What's the best way from London to Paris via Saint-Omer?

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This was published 9 years ago

What's the best way from London to Paris via Saint-Omer?

By With Michael Gebicki
The majority of graves at Aire-sur-la-Lys are from World War One.

The majority of graves at Aire-sur-la-Lys are from World War One.Credit: Graham Tidy

MY HUSBAND AND I ARE TRAVELLING TO EUROPE NEXT YEAR. WHILE IN PARIS WE WOULD LIKE TO VISIT THE AIRE COMMUNAL CEMETERY, NEAR SAINT-OMER, WHERE MY HUSBAND'S UNCLE WAS BURIED DURING WORLD WAR II. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND OUT IF WE CAN TRAVEL FROM LONDON TO PARIS VIA SAINT-OMER WITHOUT MUCH SUCCESS.

S. MURPHY, BUDERIM

The easiest way to get there is not from Paris but rather from Calais. Take the Eurostar from London, get off at Calais-Frethun Station and take the train from the same station to Saint-Omer. The trip takes about an hour, and there should be no need to purchase a ticket in advance. From Saint-Omer, take a taxi to the war cemetery at Aire-sur-la-Lys. The number for Saint-Omer Taxis is 03 21 95 62 71.

The vast majority of the graves are from fighting in World War I and it might take some time to find out where your relation lies. The four Commonwealth plots are on the east side of the road. There is no facility for leaving your luggage at Saint-Omer Station so you'll have to take it with you. That means you'll probably need to get the taxi to wait and you should clarify charges with your driver before you begin the hire. You can resume your journey to Paris from Saint-Omer. Trains between the two are frequent but it takes a little more than 2½ hours to get to Paris Nord Station.

An even better idea would be to overnight in Saint-Omer, and you might like to visit the incredible La Coupole Military Museum. (lacoupole-france.com).

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