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How to travel by train from London to Valence, France
Travel by train from London to Valence in less than five and a half hours by taking the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord then change to Paris Gare de Lyon to catch the train south to Valence.
Between the French Alps and the Massive Central, Valence is the gateway to Provence. It might easily be overlooked in favour of the nearby cities of Lyon and Avignon, but if you venture to this historic, chilled-out city, in the heart of La Drome region, you're in for a treat.
Flight-Free travel from London to Valence:
Journey Time: from 5 hours 23 minutes
Sample timetable: Depart London 11.04am, arrive Lyon 5.00pm
Changes: 1
Transfer: Paris Gare du Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon
Frequency of Departures: 17/day
Carbon emissions: 40.5kg (flight would be 221.4kg)*
Tickets provided by Trainline, which allows you to buy tickets for multiple train operators in multiple European countries. It does charge a small booking fee, but offers several useful facilities, such as a free email alert service to let you know as soon as bookings open for your chosen route so you can snap up the cheapest tickets when they become available.
How to book train tickets as part of a package with accommodation
If you want someone to book the whole journey for you or combine it with staying in hotels en route, get in touch with the travel agent Byway through its page for booking enquiries.
On Board Eurostar
For ticket types (Standard, Plus and Premier) and information on what it's like on board, see our Guide to Eurostar
What's the journey like?
You have to change stations in Paris from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon, which can take about half an hour on the Paris RER line (it's only two stops, though we recommend you leave at least 50 minutes for the entire transfer - you have about an hour and a quarter to get the connection). See our guide to How to transfer between train stations across Paris. At Gare de Lyon, you board a TGV high speed train to Valence station.
Miss your connection?
Don’t panic. Railteam’s ‘Hop on the Next Available Train’ service means that if you have missed your connection because of a delay on the preceding leg of your journey, you’ll automatically be put on the next available high-speed train. NB Remember to get your ticket stamped by your Train Manager.
Stopover in Paris 🏠
If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Paris while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near the two railway stations (ie the station you arrive at on the Eurostar in Paris – Gare du Nord, and the station that you depart from Paris – Gare de Lyon).
Hotels close to Gare du Nord 🚉
Grand Hotel de Paris and Hôtel Kabanel are just a few minutes walk from Gare du Nord (and Gare de L'Est so also great if you're heading out east). Rooms from about €100 per night. For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Gare du Nord
Hotels close to Gare de Lyon 🚉
citizenM Paris Gare de Lyon is one of 5 citizenM hotels in Paris that aim to provide 'affordable luxury' in central city locations. Billed as 'hybrid hotels', they're as much about places to work as they are to sleep, with the idea that you can meet local people in a smart, cozy environment. For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Gare de Lyon
Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚
Mob Hotel is a particularly environmentally friendly and socially conscious hotel that's in the heart of St Ouen, just a few miles north of Gare du Nord and close to the Garibaldi metro station (line 13). The hotel is all about being socially engaged within its neighbourhood (the artistic creations of local craftspeople are everywhere), but it also has strong eco credentials, such as water jugs rather than plastic bottles, refillable toiletries and organic cosmetics in the rooms. The restaurant is fully organic with a seasonal menu that draws on produce from farming cooperatives or direct from local producers (they also make their own honey and beer).
Eco-certified hotels in Paris ✔️
If you're looking for other green hotels in the French Capital, then these have all been certified by an accredited ecolabel: Hotel Gavarnie (near the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides Museum) | Hotel Le Pavillion (a former convent in the Saint-Dominique area) | Amélie Hotel (2-star) | Hôtel Malar (10 minutes from the Champs Elysees) | Hôtel Du Printemps, about a mile from Gare de Lyon.
On Arrival in Valence
Bienvenue à Valence! There are plenty of hotels in the centre of the city, see below:
Hotels in Valence
More about Valence
Like an increasing number of French cities, Valence has its own government-funded bike hire scheme: in Valence it's called 'Libelo'. There are 20 stations throughout the city where you can access the bikes. A 1 Euro charge and a 150 Euro deposit will give you access the bikes for 1 day, with additional charges if you use the bike for more than 2 and a half hours. A whole day with one bike will cost approximately 6 Euros. Libelo Bike Scheme.
Valence and the surrounding area have an excellent public transport network on coaches and buses, with 38 regular lines. Information and timetables are available from Tourist Offices or tel 08 10 26 26 07 or visit CTAV Valence Bus Map to plan a journey.
For more information about where to stay and things to do, see our Green Travel Guide to Valence.
Bon Voyage!
