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London to Cannes by train
How to take a thrilling high speed rail journey from London to Cannes
There are currently two* options for making the journey by high speed trains from London to Cannes:
1: travelling via Paris can be a cheaper option, but you will need to make the transfer across the French capital between the Gare Du Nord, which is where the Eurostar will arrive, and the Gare De Lyon, the departure station of the TGV train.
2: Or if you make the connection in Lille, you can make the transfer within Lille Europe station, but you will also now have to make a second connection in Marseille (the direct Lille to Cannes trains are no longer available).
*When the direct London to Marseille resumes operating in the summer of 2022, taking that train and making the one connection in Marseille is the best option for a London to Cannes rail journey.
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Routes
Option 1: travelling via Paris
Journey Summary
8hr 30min - 10hr 30min (approx)
Daily
Travel Information
The Eurostar will arrive in Paris at the Gare Du Nord, but the TGV train on to Antibes will depart from the Gare De Lyon.
This guide explains how to make the transfer between the two stations by RER train.
The London to Cannes tickets do not include the transfer across Paris.
When making a booking, check the connection time between the arrival at Gare Du Nord and the departure from Gare De Lyon.
Most of the journeys have a connection time of between 1hr and 1hr 30mins - which should ensure that you won't be making the transfer across Paris against the clock!
Though currently, if you depart by the 08:01 departure from London, you will have nearly three hours to make the transfer, time enough for a lunch in the fabulous Le Train Bleu restaurant within the Gare De Lyon, or in brasserie by the station.
(This is the connection with an end-to-end-journey time of around 10hr 45mins).
Current timetable:
Mon - Thurs =2 x connections per day
Friday = 3 x connections (taking the 07:01 departure from London is usually only an option on Fridays, but this has the fastest end-to-end journey time)
Saturday = 2 x connections
Sunday = 1 x connection
Usual timetable, pre-pandemic:
Mon - Thurs = 4 x connections
Friday = 5 x connections
Saturday = 4 x connections
Sunday = 3 x connections
Tickets
Book Early And Save: Yes
Online bookings open: 90 days ahead
The very cheapest tickets tend to sell out particularly quickly on this route - they're more likely to be available if you can travel on a Tuesday - Thursday, or are happy to set off from London early in the morning.
The price below is for a one way fare - if you're booking a return ticket, it's likely you will be offered a cheaper price in each direction.
The cheapest tickets for this London to Cannes via Paris journey by train are particularly good value - they cost the same as London to Marseille journeys despite the additional distance!
A big plus of booking the Eurostar direct on Eurostar.com is that you can access a 'Manage Your Booking' facility - which enables you to change the seat that you will have been initially assigned when making a booking.
Click on the 'train details' for more information.
The different types of ticket summarised
Also worth knowing is that when travelling by Eurostar you can choose between three classes of service, and this also impacts on the exchanges and refunds of what Eurostar refers to as 'Flexible tickets'
If you book Standard or Standard Premier tickets, you can exchange them if need be, to an alternative departure on your booked route; but if you want to transfer your ticket to a new departure less than 7 days before your travel date, you will need to pay an admin fee of £30 for Standard Class tickets, £40 for Standard Premier tickets PLUS the price difference with the new ticket you will be booking.
What's new, in response to the pandemic, is that these £30/40 charges aren't applied if you want to transfer to an alternative departure more than seven days before your travel date.
Business Premier tickets are less restrictive, in response to the pandemic they can now be refunded and they can be exchanged to alternative departures without paying the admin fee, or the price difference.
Eurostar's full ticket terms and conditions are here
Using Rail Passes on Eurostar:
Rail pass users can now pay reservation fees to travel on Eurostar trains, in a similar manner to other international European high speed trains.
The new rail pass reservation fees are similar to the cheapest single journey ticket prices, but as those cheapest tickets can sell out quickly, it's likely that the rail pass reservation fees will save money.
You can purchase these online with no booking fees via B-Europe - or they ARE now available on the Eurostar website.
Booking in advance is recommended as it's not unknown for rail pass reservations on Eurostar services to sell out days or weeks in advance, there is evidently limited availability per departure.
You can obtain a rail pass reservations without paying a booking fee at Eurostar stations.
However, if you want to do this on the day of travel be prepared to be flexible re: the train you will take.
If you are a UK resident, your rail pass + reservation is only valid if you take a train from the UK on the first day that your pass is valid for and return to the UK on the final day that you will be using a pass.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Eurostar | from £68 | |
| Trainline | from €78 | |
| Oui.SNCF | from €78 |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
As a consequence of the Covid-19 crisis Eurostar will be operating a particularly limited timetable for the time being - further information is available on Eurostar.com
Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind - so when looking at a timetable the journey will look as though it's an hour longer.
When the usual timetable is operating;
The majority of trains have a journey time of 2hr 16mins and these trains are non-stop between London and Paris.
All departures from London after 14:30 are non-stop to Paris.
