Data from the rail operator found that 48 per cent of all day trip searches were from London to Paris. With direct, return fares on routes from London starting at £78 (albeit on limited days and times), it can be quicker and cheaper to visit France or Belgium than to travel by train to another part of the UK. Unfortunately, the available fast connections, and its proximity to the Continent, means London has most of the quickest routes.
square FAMILY TRAVEL Seven no-fly holidays children will love - from sleeper trains to beaches
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Sticking with car-free options means a fast, foot passenger ferry is the alternative – Dover to Calais takes 1.5 hours.
2hrs, 5 mins from £83
Eurostar: London to Brussels: 1h53 mins, from £78 return Train: Brussels to Leuven, from 12 minutes, from £5 each way
Dover to Boulonge-sur-Mer, France
Time each way: 2.22 minutes Total price: £61.50
Ferry: Dover to Calais: 1.5 hours. Earliest foot passenger ferry 9.45am. Latest return foot passenger ferry 7pm. Return tickets from £43.50 Train: Calais-Fréthun to Boulonge-sur-Mer Ville: from 22 minutes each way, plus 10-minute transfer from ferry port to train station. Return tickets from £18
Find more fragrant treats at Philippe Olivier, a cheese shop that has been running since 1907 – note, if you buy any of its dairy items, UK rules mean you will have to polish them off before taking the ferry home. Philippe Oliver is a 10-minute walk to the fortified ramparts and cobbled streets of the old town, which are well worth a wander.
Lille’s cobblestone streets are within easy reach of London (Photo: Getty)
A walkable old town, enticing patisseries and boutiques, and several markets are among Lille’s charms. In the Wazemmes neighbourhood, an iron-framed market hall of the same name is open Tuesday to Sunday and chock-full of food vendors. Three times a week, stalls also spill onto the Place de la Nouvelle Aventure, with antiques, flowers and clothing added to the shopping mix. For an overview of the city, try a tour in a Citroën 2CV convertible with Tradi’Balade or uncover Lille’s brewing credentials on city walk with L’Échappée Bière.
London to Reims
Reims is in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France (Photo: Getty)
This unofficial capital of Champagne may tempt many with vineyards that are within driving distance. But for a flying visit, prioritise its Gothic cathedral, Unesco-listed Romanesque Abbey and Art Deco Carnegie Library. Make time for fizz during a tour at Tattinger’s cellars, which were first mined by the Romans. They reopened early last year following an 18-month restoration and include a visitor centre and tasting room.
Ely to Liverpool Lime Street, from 4hrs, 16 minutes, £132 (for return travel 6 September)
Canoeing on the River Dyle is one of the experiences to try in Mechelen (Photo: Getty)
Skip the tourist crowds of Bruges or Amsterdam for this Flemish city with a 97-metre-high cathedral tower, boat trips along the River Dyle, and the great beguinage. The latter, a sort of town-within-a-town, is a complex of cobbled alleys, parks, courtyards and sandstone buildings. From the Middle Ages, it became a place for women to live and work independently. Initially, these communities were formed by a movement within the Catholic Church and offered an austere existence funded by teaching, caring, textile and cleaning jobs. Day trippers can sample the Het Anker brewery hotel in the beguinage with a meal at its restaurant, serving Flemish classics, such as beer stew.
London to Chantilly
Penzance to London Paddington return, from 5hrs, 12 minutes each way, £149 (for travel 6 September)
This small town, best known for its fluffy cream and delicate lace, is just 25 minutes from Paris on a high-speed line. Its treasures include the château-museum – a 19th century estate with 800 artworks, a grand library of tens of thousands of titles, and a landscaped garden speckled with water features and statues. In the town itself, Rue du Connetable has a full roll-call of specialist food shops (cheesemonger, pâtisserie, charcuterie). Horse racing is also part of Chantilly’s heritage, and the racecourse is a hub in summer when fairground rides and picnics entice families.
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