Chunnel of Love: Five Eurostar Daytrips from London

So you’re in London. You have a day to spare, and you’d like some frites and crepes instead of fish and chips. Where do you go? Head to St. Pancras Station, hop on the Eurostar fast rail line, and you’ll be on the continent in just over an hour. Since the completion of the English Channel Tunnel (Chunnel) linking London to Calais, France, you don’t have to deal with the slow speed of the ferry or the expense and lack of spontaneity of an airplane. Just get yourself a timetable, head to the station, plunk down your money, sit back and relax.

Calais

One hour and two minutes from London. The ultimate destinations on Eurostar’s two routes are Paris and Brussels. Whichever you choose, the first city the train takes you to is Calais, right across the water from the white cliffs of Dover. For a wonderful view, you can go right to the city’s Light Tower. The magnificent Town Hall makes you feel like you’re in France with all the Rodin sculptures surrounding it. There’s a Modern Art Museum and a War Museum which is located in an actual bunker. And don’t miss the Cité Internationale de la Dentelles et de la Mode, a museum devoted to the manufacture of lace. If you finish dinner and find you’re in no hurry to head back to London, then there are many great Calais hotels where you can rest your head so you can tell people you slept in France.

Lille

One hour and 20 minutes from London. This is where the Eurostar splits between the train going to Brussels and the train going to Paris. A vibrant city due to its large student population, Lille is also a city of many museums. There’s the Musée des Beaux-Arts covering European art from 15th – 20th century, the Museum of Natural History, with its stuffed animals, the  Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse, which is located in a former hospital and the Musée d’Art et d’ Industrie de Roubaix: La Piscine, set in a classic Art Déco swimming pool. If you’re lucky enough to be in Lille on a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday morning, you can shop for fresh fruits and veggies, books, suitcases, shoes, perfume and even French undergarments at the Marché de Wazemmes open market. There are also many Lille hotels available if you want to spend the night.

Paris

Two hours and 15 minutes from London’s St. Pancras Station is the City of Light. Whether it’s your first or 100^th trip to Paris, the old stand-bys never fail to impress. You’ll be pulling in to the Gare du Nord, which is in walking distance from the Opera Garnier and the Pantheon, and just a little further are the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe and more. Going further afield, you can pay your last respects Père-Lachaise Cemetery or the Catacombs. And imagine the surprise on people’s faces when you return from your London trip with pictures of yourself in front of the Eiffel Tower. If you want to sleep closet to your return ride, there are plenty of hotels near the Gare du Nord where you’ll be catching your London-bound train.

Brussels

One hour and 51 minutes from London. Going the other way, the Eurostar takes you to the Gare du Midi in Brussels, which is also surrounded by many hotels. From here it’s easy to get to the Grand Place-Grote Markt, where you can discover many beautiful 300 year-old buildings, along with the city tower. It all comes alive at night when the city puts on a music and light show. Be sure to try a “gaufre de Liège-Luikse wafel” (Belgian waffle with caramelized sugar) and one of the little shops on  the northeast corner. Nearby photo ops include the infamous Manneken Pis Statue, depicting a child doing what we all have to do sometimes.  To go from the past to the future, you can visit gleaming Atomium, left over from the 1958 World Fair.

Antwerp

Two hours and 53 minutes from London. Though the Eurostar technically ends in Brussels, Europe’s regular rail lines are quick as well, and the ancient city of Antwerp is just sitting there waiting to be visited. Here you can find the Rubenshuis, once home to the great painter and now a museum. The 1351 Cathedral of Our Lady is quite magnificent, and the 19th century Antwerp Zoo is one of the oldest in the world. If you want to go older, check out the Medieval guild houses surrounding the Old Market Square, as well as the square’s wonderful City Hall, which blends Gothic and early Renaissance architecture. Many Antwerp hotels put you right in the middle of the action. And all less than three hours from London!