Leeds to Laon (France)

[mews64]

What is the best way of getting from Leeds to Laon (north France) and back on 25th October for a few days? I think going via London is probably going to be best but I don't know... I don't want to spend loads of money but I don't want it to take forever either... sorry for being vague. Thanks.

[Buenchico]

Here's how I'd do it:

1140 Leeds to Kings Cross train. (GNER are currently offering their 'Advance Saver 1' fare on this service: �9.50 single). Arrives 1403.
http://www.gner.co.uk/GNER

Tube to Waterloo. (�3 single). (Arriving about 1430).

1612 train to Paris Gard du Nord. (Eurostar are currently offering �49.50 single on this service). Arrives 1947.
http://www.eurostar.com

2005 train to Laon. Arrives 2139. (That's a fairly tight connection. The next train is at 2118, arrives at 2248).
SNCF offer a Discovery Stay return ticket (which must include a Saturday night stay) for �22.
http://www.sncf.co.uk/

Enjoy 26th, 27th & 28th in Laon. Return on Sunday 29th:

1231 train to Paris. Arrives 1420.

Time for lunch at one of the many bars and restaurants directly opposite the Gare du Nord.

1607 train to Waterloo. Arrives 1756
(Eurostar are offering �74.50 single on this service).

Tube to Kings Cross (�3 single). Arrive about 1830.

1930 train to Leeds. Arrives 2158.
(GNER are offering �28.50 single on this service).

That gives a total return fare of �190. It's possible to do it for slightly less (�178.50) by planning a journey which ends with travelling from London to Leeds at 2130 but that doesn't get you into Leeds until after midnight (0024).

Chris

[Buenchico]

PS: If you're thinking of doing the same trip at a later date (but with more notice) you should check out the possibility of travel via Newcastle.
For example, the 1005 train from Leeds gets to Newcastle at 1138. (The fare currently being offered by GNER is �11).

The Tyne & Wear Metro (�2.60) would get you Newcastle Airport at about 1215, giving you plenty of time for lunch before the 1515 flight to Charles de Gaulle Airport. (Easyjet are currently showing a fare of �45.99, including taxes& charges). The flight arrives at 1755.

RER LIne B would take you direct to the Gare du Nord in just over half an hour. The fare would be a few pounds. If we estimate a fiver or so, that makes the total fare from Leeds to Paris about �65. You'd then be able to catch the 2005 train to Laon as before.

Unfortunately, as I've indicated, that information will only be of use for future trips. This is because the return flights on Saturday and Sunday (28th & 29th) seem to be already well booked (i.e. the prices are very high) and weekday flights arrive back at Newcastle too late for a train back to Leeds.

I thought about going out by air and back by train but Eurostar's strange pricing policy makes this impossible. (You can get that fare of �74.50 on the 1607 service from Paris only as part of a return journey. The lowest single fare is double that, at �149).

So, as I've stated, this information will be useless for your journey later this month but I hope that it might prove valuable at a later date (i.e. when you can book early enough to get cheap flights in both directions).

Chris

[Buenchico]

STOP PRESS!

I've just found another way to do it. Once again, it's too late to get the really low fares but, if you can come back on Monday, instead of Sunday, this might suit you:

757 bus, at 1100 from Leeds bus station to Leeds/Bradford airport. (�2) Arrives at 1140.

1335 flight to Charles de Gaulle Airport. Arrives 1605.
(Total price for the return flight, including taxes & charges, based upon using the return flight as below is �137.40)
http://www.bmibaby.com/bmibaby/en/index.aspx

RER Line B to Gare du Nord. (A few pounds)

1745 train to Laon, arriving at 1933.
(�22 return, as before)

Returning, on Monday 30th, as follows:

1119 train from Laon to Gare du Nord. Arrives 1253.

RER Line B to CDG airport.

1635 flight to Leeds/Bradford. Arrives 1705

757 bus at 1825. Arrives at the bus station at 1900. (�2).

Depending upon exactly what the RER fare is, I estimate a total return fare from Leeds to Laon in the region of �170 to �175.

Chris

[almcd007]

Why go via London or Newcastle when you have one intn'l airport on your doorstep and another less than an hour away from Leeds - both flying to Paris? All you need is the train link from Paris to your destination. The costs and time involved travelling to London/Newcastle would be excessive and I find conveneince is always the better way to travel.

Put these in your favourites :

www.jet2.com

www.bmibaby.com

They both fly out of Leeds to Paris and

www.thomsonfly.com

fly out of Doncaster to Paris.

[Buenchico]

I'm glad that Almcd007 has remembered the jet2.com flights. They might work out cheapest if you want to go by air. Prices are currently changing hour by hour on the Leeds/Bradford - CDG route. That BmiBaby fare (returning on Monday) which I quoted earlier has already gone up by �32 to �169.40. That means that the Eurostar option is now cheaper

The jet.com flights are at 1115 ex Leeds/Bradford (arrives 1340) and 1420 ex CDG (arrives 1455). At the moment, they're cheaper, if you're returning on Monday, with an inclusive fare of �149. If you come back on Tuesday you can knock that down to �119. Returning Wednesday, the fare would be �99.

The ThomsonFly services from Doncaster to Paris Orly initially look interesting but I think that the timings are against them. The outbound flight leaves at 0630, so you might have problems getting to the airport on time. The return flight on Sunday gets back to Doncaster at 2255, so you might have problems getting back to Leeds. (Out Wednesday, back Sunday is currently quoted at �156.37). The return flight on Monday leaves Orly at 0930, so you'd probably have difficulties getting there from Laon. (Out Wednesday, back Monday is currently quoted at �104.37).

As I see it, if your 'few days' means that you need to return at the weekend, you've got no real choice: You'll have to use Eurostar because the air prices are so much higher. Returning on Monday is currently around the same price by Eurostar or with jet2.com. You can make probably make savings if you return later by air (with jet2.com currently offering the cheapest fare but prices changing really quickly).

Chris

[mews64]

Hey cheers for your help, I've booked a train to london on 24th in evening for cheap, then a flight from heathrow the next morning. Am returning with a flight to leeds/bradford from paris. hooray.