TripHip - Travel Tips and Advice for Traveling on a Budget

One of the easiest ways to get from the UK to France is to take the Eurostar. You can get on at either London or Ashford, and zip on over to Calais, Lille, or Paris. In my opinion, this is the most hassle-free method of getting from the UK to France. If you fly, you’ll have to go through airport security and then passport control once you land in France. It’s much more of a hassle, and as a result, it can take longer than if you take the train (London to Paris via Eurostar is just over 2 hours, for example).

If you want to take a car with you to France, you can take a ferry or the Eurotunnel. The Eurotunnel goes from Folkstone to Calais. It only takes 35 minutes. If you plan to bring a pet with you from the UK to France, this is a good way to do it. If you want to take a ferry from the UK to France, you have a few more options in terms of departure location and arrival location. You can choose to be a foot passenger or bring your car.

The best route for you really depends on where you will be leaving the UK, where you want to go in France, and whether you will be bringing a car or not.

Americans may not realize that UK pubs almost always have a completely different atmosphere than US bars. If you normally stay away from bars in the US, don't stay away from UK pubs just because you assume they'll just be the same old tired thing as their US counterparts. UK pubs are often unbelievably quaint, Hobbit-like places housed in buildings that were built 100s of years ago. They have a special ambiance that you could never find in American bars!

In the UK, pubs are usually family-friendly establishments that serve really good food. Most UK pubs are independently-owned, so you don't get the same bland food that you might get in American chain restaurants.

Therefore, don't avoid going to a UK pub just because you don't drink. There is a lot more to UK pubs than just alcohol. They are also a great place to people-watch and meet the locals.