- Flight
- about 1.5 hours
- Departs
- Charles de Gaulle or Orly
- Lands at
- Heathrow
- Time difference
- London is 1 hour behind
- Currency
- Pounds sterling, in cash
Paris to London is about an hour and a quarter in the air, and London is one hour behind. The flight is the shortest part of the journey, which is the whole problem with flying it.
The train is usually the better idea
Eurostar runs city centre to city centre in about two and a quarter hours and puts you at St Pancras, which is in London rather than outside it. Flying means getting to Charles de Gaulle or Orly, checking in, an hour and a quarter in the air, and then the better part of an hour from Heathrow into town. Door to door the train usually wins, and it wins by more if you are staying anywhere central.
Flying makes sense when the fare is much lower, when you are connecting onward from Heathrow, or when the timings simply suit better. Heathrow alone has around twenty five Paris departures a day, so there is no shortage of choice.
Check which airport, at both ends
British Airways and Air France run the Charles de Gaulle shuttle into Heathrow, and there is also an Orly service. The budget airlines go to Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and Southend from both Paris airports. Those are very different places to arrive, and Stansted or Luton can add an hour and a half to the far end of a seventy five minute flight.
One hour, which changes nothing
France and the United Kingdom change their clocks on the same dates, so the gap is one hour all year. There is nothing to adjust to and no reason to lose an evening. You can leave Paris in the morning, do a full day in London and go home the same night, and plenty of people do.
What is different across the Channel
More than you would expect for an hour’s flight. Rates in London are quoted per hour, in pounds, agreed in writing before anyone meets, and paid in cash. Nobody tips on top. The rates guide has the measured figures by area, and the UK law guide sets out the position in England and Wales, which is not the same as French law and differs in ways that matter.
Before you book
Visitors from France who do not need a visa still need an electronic travel authorisation, or ETA, before they fly. It is a short online application, and it should be made through the official GOV.UK ETA service, not a site that charges extra to do it for you. The rules change, so check them before you book.
When to get in touch
London runs 1 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 12pm and 12am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Areas near where you land at Heathrow
The big figure is the straight line distance from the airport in miles, and nothing about travel time, which in London is always longer. Each page has the stations, the route from Heathrow and the measured rates.
Also close to where you land, with no profiles of their own but a guide to getting there and how outcall works: Feltham, Hayes, Hounslow, Southall.
Other cities in Ireland and western Europe
See every departure city
Cities with a similar flight time
Common questions
How long is the flight from Paris to London?
The flight from Charles de Gaulle or Orly takes about 1.5 hours. Add the connection time if your fare has a stop, and allow for getting to and through the airport at both ends.
What is the time difference between Paris and London?
London is 1 hour behind. The United Kingdom and most other countries change their clocks on different dates, so for a few weeks each spring and autumn the gap shifts by an hour.
What time should I message from Paris?
London runs 1 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 12pm and 12am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Which London airport do flights from Paris land at?
Most land at Heathrow, about fifteen miles west of central London and on the Piccadilly line and the Elizabeth line. Some services use Gatwick, to the south, so check the airport on your ticket before you book a hotel.
Do I need an ETA to fly from Paris to London?
Most visitors from France who do not need a visa need an electronic travel authorisation, or ETA, before they fly. Apply through the official GOV.UK service only, and check the current rules before you book, because they change.
Do I need to arrange things before I fly?
It helps. Good diaries fill days ahead, and arranging from home means you are doing it awake and unhurried instead of jet lagged in an unfamiliar city.
Is escorting legal in the UK?
Yes, in England and Wales it is legal for two consenting adults to exchange sex or company for money. What is illegal is the activity around it, such as soliciting in the street, running a brothel or controlling someone else's work. The Crown Prosecution Service sets this out in its published guidance.
Is prostitution legal in the UK?
Selling and buying sex between consenting adults is not itself a crime in England, Wales or Scotland. Northern Ireland is the exception, where paying for sex has been an offence since 1 June 2015. Public soliciting, brothel keeping and exploiting another person's work are offences in different forms across the UK.