Budget Independent Rail Tour to Paris by Eurostar

London, United Kingdom

Explore Paris at your own pace on this value for money, unescorted day trip from London. Your Paris package includes Eurostar tickets and a Visite Paris Metro Pass -- a one day unlimited use of Metro and Bus network to enable you to see all the sights, including the Eiffel Tower, Sacré Coeur, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe and, for all the Da Vinci Code fans out there, the Louvre. You will receive maps, information on the metro system and an information pack to set you on your way.

Want to spend a day exploring Paris at your own pace, seeing what you want to see and making all the decisions yourself? Forget the tour buses - jump onboard the Eurostar from St. Pancras Station and three hours later you'll be sipping Champagne at a café on the Champs-Élysées!

USD $188.02

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Laura	March 2012
Might be nice to have some sample itineraries for seeing Paris in one day, as well as directions on the nearest Metro stops to the main attractions.

Review by: Maria N	February 2012
Excellent experience! The trip on Eurostar through Viator was without hassle and the free tube passes with a Paris map really cinched the whole trip! Thanks Maria.

Review by: Suz_la	October 2011
Was quite good. Wouldn't have minded a slightly earlier start but that's okay. Lots of info but could've had more such as info to a hop on-hop off tour.

Review by: Gary B	September 2011
Really fun trip and worth every penny. Went like clockwork.

Review by: Sean N	August 2011
You are pretty much buying a Eurostar ticket for a discounted price. I bought my tickets together with my new fiance to celebrate our new engagement in Paris and our seats weren't even next to each other!!! Thankfully a nice single lady traded seats with us. ould have been done better. I wish I would have spent a little more to get the next better package. The seating situation was VERY disappointing.

Review by: Melanie F	July 2011
We had the day in Paris and it was wonderful. We were on our own in Paris and did fine. We went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, visited the Louvre and saw Mona Lisa, visited Petit Palais Museum, walked down Champs Elysees, saw Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame. Loved it and so glad we did it!

Review by: Jennifer W	July 2011
I absolutely loved this trip! The only thing that I had trouble with was knowing where to meet at the start of the trip. (I took another Evan Evans tour the day before and was able to ask.)_br/_ The tour representative was extremely friendly and helpful. The information packet held all the information I needed and then some. This was a very well organized tour. I would definitely book this tour again should I have the ability to travel to Europe again.

Review by: Debra W	May 2011
this was a very organized tour...just be aware it is a long day. A very nice day, but if you want to leave early you will pay BIG money...It was a really nice trip I enjoyed the train ride a lot

Review by: Mary Ellen K	May 2011
The only thing I would say about this is that there should be 2 return times for the train. We finished sight seeing early and it would have cost us 300.00 euro to change our time back to London.

Review by: Trixie MM Bowen M	May 2011
Best day our family has ever had. My 8 year old son has autism, and the French were so nice and considerate with him. A+!

Review by: janie	March 2011
The rep got there 30 min later than the other tour company guides. It was nerve racking because getting through security took some time.

Review by: Merilyn V	November 2010
Very easy and simple way to travel to Paris without all the hassle of organising eurostar tickets yourself. Were told check in was no later than 6.30am, yet the tour operator didn't arrive until at least 6.50am but was very helpful when asked any questions. Great way to see exactly what you want and enjoy a full day in Paris without a guide.

Review by: Tina G	November 2010
Great trip. It was easy to find the Viator rep at the St. Pancras station. The metro pass was VERY useful. On the return trip, somehow I ended up with a Business Class seat. Extra bonus. All in all everything went very smoothly but as other mentioned what a LONG day! Worht it!

Review by: Timothy Q	October 2010
This was a great trip - everything went as planned. Although I wouldn't advise seeing Paris for only one day if you've never been there before, this was a greaty opportunity to return and see a few key sights. The metro card worked perfectly (and apparently better than the hop-on/hop-off bus tour). For anyone who has a sense of adventure and believes they can navigate the Paris metro system (it is not very difficult), I highly recommend this trip. Note that it is a long day.

Review by: Paulina R	October 2010
Great staff, organization and reasonable price! Enough time to see the main Paris attractions. However, would recommend to save more time to explore the Eiffel Tower because of the very long queue. Still worth to go! Recommended and would go again!

Review by: Ki Hong C	September 2010
very satisfying with the local tour operator.

Review by: Jay S	September 2010
Paris is fairly easy to maneuver, but finding the eurostar station IN the station is hard. Leave plenty of time getting back to the train. The gate for the train CLOSES 30 minutes before leaving... get to that station an hour ahead. this trip doesn't leave much time for long tours... we booked the eiffel tower timed tickets on the tower web site... that and lunch, was about all we had time for. If you want to experience paris for the day and save a bit of omoney, do this, but watch your time. its very doable. and the train is terrific!

