The £98 Paris Day Trip Is Back. Book Before April
---
title: "The £98 Paris Day Trip Is Back. Book Before April"
author: Alex
status: draft
published_at: 2026-02-20T08:00:00.000Z
tags:
- eurostar
- paris
- day-trip
- budget-travel
- france
featured_image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1569230516306-5a8cb5586399?w=1200
featured_image_alt: "Eurostar train at platform with passengers boarding. Photo by Fred Moon via Unsplash (Unsplash License)."
---
# The £98 Paris Day Trip Is Back. Book Before April
A return trip to Paris for under £100 sounds like a travel myth, but Eurostar has brought back its £39 fare deal. With Air Passenger Duty set to rise in April, now is the time to lock in your cross-Channel adventure before travel costs increase.
Here is how to book the deal, what your total costs will look like, and why you should not wait too long.
The Deal Explained
Eurostar is offering one-way tickets from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord from £39 per person. The catch? You must book a return trip, and the fare is only available for travel between 10 March 2026 and 2 June 2026.
That means a day trip to Paris can cost as little as £78 in train fares. Add a coffee and croissant at a Parisian café, and you are still looking at a full day in the French capital for under £100.
How to Book
The £39 fares are available through Eurostar's lowest fare finder on their website. Availability is limited, and the best deals disappear quickly. You will need to be flexible with your dates and times to secure the cheapest tickets.
Midweek departures typically offer the best availability. Friday and Sunday trains tend to sell out at the lowest price points first.
Breaking Down the Total Cost
Let us be realistic about what a Paris day trip will actually cost you.
**Transport: £78**
- Return Eurostar tickets at £39 each way
**Local transport in Paris: £4**
- A carnet of 10 Metro tickets costs around €17, but for a day trip you will only need a few. Single tickets are €2.10 each, or buy a day pass for €8.45 if you plan to hop around the city
**Food and drink: £30-50**
- Breakfast croissant and coffee: €5-8
- Lunch at a bistro: €15-25
- Afternoon treat (macarons, ice cream, or a glass of wine): €5-10
**Total realistic budget: £112-132**
You can certainly spend more, but equally you can spend less. Grab a baguette sandwich from a boulangerie for lunch and you could keep your total under £100.
The APD Factor. Why Book Before April?
Air Passenger Duty, the tax added to flights departing from UK airports, is set to increase on 1 April 2026. While this primarily affects flyers, it signals a broader trend of rising travel costs.
Short-haul economy APD will increase by £2 per passenger from April. While Eurostar is not subject to APD, the overall travel market tends to adjust prices upwards when taxes increase. The £39 fare is a promotional price that may not last beyond the spring.
More importantly, these promotional fares have limited availability. The longer you wait, the more likely you are to find only higher-priced tickets remaining.
Making the Most of a Day Trip
Can you really see Paris in a day? Absolutely, if you plan wisely.
Eurostar's first train departs London at 06:01, arriving in Paris at 09:26 local time. The last train back leaves Gare du Nord at 21:13, getting you into London at 22:39. That gives you over eleven hours in the city.
Here is a realistic itinerary:
**09:30** Arrive at Gare du Nord and head straight to a café near the station for that essential coffee and croissant
**10:30** Walk to the Seine and cross to Île de la Cité to see Notre Dame Cathedral
**12:00** Explore Le Marais, stopping for lunch at a casual bistro
**14:00** Walk to the Louvre or Musée d'Orsay for a culture fix, or browse the shops along Rue de Rivoli
**16:00** Head to the Eiffel Tower area for photos and perhaps a river cruise if time allows
**18:00** Enjoy an early dinner or grab snacks for the journey home
**20:00** Make your way back to Gare du Nord
**21:13** Board your return train to London
Tips for a Smooth Trip
**Book Metro tickets on the train.** Eurostar sells Paris Metro tickets onboard, saving you from queuing at the station.
**Download offline maps.** Google Maps works offline if you download the Paris area beforehand. This saves data and battery.
**Pack light.** You do not need much for a day trip. A small backpack is easier to manage than luggage on crowded Metro trains.
**Check your passport.** France is in the Schengen Area, and while the UK has arrangements in place, ensure your passport has at least six months validity and was issued less than ten years ago.
**Consider travel insurance.** For a day trip, your needs are minimal, but check if your bank or credit card includes cover.
Is It Worth It?
A day trip to Paris is absolutely worth doing at least once. There is something magical about breakfast in London and dinner in Paris, especially when the journey takes just over two hours.
At £78 for return tickets, this is one of the cheapest ways to experience a foreign capital from the UK. The train journey itself is comfortable, with power sockets, WiFi, and a bar buffet. You arrive in the centre of Paris, not at a distant airport.
The Bottom Line
The £39 Eurostar fare makes a Paris day trip genuinely affordable. For the price of a nice dinner in London, you can spend a day wandering the streets of one of the world's most beautiful cities.
With limited availability and travel costs likely to rise from April, my advice is to book soon if you are tempted. Check the Eurostar lowest fare finder, pick your dates, and secure your seats before the cheap fares sell out.
**Have you done a Paris day trip? Any tips to share? Let me know in the comments.**
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Sources
- [Eurostar Day Trip to Paris](https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/destinations/paris/daytrip)
- [Eurostar Sale and Fares](https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/deals/eurostar-sale)
- [UK Air Passenger Duty Rise 2026](https://travelplaces.co.uk/air-passenger-duty-tax-to-rise-in-2026/)
- [Yahoo Finance - Air Passenger Duty Guide](https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/everything-know-air-passenger-duty-164834772.html)
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