Depart from London before 14:30 some trains will call at either Ebbsfleet or Ashford International stations.
However as the trains only call at these stations to pick up passengers - these station calls are not included on the departure boards at St Pancras International or usually announced on the train.
At St Pancras International:
Eurostar requests that holders of Standard Class And Standard Premier tickets check-in a minimum of 30mins BEFORE departure, though this increased to 45mins on weekends and holidays.
If you have a Business Premier ticket, Eurostar recommends that you only have to check-in 10 mins before departure.
Our guide to taking a Eurostar from London is here.
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with SIX distinct phases and highlights:
1: For most of the first 8 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to exit London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
2: Then from the right of the train, there are views of the River Thames marshes and of the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge.
3: The third tunnel that the train will pass through is the tunnel under the River Thames.
4: Shortly after Ebbsfleet International station (can only be seen from the right of the train) is the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway.
5: 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.
6: There is little of note to be seen from the high speed lines in France.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Note that these trains to Cannes depart from the Gare De Lyon in Paris.
Final Destination: Nice
All trains also call at: Toulon and St Raphael
The trains which are usually scheduled to depart from Paris at 14:07 and 17:07 also call at Marseille-St Charles station, where they will reverse direction on departure.
This is a journey of contrasts, between Paris and the Marseille suburbs, the train will travel at more than 275 km/h on the high speed line.
After Marseille the train will slow down, but this gives more of an opportunity to take in the scenery
If your reserved seat is on the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel) once the train has passed through the Marseille area, there are some fabulous views of the Cote d'Azur.
The coastal views can be seen between Marseille and Toulon and then between St Raphael and Cannes.
The video gives an idea of the scenery shortly after departure from St Raphael.
If you will be on a train travelling via Marseille, the train will reverse direction on departure from St Charles station, so if your seats are on the left when boarding in Paris, you'll be on the side of the train with the sea views.
This is a journey on which it it is worth choosing Upper Deck seats if you will be completing the journey by daylight.
The coastal scenery can be enjoyed from around 3hr 40mins after departure,
Option 2: travelling via Lille and Avignon
Journey Summary
10hr 2 min
Not Every Day
Travel Information
If you want to make a London to Cannes train journey and avoid travelling via Paris then an option is to make comparatively straightforward connections between trains in both Lille and Avignon.
The positive of taking this combination of trains is the avoidance of having to make the transfer across Paris from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon.
In particular Avignon TGV is an exceptionally easy station in which to change trains.
The transfer times between trains will be 35 mins in Lille and 1hr in Avignon, which will typically allow the connections to be relatively uncomplicated - if the trains are on schedule you won't be rushing through an unfamiliar station against the clock, and neither will you be hanging around awaiting departure.
Though the potential negative is that those transfer times won't allow much contingency in the unlikely event of delayed trains.
Completing the end-to-end journey in a single day is dependent on making that 35 min connection in Lille.
1 x connection per day
Tickets
Book Early And Save: Yes
Online bookings open: 90 days ahead
This journey tends to be (much) more expensive than travelling via Paris or Lyon.
Eurostar ticket terms summary
If you book Standard or Standard Premier tickets, you can exchange them if need be, to an alternative departure on your booked route; but if you want to transfer your ticket to a new departure less than 7 days before your travel date, you will need to pay an admin fee of £30 for Standard Class tickets, £40 for Standard Premier tickets PLUS the price difference with the new ticket you will be booking.
What's new, in response to the pandemic, is that these £30/40 charges aren't applied if you want to transfer to an alternative departure more than seven days before your travel date.
Business Premier tickets are less restrictive, in response to the pandemic they can now be refunded and they can be exchanged to alternative departures without paying the admin fee, or the price difference.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Trainline | * | |
| Oui.SNCF | * |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
As a consequence of the Covid-19 crisis Eurostar will be operating a particularly limited timetable for the time being - further information is available on Eurostar.com
Final Destination: Bruxelles-Mid or Amsterdam
Some trains also call at: Ebbsfleet International (07:04 on Mon-Fri; 09:12 and 13:15 daily) or Ashford International (07:28 on Mon-Sat and 18:28 on Sunday) these station calls have been suspended until further notice
Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind - so when looking at a timetable the journey will look as though it's an hour longer.
Virtually all of the departures between London and Lille will be by the e320trains.
At St Pancras
Eurostar REQUESTS that holders of Standard Class And Standard Premier tickets check-in a minimum of 30mins before departure, and 45mins before departure on weekends and holidays.
If you have a Business Premier ticket, Eurostar recommends that you only have to check-in 10 mins before departure.
Our guide to taking a Eurostar from London is here.
The trains only call at Ebbsfleet or Ashford International stations to pick up passengers, so these station calls are not included on the departure boards at St Pancras International or announced on the train.
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with six distinct phases and highlights:
1: For most of the first 8 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to exit London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
2: Then from the right of the train, there are views of the River Thames marshes and of the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge.
3: The third tunnel that the train will pass through is the tunnel under the River Thames.
