Brother Rob and myself recently enjoyed a holiday in France. Although it wasn't a total trainfest there was quite a bit of railway interest so I'm writing about it here.
Neither of us knows much about railways outside of the UK or USA, so I apologise in advance if information is sparse or just plain wrong.
The trip started with a taxi ride to Bedford Station. We were travelling on Interrail passes which we had never used before and were a little nervous that we were using them correctly. Happily there was no difficulty and the cheery lady on the gate waved us through. There was a train to London and beyond waiting at platform 1, so we climbed aboard and were soon on our way to St Pancras.
Having escalated from the suburban platforms we made our way to the Eurostar terminal. Here there was an airport style baggage check, although you don't have to take your shoes off. The conveyor appeared bit more substantial than those at airports, which is not surprising when you see the amount of luggage some folk take. We had one fairly modest suitcase each and found them to be a nuisance at times.
Next came UK passport control followed directly by French passport control. So here we were, British citizens, geographically in the capital of our nation and hence surely subject to English law. Yet we had been accepted into the French Republic, so presumably subject to French law. I don't know the answer to this conundrum, but by behaving unobtrusively and following the instructions of Eurostar staff we managed to avoid an international incident.
At around 20 minutes before departure time we were allowed up the ramp to find our reserved seats and stash our luggage. There are racks at the ends of the coaches and more above the seats which were capacious enough to accept our cases.
Soon we were on our way and passed under the Thames into Kent. Kent - apples, cherries, hops, and women or so the Pickwick Papers inform us. I saw some hop gardens. I suppose I must have seen some women, but they were too far off or through the windows of buildings. As for apples or cherries I have no idea.
Shortly after passing Ashford the train ran into another tunnel which was rather longer than the one under the Thames but when when we burst out into the sunshine once more it was clear that we were crossing the vasty fields of France. It wasn't all that long before we were passing housing estates and industrial or commercial buildings and then train 9018 drew to a halt at Paris Gare du Nord. The journey had taken just two and a half hours from St Pancras, although three and a half hours of our day had been consumed due to the time difference.
We stepped down onto the platform (a long way down: French platforms are lower than ours). Having passed French passport control in London, we were free to walk straight out onto Place Napoléon III but couldn't do this without being twice bothered by men offering taxi rides. I understand that anyone who does this is a scammer. There are plenty of marked cabs outside.
Happily, we had no need of a driver, be he saint or sinner, because our hotel was but a short walk down one of the roads opposite the station.
I'll tell you about the hotel next time, and promise to include some pictures.
Quote from: Ali Smith on Yesterday at 10:48:25 AMNext came UK passport control followed directly by French passport control. So here we were, British citizens, geographically in the capital of our nation and hence surely subject to English law. Yet we had been accepted into the French Republic, so presumably subject to French law. I don't know the answer to this conundrum, but by behaving unobtrusively and following the instructions of Eurostar staff we managed to avoid an international incident.
I believe it's the same the 'other side' but reversed i.e. French then UK passport control, and that the last one you passed through dictates whose law you come under :hmmm:
Good job you didn't want to go to a sales desk to buy another ticket at Gare du Mort. Last time we did that, we queued for ages to get a Metro pass. Got to the window, and after a suitably Gallic shrug, a sign went up "Fermé pour le déjeuner". I think we walked instead, muttering SNCF or something similar.
Funny how you can always remember those irritations.
Bob
Quote from: Bob G on Yesterday at 12:13:40 PMGare du Mort.
Station of the Dead? Really? ;D
Freudian slip.
That's like a single slip with a preferred direction.
Quote from: Bob G on Yesterday at 12:13:40 PMGood job you didn't want to go to a sales desk to buy another ticket at Gare du Mort. Last time we did that, we queued for ages to get a Metro pass. Got to the window, and after a suitably Gallic shrug, a sign went up "Fermé pour le déjeuner". I think we walked instead, muttering SNCF or something similar.
