Journey from the UK
How long is the flight to France?
About 1¼ hours to Paris and up to 2¼ hours to the south and Corsica. France is 1 hour ahead of the UK all year. For Paris, the Eurostar is often quicker door to door.
- Under 3 hours
- 3 to 6 hours
- 6 to 10 hours
- 10 hours or more
France is the easiest country to reach from the UK: fly from almost any airport, take the Eurostar from London, drive onto Le Shuttle at Folkestone, or sail from Dover, Portsmouth, Poole or Plymouth.
Flight times from London
- Paris (CDG and ORY)Under 3 hours
About 1¼ hours, or 2¼ hours by Eurostar.
- Nantes (NTE), Bordeaux (BOD) and Lyon (LYS)Under 3 hours
About 1¼ to 1½ hours.
- Marseille (MRS) and Nice (NCE)Under 3 hours
About 1¾ to 2 hours.
- Geneva (GVA) for the AlpsUnder 3 hours
About 1½ hours, then a transfer.
- Corsica (AJA, BIA)Under 3 hours
About 2¼ hours, mostly summer flights.
The journey at a glance
Straight-line estimate for a direct flight from Heathrow. Real flights often take longer.
Before you go
- Le Shuttle crosses the Channel in 35 minutes from Folkestone to Calais.
- Book Eurostar early: the cheapest fares go months ahead.
Stay and do
Ready to book France? Compare places to stay and things to do.
We may earn a commission if you book through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our ratings.