I Took A Daytrip From London To Paris: It Was Tiring But Totally Worth It

Riding the Eurostar is always a pleasure: the tracks are smooth, the seats more comfortable and spacious than your average British train, and the food offerings are positively delectable. And while our minds should be comforted enough that zooming on the train to Paris and back emits 10 times less carbon than flying, the real unique selling point of the Eurostar is the ease it offers. (Any Londoner, regardless of how many times they have actually taken the Eurostar, will tell you the same thing.) Simply rock up to central London’s St Pancras station (accessible by Underground, national rail, bike and foot) 90 minutes before your departure time, get your passport stamped, grab a Pret croissant and settle in for the ride. No nerve-wracking take-off and landing, no luggage check-in and conveyor belt waiting, and a simpler security system all make the Eurostar a breeze. You need not even dispose of your liquids: a last-minute (more on-theme) Pain Quotidian latte from across the concourse will simply be popped into a special cup holder and conveyed through the security detectors with the rest of your belongings. (Or come afternoon, why not make that a bottle of bubbly?)

But have you ever really made the most of this ease? With up to 19 trains in each direction everyday, heading to Paris for – wait for it – a daytrip is well within the realms of possibility. You can wake with the birds, bustle over to St Pancras and catch the first train from London to Paris which usually departs at 6.30 or 7am. Within two and a half hours you’ll be in Paris, ready to explore the city and all of its lovely offerings, before heading back in the afternoon (or later: the last train usually departs just after 9pm) and resting back in your bed at home.

It’s a positively cosmopolitan concept, fitting for the more Euro-minded among us ever-longing to recreate the Interrail adventures of their youth. But is a Paris daytrip worth it? As extreme daytripping continues to trend across social media, I packed my Uniqlo crossbody bag with a day’s worth of essentials and embarked on the most sustainable rendition possible.

‘Riding the Eurostar is always a pleasure.’ (© Olivia Emily)

Is A Paris Day Trip Worth It?

As my 4.30am alarm jolts me awake, my instinctual response is no, there is no way this is worth it. Dawn is yet to break, the birds are yet to wake, and yet I am up and ready to face the day. After a restless night fearful I’d miss my wake-up alarm, I head to catch the first Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord, which departs at 7am. We’re set to arrive in the city at around 9.15am – or 10.15am with the time difference. It’s about twice as fast a journey as it would be to travel from London to Edinburgh or Glasgow, and about the same as a train ride from the capital to Manchester.

London’s streets are ghostly and deserted as I make my way to the station. But inside, plenty of people are milling around, ready to catch the same train or early for the next one (around 750 passengers fit on each service). Most passengers, I assume, are making the most of the service’s lower prices at this time.

As always, the security process is a breeze, but already – before the exciting activities the day has to offer are within my mind’s view – it all feels a bit intense for a day trip. Is the clue in the ‘extreme daytripping’ moniker? ‘Extreme daytripping sounds intense – but it’s less about rushing and more about intention,’ Lauren Aloise tells me, the vice president of marketing at Walks Tours and Devour Tours, which are both part of City Experiences, who have been crafting extreme daytripping-worthy itineraries long before TikTok started peddling the hype.

‘It’s when a traveller sets out to explore another city – or even another country – in a single day, but does so in a way that’s immersive and meaningful,’ Lauren adds. ‘With the right tour, you can experience the essence of a place – its flavours, its history, its soul – while still returning to your home base that night.’ That’s the intention here: art and food are at the heart of my agenda, but fashion, wine or even simple sightseeing are all reasons to visit Paris – and all are achievable objectives in just one day.

‘Only a two-hour Eurostar from central London, Paris is the ultimate extreme day trip,’ Lauren agrees. ‘Travellers can focus their day on iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, a stroll down the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe, and a visit to the Louvre Museum (book tickets in advance!). Enjoy a classic Parisian lunch and absorb the city’s unique ambiance.’

Living and working in London, perhaps the intensity strikes me for two reasons: so used to rushing around, I use holidays to slow down and rest, not jam-pack even more in; so used to the city’s proximity to Europe, an extreme day trip might seem novel, but it’s certainly not necessary. The same cannot be said for US travellers, who make up 42 percent of tourists travelling to the UK and often harbour ‘a desire to fit in as much as possible to make those long-haul flights feel worth it,’ Lauren says. ‘We’ve seen growing interest in well-paced, high-impact itineraries – especially among travellers who want to make the most of limited time.’

Squeeze in some sightseeing on the taxi ride: we won’t have time to tick off everything. (© Olivia Emily)

What Can You Squeeze In?

