3 - Paris - Ipswich, UK

Day 3

After a good sleep and a croissant-cafe breakfast I made my way to the Gare du Lyon, which was just round the corner. I had decided to visit England and some of my family who were scattered around it. The Eurostar connects Paris with London via the Channel tunnel and leaves from the Gare du Nord at regular intervals. It is easy to get to the Gare du Nord from the Gare du Lyon using the RER, a fast underground train that cuts through the city. The 1.80 euro ticket seemed good value, especially as later in the day a comparable underground ticket in London cost 6.50 euros.

I arrived in the Gare du Nord to a chaotic and bewildering scene. Above some escalators there was a sign for the 'Eurostar London lounge' and next to it a large arrow pointing right for tickets. Thinking the ticket office was on the ground floor I wandered among the crowds searching for it but could only find a long queue for French railway tickets. I joined a queue at an information desk only to be told 15 minutes later that tickets for Eurostar were available on the next floor, up the escalator I had first spotted. However once on the second level there was no sign of a ticket office on the right as indicated by a giant arrow. It was on the left and I had walked straight past it, the arrow had completely mis-directed me. At the counter I asked for a reservation but was told I had to buy a ticket. I had checked the Interrail information brochure before leaving Spain as I had suspected there might be some special conditions attached to Eurostar, but there was nothing in the brochure and on their Interrail map the Channel tunnel crossing was clearly marked as a valid route. I was annoyed but not really surprised. The ticket was 112 euros, not a lot but I also had to return and I considered canceling the whole idea of visiting England. I asked to see the manager and told the ticket lady that if she could find any mention of having to pay in the brochure, I would pay. She flicked through the booklet but failed to find anything. However when she checked the website she did find something mentioned. I agreed to pay just as the manager arrived. He was very friendly and understanding and after a long discussion he offered me first class, which I could hardly refuse. I was then treated like a VIP and guided through the check-in and security process until I had reached the waiting lounge where free coffee, wine, food and newspapers were available. There were only three or four people in the lounge and when I boarded the train the first class carriage was almost empty. A dramatic contrast to the crowded second class, which appeared completely booked out.

Eurostar's first class meal was first class

I settled into my very comfortable seat as the train slipped out of the station and I was soon being served an excellent 3-course meal with wine and coffee by very attentive and courteous hostesses. It was my first experience of first class travel and hopefully not my last. The journey was even more impressive as the train sped smoothly through the French countryside dotted with cows and sheep. After descending briefly into darkness under the Channel we emerged in England still traveling at high speed. Paris to London in two and a half hours. It was a very impressive achievement and the tunnel was possibly one of Maggie Thatchers better decisions.

 Cows and sheep dotted the countryside all the way through France

My first task once inside St.Pancreas station was to locate the underground and buy a ticket to Liverpool street station on the circle line. Once again people were on the move dodging through the milling crowds or queuing for tickets. Unsure of how the ticket machines worked or what I needed I joined a queue at a ticket kiosk. I bought an Oystercard mainly because I liked swipe cards, which I first encountered in Taiwan. The Oystercard cost ten pounds but at least it included credit for two journeys. From Liverpool street station I would travel to Ipswich near the east coast. The SNCF WiFi in France had been very good so I was a bit disappointed to find in Kings Cross station I was unable to connect to any WiFi despite there being plenty of hotspots.

I noticed a train about to depart for Ipswich and seized the opportunity. If there was one thing I particularly liked about the Interrail pass it was not needing to queue for tickets, which these days has become one of the many time wasting activities we are forced to endure. Plans could also be changed on the spur of the moment. Just over an hour later I was standing outside Ipswich station in sunshine waiting for my sister to pick me up. It was just after 16:00 and I had left Paris only four hours ago. Despite the sun I was cold and for the first time since leaving Spain I had to put on my windproof North Face jacket. Most of the English were in T-shirts, clearly hardier and making the most of the sunshine. Obviously the hot Spanish weather had made me a wimp. Buses in England all seemed to have WiFi so I was a bit miffed as to why the stations could not get it sorted out (France was free!). I bought a five pound top up for my Lebara prepaid card only to discover a short while later that I was unable to use it on my Spanish phone. By 17:30 I was in my sister's home bursting with accounts of my journey from Spain, which mainly revolved around WiFi or the lack of it, when most needed and traveling Eurostar first class. Well I had to bore someone with my exciting adventure.

Next day trip to Southwold from Ipswich