Okay folks, so last month I needed to get from Glasgow to Paris without spending a fortune. Flights were kinda crazy expensive that week, yeah? So I figured, let’s hunt down the real cheap ways, not just what the big travel sites shout about.
First Step: The Obvious Stuff
First, I totally checked the budget airlines like always. Ryanair, easyJet, you know the crew. Flying out of Edinburgh or Glasgow. Prices? Still kinda stung for the dates I needed, especially with baggage added sneakily. £70-£90 one way before baggage and getting to the airport cost me. Felt like a trap sometimes, okay?
Digging Deeper: Buses & Coaches
Right, so flights were meh. Time to get gritty. I remembered hearing that taking the bus could be stupidly cheap if you didn’t mind the time. Went digging. Found FlixBus. Seriously cheap! Saw tickets from Glasgow to London for like… £15 if booked way ahead? Crazy! Then you connect from London to Paris. Whole journey, Glasgow to Paris, could be under £50! The catch? Takes forever. Like, 20+ hours. You gotta really want that saving or love bus views.
The Ferry Hack (Almost Forgot This!)
Here’s one many folks totally overlook: Ferries + Bus. Looked at DFDS ferries from Newcastle to Amsterdam (Ijmuiden). Found a cheap crossing in the off-season for my foot passenger ticket. Stayed overnight on the boat – kinda fun! Basic cabin cost extra but still. Landed in Amsterdam early morning, grabbed a cheap FlixBus straight down to Paris. Total cost? Ferry £35 + Bus to Paris £30ish + Cabin £40ish. Roughly £100-£110 for two legs and a bed. Not bad!
Mega Combo: Train & Ferry Magic
But my favourite? This involves trains, which I kinda love. Booked the Caledonian Sleeper train from Glasgow down to London Euston. Got a cheap advance ticket in a seated coach (yeah, didn’t splurge on a bed – rough night!). Woke up in London. Then grabbed the Eurostar… BUT! The trick is to book the Eurostar way ahead. Like, months. Snagged a £52 one-way ticket London to Paris. Sleeper train + Eurostar total: about £110-£120. Felt quicker and more comfy than the mega-bus, but needed early planning.
What Actually Worked For Me
So, what did I pick? Ended up doing the Eurostar route because I scored that cheap ticket. Felt the most human. The process looked like this:
- Booked Caledonian Sleeper Glasgow-London weeks ahead (cheapest seat option).
- Booked Eurostar London-Paris like three months early for the bargain price.
- Lived on coffee & snacks overnight on the Sleeper. Woke up groggy but in London!
- Easy stroll between Euston and St Pancras stations in London.
- Eurostar zoomed me under the sea to Paris in like 2.5 hours.
Total journey time was much better than the bus, total cost was way under flying last minute. Win!
Final Real Talk
The absolute cheapest is hands down the megabus marathon. Be ready to zone out and pack snacks. Takes ages. The ferry+bus is cool if you want a little adventure and don’t mind the overnight boat. Feels more like travelling. The sleeper+Eurostar is my personal sweet spot when booked early – feels efficient and kinda slick for the price. Booking way in advance is always the golden rule for Eurostar deals. Forget that, and prices jump massively. Hope my mad scramble helps you find your cheap route!