If an extreme daytrip appeals, Lauren recommends choosing ‘two or three meaningful things you really want to see or do – whether it’s an iconic site, a local meal, or a walk through a historic neighbourhood.’ And these extreme planners ‘are not just checking boxes,’ Lauren adds. ‘They want real connection. People are moving away from fly-and-flop trips and craving deeper experiences. They want to learn something, taste something new, connect with locals.’

Learning something new is first on my agenda – after a nap on the high-speed Eurostar, that is. Once we pull into Gare du Nord, it’s straight outside and into a taxi, which whisks us to Musée d’Orsay perched beside the Seine. (Bonus points for spotting the Eiffel Tower through the car window; we will not have time to tick her off the sightseeing list later on.)

An art museum housed in a former Beaux-Arts railway station built for the combined 1900 World Fair and Paris Olympics, the Musée d’Orsay is home to mainly French art spanning 1848 to 1914. And while it may not be as famous as the Louvre, it’s no less impressive, counting one of the world’s largest collections of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings in its catalogue. We meet our tour guide – a spritely French artist brimming with contagious enthusiasm – at the door, where the queue is expanding as the morning unfolds. But since we’re on City Experiences’ Meet the Impressionists tour, we simply skip the queue, swan inside and begin our two-hour journey. This is one of the City Experiences USPs: ‘small-group tours, local guides, and time-saving benefits like early access or skip-the-line entry,’ Lauren counts off. ‘It’s about maximising time without compromising authenticity.’

Musée d’Orsay is housed in a former Beaux-Arts railway station built for the combined 1900 World Fair and Paris Olympics. (© Olivia Emily)

And what’s more authentic than a whistle stop tour around a French art museum by a passionate local artist? We start by absorbing the building itself: its stunning cavernous interiors filled with light, sculptures and coves of art. Here we get a grounding in art’s state of play before Impressionism took over (and changed everything), in advance of climbing to the building’s famous attic where a sanctum dedicated to the movement is stored. Van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet, Degas, Cezanne and more hold visitors in a reverie, bouncing conversations off the walls as Impressionism (and eventually Post-Impressionism) unfold before our eyes. Guided privately and gobbling up every morsel of information offered to us, we linger and skip as we please, ushered towards the must-sees and the hidden gems, brushing over the save-for-laters.

With thousands of paintings in the collection, it’s a refreshing attitude to gallery-going, and one I pledge to continue: following my nose, investigating a theme, happily skipping entire rooms and floors safely knowing I can return anytime. It’s another apt example of the intentional rendition of extreme daytripping Lauren mentioned earlier: Impressionism is my theme and I need not tick off the entire museum to satisfy it. It’s a tidbit Lauren always reminds the travellers she works with: ‘You don’t need to do everything,’ she says. ‘In fact, you shouldn’t. The most memorable trips often focus on a single theme – food, art, architecture – and go deep rather than wide.

‘The key is thoughtful design and expert guidance,’ Lauren adds. ‘That’s what transforms a busy itinerary into a memorable experience.’

‘Being part of a city’s everyday rhythm gives you a feel for its character that no taxi ever could.’ Bouquinistes beside the Seine. (© Olivia Emily)

Leaving d’Orsay behind, the Seine beckons – as does coffee. With the sun shining overhead, just a 30 minute stroll along the famous river takes me to Notre Dame – which I have not seen in person since it caught fire in 2019 – and neighbouring Shakespeare & Company, a literature-lover’s must. Along the way, joggers and cyclists pass by along with locals carrying bouquets of flowers collected from weekend markets. According to Lauren, this is a valuable way to understand more about a city: walking and using public transport. ‘Being part of a city’s everyday rhythm gives you a feel for its character that no taxi ever could,’ she says.

On my stroll, I slip by innumerable bouquinistes peddling books, art prints and postcards as well as a coffee stall to quench my caffeine cravings. The music of buskers floats through the air as I arrive at the bookshop, surrounded by blossoming trees pumping confetti into the air, with a queue snaking out the door. Notre Dame is similarly heaving, and I have time to queue for neither, snapping a few pictures and heading into Le Marais (which spans the third and fourth arrondissements) on the other side of the Seine instead.