4: Shortly after Ebbsfleet International station (can only be seen from the right of the train) is the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway.
5: 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.
6: There is little of note to be seen from the high speed line in France.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Marseille
Aside from the 30 min detour to serve Lyon station, these trains spend the entire journey on a high speed line, but it is primarily the speed that gives this journey its wow factor.
It's not a particularly scenic train ride, so having something to watch or read with you is recommended.
Train 3
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Nice Ville
This train also calls at: Toulon and St Raphael
This train will reverse direction on departure from Marseille.
If this journey was being taken earlier in the day, there would be wonderfully scenic coastal views to be enjoyed, but this train will travel along the Cote D'Azur after dusk.
Option 3: travelling via Marseille (currently not available)
Journey Summary
10hr 50min
Not Every Day
Travel Information
On up to four days per week between the first Monday in Monday and mid September, Eurostar typically operates a direct train from London to Marseille, but it was suspended during the summers of 2020 and 2021, though hopefully it will return in 2022!
(currently not available)
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: up to four months ahead of the travel date
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Marseille St-Charles
In this direction you will pass through passport control in London - you won't have to leave the train in order to pass through passport control in Lille.
Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind - so when looking at a timetable the journey will look as though it's an hour longer.
Eurostar requests that holders of Standard Class And Standard Premier tickets check-in a minimum of 30mins before departure, and 45mins before departure on weekends and holidays.
If you have a Business Premier ticket, Eurostar recommends that you only have to check-in 10 mins before departure.
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with distinct phases and highlights:
1: For most of the first 8 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to exit London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
2: Then from the right of the train, there are views of the River Thames marshes and of the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge.
3: The third tunnel that the train will pass through is the tunnel under the River Thames.
4: Shortly after Ebbsfleet International station (can only be seen from the right of the train) is the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway.
5: 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.
6: There is little of note to be seen from the high speed lines in France, though the journey south of Paris is more varied than that to the north.
It's the speed which gives this journey its wow factor.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Between Marseille and Cannes the French national operator SNCF provides a mix of TGV InOui trains and TER services
There is little difference in journey time between the two services, as there is no high speed line between these towns.
The TER trains are around 5 - 10 mins slower because they call at more stations.
Though there are fewer trains operated by SNCF between Marseille and Cannes than you might expect.
There is a two hour gap between departures on these TGV or TER trains from around 09:58 to 13:58 - though a train operated by Thello, is scheduled to depart from Marseille at 11:28.
So even if you will be booking tickets last minute at the station, definitely look up the departure times on Oui.SNCF, before heading off to Marseille St Charles.
Particularly worth knowing is that on Mon-Thurs and Sundays the final departure is at 19:58.
---------------------------------------------------------
Final Destination: Nice (or Menton)
All trains also call at: Toulon and St Raphael-Valescure
Most trains also call at calls at: Les Arcs-Draguignan
Type of Scenery: Coast
Star Rating: ***
An advantage of taking the TER trains on this scenic route, is that seat reservations aren't an option on these trains, so you're free to choose a seat when you board.
If you'll be taking a TER train - our advice is to be at Marseille St-Charles in time for when the voie (platform/track number) is confirmed.
Then when you board head up to the upper deck and sit on the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel).
Do that and you'll be able to take in the wonderful views of the Cote D'Azur between Marseille and Toulon - and from St Raphael to Cannes.
Take a TGV and your reserved seat may be on the left of the train - and if it is you won't be able to see the best of the views from your seat.
Between Marseille and Cannes the French national operator SNCF provides a mix of TGV InOui trains and TER services
There is little difference in journey time between the two services, as there is no high speed line between these towns.
The TER trains are around 5 - 10 mins slower because they call at more stations.
Though there are fewer trains operated by SNCF between Marseille and Cannes than you might expect.
There is a two hour gap between departures on these TGV or TER trains from around 09:58 to 13:58 - though a train operated by Thello, is scheduled to depart from Marseille at 11:28.
So even if you will be booking tickets last minute at the station, definitely look up the departure times on Oui.SNCF, before heading off to Marseille St Charles.
Particularly worth knowing is that on Mon-Thurs and Sundays the final departure is at 19:58.
---------------------------------------------------------
Final Destination: Nice (or Menton)
All trains also call at: Toulon and St Raphael-Valescure
Most trains also call at calls at: Les Arcs-Draguignan
Type of Scenery: Coast
Star Rating: ***
An advantage of taking the TER trains on this scenic route, is that seat reservations aren't an option on these trains, so you're free to choose a seat when you board.
If you'll be taking a TER train - our advice is to be at Marseille St-Charles in time for when the voie (platform/track number) is confirmed.
Then when you board head up to the upper deck and sit on the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel).
Do that and you'll be able to take in the wonderful views of the Cote D'Azur between Marseille and Toulon - and from St Raphael to Cannes.
Take a TGV and your reserved seat may be on the left of the train - and if it is you won't be able to see the best of the views from your seat.
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