Review by: Anonymous	August 2010
The person from Evan Evans Tours was late with our tickets, which talking to the other people waiting in line that did not seem to be out of the ordinary for them, and when the person did show up, there was no apology for being late. Despite that however, it was an enjoyable trip. I found that Paris was easy to get around and felt that it was a much more beautiful city than London. I wasn't quite prepared for very long lines at a number of Paris' most famous sites, but I was still able to see and do a lot in just one day.

Review by: Anonymous	August 2010
An excellent option if you are pressed for time or just have an extra day in London you don't know what to do with. The schedule is perfect - early departurelate return so plenty of time in Paris. The metro pass saves time and money and the maps are very useful. You need to do a little planning on while on the train to decide what you want to achieve during your day trip.

Review by: Al Hafidz A	July 2010
Its a good way to get to paris for a day trip. It would be more convenient to conplement this with the Paris hop on hop off tour.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	June 2010
The train was wonderful -a little early in the morning, but that allows for more time in Paris. The train station as well as the train itself was spotless and extremely comfortable!

Review by: NANCY V, United States of America	June 2010
The price was right, but we received incorrect information as to when we were to meet at the train station in the morning and as a result, awoke at least an hour and a half earlier than necessary. This resulted in us becoming tired much sooner than necessary. We were allowed to ride the bus with the escorted group into the city and that was greatly appreciated.

Review by: Jessica E, United States of America	June 2010
Paris in a day is totally doable. We saw everything we wanted and even ended up back at the train station an hour early. The included metro tickets are great and a real money saver as long as you're comfortable with the dingy Paris subway system. While Viator's great prices on the train ride makes me recommend this trip, I'm only giving it four stars because of the lack of information given after purchase. We were standing in the train station for 30 minutes in London before we saw another American couple with the same printed voucher who happened to have a cell phone. They called the number and were told someone was on their way to gate 5. This was almost 30 minutes after the check-in time and had we not found this couple we would probably have not found the woman who had our tickets. Other than that, Paris was wonderful.

Review by: Clarisa G	June 2010
My niece Angela & I recently took this budget tour in conjunction with our England trip. I just want to offer a suggestion. I had been to Paris before and had seen all the important sites by taking the 2-decker sightseeing bus - the actual hop-on-hop-off bus. We tried desperately to use the option you provided - metro and subway and it was more complicated than we expected. We ended up walking everywhere and taking the metro and did not see half of what I had promised her. Do your customers a favor and invest in the 22 Euros it costs to have the real sightseeing bus instead of making the excursion of a lifetime a bust.

Review by: Debra H, United States of America	May 2010
We were novice travelers, but no more. The Paris trip by train was great. We did get the Metro passes, but instead hopped on the On and Off bus tour. That was well worth the money. You listen to the history of the city as you drive through the city, and get on and off at the many different stops. We plan on using this again when we go back.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	May 2010
Exactly what I wanted. The "tour" was as-advertised. I was given my Eurostar tickets, a map of Paris and an all-day Metro pass. I spent the day seeing everything at my own pace. If you're not interested in a guided tour and you're okay with being on your own, this is what you want.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	April 2010
This tour doesn't include a tour...only the Eurostar tickets and a Metro pass. If you know where you want to go in Paris, it's brilliant!

Review by: Sandra B	April 2010
Had a very frustrating experience! We called the day before to confirm the trip and times and were told we HAD to be there at 630am. So we had very little sleep, took a cab to the station, got there at 620am and there was no rep. there. By 700am there was still no rep there so we called and were told that since it was a Bank Holiday, the train is not leaving until 1 hour later and that we did not have to be there until 730 am. None of this was on our Viator voucher. So we rated for the rep and finally left at 830 am. Also, we were travelling with another group. When they checked in with the rep., the rep. told them they had been upgraded and they travelled first class on the Eurostar and were given meals both ways. My partner and myself, were given poor economy seats and had to travel facing backwards with no window! We were not compensated in any way for given the wrong information on this trip. Once there, Paris was beautiful and a joy to take in.

Review by: James D. V	April 2010
Trip was great. Easy way to do Paris by self. Bit of confusion in check in when another vendor tried to tell me that my vendor would not be there for another 20 minutes when they where there all along. When I confronted that person, she just shrugged. Rough way to start a trip.

Review by: Henry D, United States of America	January 2010
An experience to be remembered by my 14 year old grandson. The security is as strict as international flying and gives a sense of safety. Smooth enough for a good nap returning on a day trip. The tour representative was easy to locate in the London terminal, and she was very helpful. Tickets, tour brochures and Metro tickets were all in order.

Review by: Vanessa M, United States of America	December 2009
Our tour guide was extremely kind. I highly recommend the following strategy. We asked him if we could ride the tour bus. He actually let us ride the tour bus to the Eiffel Tower so we can get a head start on our day. At the end of the day, he agreed to meet us at a bus stop and take us back to the station, even though we had paid for the independent package! Other than that, Paris wasn't what I thought it would be, but worth seeing it just so you can say, "Ya, I went to Paris."

