France - Eurostar advice

Hi, I'm trying to figure out how much time - "door to door" - it'd take via Eurostar from London to Paris.

If my train is at 1 p.m., how early would I need to get to the St. Pancras station by? Based on what I read in other posts, it seems like immigration/customs happens on the London side. Once I arrive in Paris, is it pretty simple to leave the station, or do I have to wait in line for something?

Really appreciate any help!

Yes, you clear security and immigration in UK. Being there an hour before should be fine. I know some people cut it closer. Paris, you just walk out.

Thanks!

You don't need to be there an hour beforehand in order to check-in - Eurostar says that check-in closes 30 minutes before departure, though it doesn't really, and rather conservatively recommend passengers to arrive 45 mins beforehand (see their advice here (http://eurostar-en.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/117/session/L3NpZC8tUzdkVU9Gaw%3D%3D)) - but actually the queues tend to be longer an hour/ 45 mins out, so I'd save time by arriving closer to departure.

Yes, the queues at 1h out are terrible - even worse on the Paris side than London as people arrive even earlier when the checkin for their train isn't open.

By all means aim to get to the station early to insure against delays, but if it's a long queue, you'd be better off grabbing a coffee (it's a wonderful building anyway) before going through.

Actually the biggest delays will be getting to St. Pancras as the area is very crowded, especially during the week as Kings Cross is across the road and Euston a couple of hundred metres away. The queues at St. Pancras are never very long as there are many more entry points than Paris Nord.