h 09m Train: 2h 23m Clearly it's much quicker to fly, though this doesn't necessarily mean the journey time as a whole is quicker by air.
Transport to and from the airports could take several hours in heavy traffic, and time spent at customs adds even further.
The train tends to be quicker in clearing passengers through customs, and while Heathrow Airport advises passengers to arrive at least two hours before their scheduled departure it only takes 30 minutes to clear customs for the train.
When you're heading to Paris for an important meeting you can't be late.
On time arrival percentage: Flight: 76% (Source: Desiderio, Matthieu - Transport Expertise 2008) Train: 90%+ (Source: Eurostar published figures) Clearly, then, it seems that the train is the preferable option in almost every respect.
If you're planning to head to Paris any time soon, check out the option of staying on the ground.
Many people, especially businessmen working in central London, travel this route on a weekly basis, and their choice could cost or save them a considerable amount of time and money.
Some argue that the train is more pleasant, while many believe that flying will always be the best method of travel.
But who is right? Let's take a look...
- Cost
Flights are economy class, and the train is standard class.
Both trips are during regular business hours.
Flight: £109 Train: £29.
50 While the price rises to £64.
50 for people wanting to travel in morning peak hours, the train is clearly the more economical option.
Flights from London to Paris rarely drop below £100 as it's such a popular route - though I've flown in the past for as little as £80 on an economy ticket.
As well as boasting a low ticket price, the train offers direct service to and from the centre of each city.
For a businessman working in the city this offers a great saving in both time and money on the otherwise expensive taxis to and from Heathrow, Gatwick and Charles de Gaulle.
- Journey Time
Cost doesn't necessarily matter for a businessman, as the cost of travel is usually claimed on expenses in any case.
The travel time, though, may be a deciding factor.
Flight: 1h 09m Train: 2h 23m Clearly it's much quicker to fly, though this doesn't necessarily mean the journey time as a whole is quicker by air.
Transport to and from the airports could take several hours in heavy traffic, and time spent at customs adds even further.
The train tends to be quicker in clearing passengers through customs, and while Heathrow Airport advises passengers to arrive at least two hours before their scheduled departure it only takes 30 minutes to clear customs for the train.
- On Time Record
When you're heading to Paris for an important meeting you can't be late.
On time arrival percentage: Flight: 76% (Source: Desiderio, Matthieu - Transport Expertise 2008) Train: 90%+ (Source: Eurostar published figures) Clearly, then, it seems that the train is the preferable option in almost every respect.
If you're planning to head to Paris any time soon, check out the option of staying on the ground.
Source...