jameshurrell.co.uk

Well, the attempt to use the bus and trains to get to Paris was very successful. All the trains were on time and everything ran very smoothly.

Total journey time works out about 2 hours longer than with the plane:

12:54 Home > Wolverhampton - 35 mins by bus
30 minute wait for train at Wolverhampton
14:05 Wolverhampton > London Euston - 1h 54 by train
16:15 London Euston > London Waterloo - 20 minutes by underground
1 hr wait for Eurostar
17:40 London Waterloo > Paris Nord - 2h 37 by train
21:17 (CET) Arrive in Paris
22:00 (CET) Arrive at colleague’s house

The completion of the first half of the high speed Channel Tunnel Rail Link from the tunnel to north Kent has really helped bring the journey time down from what it was five years ago (when I last used Eurostar) - a reduction of around 20 minutes. Once they finish the second half of the high speed line from north Kent to St Pancras, then the journey time will drop even further (by another 20 mins, bringing Paris only 2h 15 from London).