Review by: Richard M	December 2009
Our tour guide was extremely kind. I highly recommend the following strategy. We asked him if we could ride the tour bus. He actually let us ride the tour bus to the Eiffel Tower so we can get a head start on our day. At the end of the day, he agreed to meet us at a bus stop and take us back to the station, even though we had paid for the independent package! Other than that, Paris wasn't what I thought it would be, but worth seeing it just so you can say, "Ya, I went to Paris."

Review by: Kristine H, United States of America	November 2009
I was not cracked up about Paris after I got there, but if you are looking to go for the day this is a good option. You are a little rushed for time but you could get it done.

Review by: Phillip H	November 2009
I was not cracked up about Paris after I got there, but if you are looking to go for the day this is a good option. You are a little rushed for time but you could get it done.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	October 2009
Great way to visit Paris for a day, just to get the flavour of this beautiful city. We combined this tour with the city tour, cruise on the Seine, and a visit to the Eiffel Tower. All worked out well for a very full but enjoyable day.

Review by: Valerie A F, United States of America	September 2009
Well worth it. The package through Viator was way cheaper than booking tickets directly through Eurostar, and you get a very nice and easy to read map, and the all day Metro subway pass for zones 1-3, which contrary to what someone else said in their review does cover the Gare du Nord that you arrive at, and of course all the major attractions in Paris! I had been to Paris 2 times previously with friends so I was comfortable with doing the independent tour with my husband so we could see what we wanted to see on our own time. If you've never been to Paris and don't speak a word of French, you might be better off on the guided tour, but most people in Paris speak English so you'd most likely be fine on your own too, it all depends on your comfort level. While in Paris, we had time to go to Pere LaChaise cemetary to see Jim Morrison's grave, hang out by Notre Dame line was too long to go inside and the Ile St. Louis and get some delicious ice cream at Berthillon, walk along the Seine and by the Louvre and Tuileries gardens again long lines so we didn't go in the museum, go up in the Eiffel Tower, walk to Arc de Triomphe didn't go in there either, didn't feel like walking up all the stairs, and then have a nice dinner at a sidewalk cafe on the Champs Elysees. Got back to Gare du Nord with plenty of time to spare, so we probably could've spent an hour doing something else too but were pretty tired so we called it a day.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	September 2009
The Eurostar is fast, efficient and clean. The trip overall was very nice, but one day in Paris is simply not enough time to see the city and museums. The Eurostar train station is connected to the Metro station and it is relatively easy getting to Notre Dame from there. As a tourist, the red "Hop on, Hop off" bus is more useful than the Metro pass as it gives you a view of the city along with the recorded historical narrative. This budget package may not be suited for the novice traveler as it is up to you to get around and figure it out. Overall it was a great trip!

Review by: Gene B	July 2009
The sole purpose for taking a day trip to Paris was to visit the Louvre - it was closed for the day. A complete waste of time, money and effort.

Review by: Robert. D K, United States of America	June 2009
Paris was awesome, but we should have taken the the guided tour. Getting around was a little difficult due to the maps that we received not being very readable. Once we were on the bus it would pull over and stop and say "find another one, I am off the clock." This happened to me twice in a 5 hour period.

Review by: Amy G, United States of America	June 2009
I do not understand why we had to be at the train station so early. As an adult i would think it would be my responsibility to make sure that I was at the station in a timely manner. We arrived only to have to wait around for well over an hour.

Review by: Walter K, United States of America	May 2009
Train was nice. Paris was good. A lot to see in the city, and one day may have been too little to see everything. We got a taste for the city.

Review by: Marco C, United States of America	April 2009
This was everything we thought and more. The brief conversation we had with the staff at the counter was very informative and they were very helpful. We enjoyed this trip a lot, and would recommend it to all. Very affordable, cheaper than doing it on your own. Thanks.

Review by: Lee S	April 2009
Paris was great, but I recommend using a tour bus instead of going completely on your own.

Review by: Michelle K	April 2009
Make sure you don't go on a Tuesday--the Louvre is CLOSED! That was a disappointment. The rail trip was fast and comfortable. All in all this is a convenient way to spend a day in Paris.

Review by: Donna D	March 2009
All went well except that we were told to be at the Eurostar welcome desk by 6:15 a.m. at the latest to pick up our tickets, etc. but the tour company representative did not arrive until 630 a.m. Not a big problem, but just annoying since another tour company representative was available on time for their clients.

Review by: Stuart S, New Zealand	June 2008
Being an independent kind of person given to exploring, this was the ideal one-day excursion. There were also places I wanted to visit, e.g. St Chapelle, which would not have been on the conducted tour. This arrangement allowed me to stay as long as I wanted at certain places of interest. When I grew tired of walking, I took an hourlong cruise on the Seine, leaving from the Pont Neuf, then later had a coffee in a park, and later still, had a lovely meal in a restaurant of my choosing before returning to the train. I'll be telling all my friends about it. First rate!!!