You can buy passes for the Paris metro in the buffet car on board the train
You can also buy london transport oyster cards on trains en route for London
There are machines that will sell you a Navigo card and charge it up with tickets for various forms of transport at Gare du Nord. We bought cards and 'bus credits using one of these. They are right by the ticket window. Bob doesn't say how long ago his visit was, I get the impression that systems and rules are changing all the time with RATP.
Quote from: Ali Smith on Yesterday at 03:31:01 PMThere are machines that will sell you a Navigo card and charge it up with tickets for various forms of transport. We bought cards and 'bus credits using one of these. They are right by the
ticket window. Bob doesn't say how long ago his visit was, I get the impression that systems and rules are changing all the time with RATP.
It was ages ago. can't even remember when, but in the 2000s. We saw Matthew Horne (Gavin of Gavin and Stacey) in the bar on Eurostar, and Frank Skinner (still in his Mac) in the Louvre.
A short walk down down Rue de Saint-Quentin will bring you to the Hôtel Whistler on the left. This was to be our home for the night. On entering, the reception desk is right in front of you. Projected on the wall behind the desk is a cab ride video. We were informed our room wasn't ready yet (it was around 2pm and check in wasn't until three so no complaints there) but we could have a coffee (no charge) and perhaps go for a walk. Our cases would be stored in the baggage room. The coffee machine is located in the area where a buffet breakfast is provided in the morning. Also in this area is a model railway track suspended from the ceiling. Circling this is an HO train. The coaches look to me to be CIWL stock such as Hercule Poirot might have solved his most famous case whilst travelling on. The engine is a bo-bo electric in grey and orange lettered SNCF. I imagine there used to be an appropriate steam engine but when it failed it somebody was sent out to buy a replacement and got this. The screen below the track is the live departure board for Gare du Nord, not just decoration.
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/4321-130825123700.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=154246)
By now I was beginning to suspect that the hotel was not, as I had at first supposed, named after James Mc Neil Whistler, Rex Whistler or anybody else of that name.
Before we had finished our coffee we were informed that our room was ready and that our cases were already there.
We made our way up to our room, admiring a photomural of what was probably a Canadian, certainly North American, steam engine in the lift. The corridor, and the room doors, were papered to resemble travel trunks. The room itself had the furniture finished to resemble more trunks and was very small. The bathroom, however was not so cramped with a washbasin that I imagine you could bath a baby in and a very good shower.
Back in the sixties (I think) Paris strangled itself with a ring road called the Boulevard Périphérique. Inside is Paris proper, outside are the banlieus, or places of banishment.
AS inside the 'Périph' can't get any bigger, everything there has to get smaller or dearer or both. This applies to hotel rooms as much as anything else.
On the plus side, our view was of the street rather than les poubelles(the dustbins; I just like the word). Here's a picture I took in the evening.
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/4321-130825130037.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=154247)
The building across the end of the road is a small part of the Gare du Nord.
The next day we were moving on. There was no time to do the Louvre, Notre Dame, Montmartre or even our local brewery's Parisian outpost "The Bombardier" (near the Pantheon) so we did the short walk to Gare de l'Est from whence we were to travel. Having satisfied ourselves that we knew the way (its not much harder than getting to King's Cross from St P.) we bimbled down to Canal Saint-Martin which we had heard is a pleasant and restful spot and not too far off.
On the way we saw this Hector Guimard designed Metro entrance.
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/4321-130825131531.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=154248)
And this work, I'm not sure whether to call it graffiti or a mural.
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/4321-130825131853.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=154249)
I don't really approve of graffiti, but I don't see how a work of this scale could be created unless the building's owner commissioned it or at least acquiesced to it's creation.
Hopefully there is more to come Ali?
Tim
Keep the story coming.
Sounds like a fascinating expedition.
Welcome to la belle France ! Paris, like any capital has its upsides and downsides. My young nephew arrives here tomorrow and I'll be taking him to see an exhibition on the Berlin Wall at the Trocadero before taking the train down to the capital of the Gauls (Lyon) where we will experience the splendours of that magnificent city. Enjoy your visit !
Kevin