Travel and Train Station
Caught the 06:52 Eurostar train from London St Pancras and arrived on schedule into Paris Nord at 10:17 (local time) which means the duration was about 2hrs 23mins. Booked the ticket in advance but still was not as cheap as chips, but at £114.00 return (£49.50 out and £64.50 rtn) then probably still cheaper than using a plane. The train does leave on time, hence will recommend you stick to the advise of Eurostar to check in 30mins before departure. During boarding the train, the coach numbers of the train are printed on the floor, hence no need to be asking or getting confused.
Gare du Nord is definitely not the cleanest station I have arrived at, but thank God the rest of Paris stations were not as dirty as that. The station was cold, no clear direction, water on the floor with no sign to warn passengers of the possible danger, etc, etc. A big station like that only had 2 people manning the metro ticket point. Joined the queue but then saw the self-serving machine, which must say it's not the easiest to use, and GUI can definitely do with a redesign. Still baffles me why there was day travel ticket on the self service machines. Oh by the way, expect people to cut through you when you are standing in a queue.
Ticket & Trains
Bought myself a day unlimited travel for €6.30 which to me was a bargain. It can be used on the metro(underground), RER, buses, etc. They also have it for 2 days and 3 days. The tickets are rectangular and smaller in shape when compared to tickets issued out in London, but if you have been to Madrid then you won't have an issue. Be careful though not to loose it. Best you ask for the Metro ma while you are there.
RER is the train with a double decker train. Also not as noisy maybe because am sat upstairs. Brought back the memories of Amstel in Holland.
Beggar, Pick Pocketing, and Ticket dodgers
Ok, maybe it something I should have known in advance, but I only found out that they are considerable amount of beggars and pick pocketers on the street and in the metro space of Paris. Wallet of a man was almost stolen at Port Maillot while a man at Charles de Gaulle Etolle station was unlucky as the young crooks did knick his wallet and did a runner. Please be warned though, the pick pocketers are not riff raffs, some of them are well dressed in the latest gear, guess it's part of the strategy to blend in. The beggars on the train do sing, but it does bring some form of chill to ones heart, guess it's part of the approach to open your wallet and give. Don't think this approach is working on the Parisians though, as they hardly cared nor gave a dime.
All I can say his be sharp, keep your belongings very close, and most important trust no one.
Major Sightseeing
Visited four crucial landmarks in Paris, but guess could have added more if I did not go wondering about, but guess wondering about is part of the thrill of traveling. Brief pointers and journey information are included below:
- Arc de Triomphe: it's no question that it's one of the most famous monuments in Paris. The monument was designed to honour those that fought and died for France during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars. Simple, yet elegant and beautiful monument. You can also go on top of the builiding, think it cost about €8. From Gare du Nord, get the line no 2(blue) and come down at Charles de Gaulle Etolle station. There is sufficient signage to direct you to the correct exit.
- Eiffel Tower: it will be rude to go to Paris and not visit the most famous landmark of all which is also referred to as La dame de fer(the iron lady). Be warned that the queue is very long, but if you are in a group of 20 or more then there is a dedicated ticket serving counter (which most of the time is empty) or at best book the ticket in advance on the Eiffel tower website. Some of the levels are closed during the day due to congestion, hence be prepared in advance. Also, there is baggage restriction in the dimension of 50cm x 21cm x 32cm which you will allowed to carry on board of the Eiffel Tower. There is no weight restriction as far as I know. From Charles de Gaulle Etolle station, take line 1(yellow) and head Port to Maillot, walk across to the Neuilly-Port Maillot station and catch the RER-C heading to Massy-Palaiseau/Dourdan Saint-Martin-d'Etampes and come down at Pont de l'Alma. It will be awaiting you once you come out of the station.
- Musee du Louvre: The most visited museum in the world according to Wikipedia. There is shopping centre here, hence ended up shopping at Arteum and Pylones. The shopping took much of my time that I could not go into the Louvre itself, again as always the queue is long. Find your way outside of the Louvre shopping mall, and another create scenery will be awaiting you. Funny enough, you can walk from here all the way back to Arc de Triomphe. Due to my wandering about, departed from Champs Elysees Clemenceau taking the Eastward direction line 1 (yellow) and departing at Palais Royal Musee du Louvre.
- Centre Pompidou: the building is known for his plumping that are colourful and exposed for the world to see. It has a library, museum space, and a high class restaurant. If you are under 25 and reside within EU, then you can go in for free, otherwise it costs €12. A lot of the students where there on the floor trying to recreate the art works on the wall from their own perspective. Some of the sponsors includes LVMH, Samsung, PWC, Mini, Foundation Total, Lagardere. If you want to see the beautiful landscape of Paris, will recommend you head up to the top floor of the Pompidou, especially during sunset, then the view is amazing. The nearest Metro station is Rambuteau (on line 11).
In conclusion, it was a great city, the people are nice and helpful (though I've always been programmed that the French are rude), but will still prefer London over Paris.
