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Zürich / Zurich to London by train
How to take a thrilling high speed rail journey from Zurich to London
Connect in Zurich when travelling by train to London from a swathe of Swiss destinations including Chur, Lugano, St Gallen and St Moritz.
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Routes
From Zürich HB / Zurich main station to London St Pancras International
Journey Summary
8hr 5min
Daily
Travel Information
Take this route via Paris and you will need to make the transfer between the Gare De Lyon, where the Lyria train will arrive, and the Gare Du Nord, from where the Eurostar will depart.
The journey (depart Zurich daily at 13:34) with this combination of Lyria and Eurostar trains allows around 1hr 35mins to make the connection across Paris.
The Lyria trains tend to reliable timekeepers and the transfer time should be sufficient to make the journey across Paris and to check-in for the Eurostar.
Though on the current limited timetable this 13:34 departure from Zurich connects into the final Eurostar departure of the day on from Paris to London.
The alternative connections
(1) Both the Lyria and Eurostar services, which enable this fastest end-to-end journey via Paris, are currently operating to reduced timetables as consequence of the pandemic.
This has compromised the volume of journey options via Paris, so the majority of the journey options currently on sale involve making an additional connections in Basel and Strasbourg; because both the TER (non high-speed) trains between Basel and Strasbourg; and the TGV trains on from Strasbourg to Paris are operating close to their usual schedules.
(2) A routing which is more than 2hr 30mins slower travelling via Paris is available, but it avoids having to make a transfer across the French capital.
It is also a good option for users of Eurail and InterRail passes, because it avoids the comparatively expensive fees which rail pass users have to pay on the Eurostar trains.
It involves taking:
- the 07:59 ICE train from Zurich to (Frankfurt Main)
- the 12:29 ICE train from Frankfurt (Main) to Bruxelles-Midi
- the 15:35 Eurostar from Bruxelles-Midi (1hr 20mins to make the transfer)
Though this routing into the final connection of the day on from Bruxelles to London is dependent on making a 37 min transfer between trains at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.
Current timetable:
1 x optimum connection per day
Usual timetable (pre-pandemic):
Mon-Thurs = 3 x connections per day
Friday = 4 x connections
Saturday = 3 x connections
Sunday = 4 x connections
Change trains in: Paris
You will need to make the transfer between the Gare De Lyon, where the Lyria train will arrive, and the Gare Du Nord, from where the Eurostar will depart.
Tickets
Book Early And Save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: 4 months ahead
Trainline will also sell journeys with alternative combinations of trains; so take care when booking.
You're looking for the journeys with '1.correspon' that involve taking the TGV Lyria from Zurich to Paris.
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 and are happy to set off from Zurich in the morning.
Eurostar does not sell tickets for this journey.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Trainline | from €79 approx |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Paris
This is a journey of four distinct parts.
1: The first part of the journey from Zurich to Mulhouse is on conventional tracks.
2. Between Mulhouse and Dijon there is a high speed line.
3. The train switches to conventional tracks north of Dijon - the most scenic part of the journey
4. Finally the train will travel on the high speed line north to Paris.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: London St Pancras
Some trains also call at: Ashford International or Ebbsfleet International (these station calls are currently suspended_
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 shorter.
Checking-in:
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.
It is up to you to allow time to pass through check-in and board the train.
If you have a Business Premier ticket, Eurostar recommends that you only have to check-in 10 mins before departure.
At Gare Du Nord the check in and waiting area for the Eurostar (the 'Hall Du Londres') is at an upper level, above the main concourse.
The access to this upper level is some distance from the voie/platforms/tracks that the Eurostars depart from.
The escalators leading up to Eurostar departures are located at the rear wall of the station building, on the opposite side of the concourse to voies/platforms/tracks 14 - 15.
It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with distinct phases and highlights:
1: There is little to see from the high speed lines in France, particularly after Lille (the trains to Paris will rush through Lille Europe station).
2: 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.
3: As the train nears Ebbsfleet International station, comes the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway on a high bridge.
4: After Ebbsfleet International (which can only be seen from the right) the train will enter a tunnel under the River Thames.
As the train exits this tunnel, from the left, the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge can be seen.
5: For most of the final 8 -10 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to enter London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).
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