Shakespeare & Company and Notre Dame are both heaving, and I have time to queue for neither. (© Olivia Emily)

Speaking of walking, ‘a high-quality walking or food tour can be a game-changer,’ Lauren recommends. ‘You get the local stories, logistical ease, and human connection.’ Known for being fashionable with its boutiques, bars and Jewish quarter, Le Marais thrums with history and a weekend vibe. We’re here to meet the host of our Paris Ultimate Food Tour, created by Devour. Fellow guests include an intergenerational American family visiting the city just for the weekend: the mother, daughter and granddaughter are here to visit the grandson, who is studying for a year over in Madrid. That fast-paced, jam-packed but authentic American craving springs to mind – and it is aptly catered for. Eight stops and 11 dishes await, but our Croatian tour guide delivers so much more than this. Living locally in La Marais, he knows the area, its history and its buzziest eateries like the back of his hand, but brings a valuable international slant to it all too. This isn’t just croissants and French onion soup (though both feature in all their delicious glory): expect to also discover a Moroccan market stall, a Jewish sandwich shop and Middle Eastern pastries, all infused with delicious morsels of history underpinning their place in the city. And it feels all the more authentic as a result.

‘This isn’t just croissants and French onion soup (though both feature in all their delicious glory).’ (© Olivia Emily)

Ending in a timelessly French manner, we pair wine with cheese before flitting back to Gare du Nord to await our train home. The last Paris to London service of the day, departing just after 9pm, it’s perfectly timed for a nap. With the time difference, we roll into St Pancras at around 10.30pm, and it being Saturday night the streets are so much livelier as to be almost unrecognisable compared to their 5am counterparts. I’m exhausted mind and body – but satisfied mind, body and soul.

How To Make The Most Of A Paris Daytrip

My main takeaway from my Paris daytrip is that planning is key. The first part to pin down is the theme of your daytrip: is it food? Fashion? Literature? History? Focussing on one theme makes for the most comprehensive and enriching experience, but you could also get a taste of two like me: Impressionism and food in Le Marais. Any more than that is probably too much.

Once you’ve decided on a theme, it’s time to plan your activities. If you are typically time poor like me, utilising a tour operator like City Experiences takes all of the hassle out of it, and you can simply go along for the ride. I sampled the Meet The Impressionists art tour and the Paris Ultimate Food Tour, but there is so much more on offer including an after-hours tour of the Louvre, a Montmartre food tour and the all-encompassing ‘Paris in a Day’ tour.

You could also plan to visit a specific museum or exhibition, go shopping in a specific neighbourhood, or visit a specific monument. Once you are settled, check which days your desired activities run on or are open on to avoid disappointment. Then it’s train-booking time: to access the cheapest tickets, Eurostar recommends booking well in advance (seats are usually on sale three to six months before departure) and travelling off peak. The first and last trains of the day are typically the cheapest, as are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And what could be chicer than a midweek Paris jaunt?

If you can’t quite face the early morning and late night, you can always stop over for a night (or two…or three…). Here are our favourite hotels in Paris to fall in love with on a longer escape.

More Doable Daytrips

It’s not just Paris we can uncover in 12 hours…

Florence

Florence, Italy

If you find yourself in Tuscany or otherwise a short train ride from Florence, this is the perfect place to put the extreme daytripping mindset to the test. ‘Florence’s historic centre is highly walkable and allows travellers to see the Duomo, Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, and taste delicious Tuscan food,’ Lauren says. ‘Our Florence In A Day tour makes it easy to hit all the major sites thanks to skip-the-line tickets.’

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh, Scotland

Closer to home, a four hour train ride (or eight hour round trip) might not be appealing, but Edinburgh daytrips are incredibly accessible from the likes of Glasgow, York and Newcastle. ‘The Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle are a wealth of historic and scenic experiences in a small, easily navigable area,’ Lauren says. ‘On this Walks tour, enjoy early access to Edinburgh Castle for the chance to explore without the crowds.’

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Another train-accessible spot tops Lauren’s list of daytrippable cities, though this one is further afield (the direct train from London takes just under four hours). On an Amsterdam day trip, you can ‘stroll along canals, visit a top-notch museum (Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh), and visit the vibrant Jordaan neighbourhood, easily explored by walking or on a canal boat tour,’ Lauren says. Then check in to one of these lovely hotels, or rest your head in the Dutch countryside instead.

Park Guell in Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain

Why stay in overcrowded Barcelona when beachy Sitges is a 30 minute train ride down the coast? Visit Barcelona for the day and ‘immerse yourself in Gaudí’s architecture with visits to Sagrada Familia and Park Güell, stroll along Las Ramblas, and explore the historic Gothic Quarter,’ Lauren recommends. ‘It would be almost impossible to check off Barcelona’s top sights in one day, but we’ve perfected the itinerary of Walks’ Barcelona In A Day tour so it’s relaxing and enjoyable.’