Entry Requirements & Travel Visas - London & Paris by Rail (2024)

FAQs

Entry Requirements & Travel Visas - London & Paris by Rail? ›

Advice from Friendly Planet. U.S. citizens must have a passport which is valid for at least six months after your entry date, and at least 90 days after your return date. U.S. passport holders do not need a visa to enter France for stays up to 90 days.

In most cases, passengers will not need an ETIAS visa waiver to enter France by train. This is because most trains entering France arrive from other Schengen countries.

Unlike the United States of America, the United Kingdom does not operate a 'visa waiver programme' and as such everyone who enters the UK (and who doesn't have right of abode in the UK) will require a visa in order to stay in the UK.

U.S. citizens with valid passports traveling for tourism or business can enter France without a visa for a period of 90 days within each six-month period.

British citizens don't need a visa to enter France but must have a valid passport. You can check your passport's valid for France using our handy tool.

Paris or the whole country of France comes under Schengen group which is totally different from UK (London) and hence in order to go and visit Paris, you need to acquire a Schengen Visa applied with Embassy or Consulate of France.

You may enter the Schengen area, including France, for up to 90 days for tourist and business purposes without a visa. Immigration officers may also request you show sufficient funds for your intended stay and a return airline ticket.

Once it is fully implemented, the new ETA travel requirement will apply to visitors to the UK from all round the world, including the EU, US, Canada, and Australia. An ETA gives permission to travel to the UK but is not permission to enter the UK – it is not a visa or permission to live or work in the UK.

Passports providing visa-free entry to the UK

Malta, Vanuatu, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and St Luciaare members of the Commonwealth of Nations. Therefore, citizens of these countries can come to the UK without visas and stay for up to 6 months.

Indian passport holders need to apply for a visa to enter the United Kingdom.

Which countries are visa free for U.S. citizens? ›

Let's Look At The US Passport Visa-Free Countries

Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

Do US citizens need a visa for France? US citizens do not need a visa to travel to France for up to 90 days. American passport holders can go to France for tourism, business, or transit visa-free. From 2025, US citizens will need to register with ETIAS to travel to France.

There's only one train running directly from London to Paris: the Eurostar high-speed train. So that makes choosing the right train a bit easier! This train is seriously speedy. On average the journey takes 2 hours 28 minutes, at its fastest, 2 hours 16 minutes.

You must have a valid passport to enter the UK. It should be valid for the whole of your stay. You may also need a visa, depending on which country you're from and the reason for your stay. Check if you need a visa to come to the UK.

Departing from London, the Eurostar speeds through the south-east of England, towards the Channel Tunnel at Folkstone. After about 40 minutes you will reach the entrance of the Channel Tunnel (or the 'Chunnel') – and after 20 minutes of travelling underwater, you've crossed the Channel into France!

Overview of the French Transit Visa

It allows them to spend up to 24 hours in the transit area of airports or train stations. Typically, UK citizens do not need a Transit Visa if they are transiting through France for less than 24 hours and continuing their journey to a destination outside the Schengen Area.

US citizens can travel to France for up to 90 days visa-free within each six month period, including for airport transit, tourism, and business.

Eurostar passengers require a valid passport or identity card. You will pass through UK, French, Dutch or Belgian customs depending on the journey you are undertaking.

Take a direct Eurostar train from London to Paris in just 2 hours and 16 minutes. Our tickets are now more flexible than ever before. And from 4 November, you'll be travelling in our new travel classes Eurostar Standard, Eurostar Plus, or Eurostar Premier.