London to Paris

November 19, 2013

Everything is accessible in Europe. In just over two hours I can go from London to Paris. Europe is big and spread out, but America just seems vast. The only place I can be in two hours from Boston is Connecticut - not too shabby, but not Paris. Not another country.

We leave on the 8.31 Eurostar train from St. Pancras and will be in Paris before noon (local time). Arriving at the station, you first check in at an airport-like security area manned with French customs agents and French police. Scan your ticket, walk through the metal detectors and show your passport to border patrol. No taking off shoes and liquids are welcome.

From there you are deposited into a large, functional waiting lounge. Coffee awaits, comfortable seats and lots of electrical outlets - designed with the business traveler in mind, and there are plenty of those. But this catering seems to ends here. Once on board the train there are no outlets and no wifi. At least there is coffee and it is cheaper than in the station.

At first I was dismayed at the loss of connection and productivity, but then I remembered I was on a train and I had the lovely English countryside to look at. The ride was smooth and I immediately relaxed. Until...the tunnel -or Chunnel, as it is called. I freaked a little at being that far underground. The Channel Tunnel, or Chunnel as it is called, is approximately 31 miles long and at its lowest point 250 feet deep. Thankfully it was the shortest part of the trip and then we were back outside and in to the lovely French countryside. Short videos of our emerging into France here and here.

About an hour later we were rolling into Paris’ Gare du Nord. This was perhaps the most disappointing part of the trip. I love train stations and have been in some ugly ones (hello Penn Station!) but this one felt like it wasn’t even trying. It just felt dark even at lunch time. No one seemed happy; they were just rushing around and trying to find their train. Bilingual signs helped to guide us to the Metro, thankfully, but I was glad I was not heading out somewhere else otherwise I would have had a tough time of it finding my train. Too many people, too many signs, too much going on. I just wanted to get out of there.

The area below, where you catch the local transportation (Metro, RER, Tram) was just as crowded with long lines at the ticket booths and machines. We had no choice but to wait and once we made it up to a machine, we were pleasantly surprised that it was not too difficult to purchase the right ticket. Tip: English is an option so just take your time and read the screens.  Most people in line at this station are tourists and will be taking their time, too. The multi-day tickets offer excellent value and are valid on all Metro, RER, Trams and buses. Perfect for when the weather is too cold to walk outside for long stretches.

So with ticket purchased we were on our way to enjoy Paris! More on that adventure as well as how Bostonians rang in the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who in London!