Just been on the phone trying to get compensation for my journey that 35 minutes late from Paris to London.
Turns out I am entitled to any journey on the Eurostar star network and I can book it any time within the next year. It is now just over 4 hours from London to Lyon so my plan is to spend a night there and then either go to Spain or the French Riveria. I fell in love with the Nice area when I went in September but I think Spain will win as it is just easier in terms of spending/living costs.
I will also spend a night in London (probably a Sunday as the hotels are cheaper!) and build that into my holiday. The best bit is I can avoid Paris, a city I have been through so many times as a traveller I have seen the more grotty side of.
|
I like Eurostar, it is always easier and less stressful than flying to Paris and the interconnects from GDN to the other stations in Paris are fairly easy. (Though I admit getting on a Metro train going the wrong way once!)
The TGV system is excellent and I will happily do UK to GDN to Lyon by train rather than flying and in terms of time, it is probably just as quick as it is city centre to city centre and there is no need to arrive two hours before departure etc.
|
No need to do Lyon via GDN now, you can get a direct Eurostar straight from London to Lyon that avoids Paris :). Takes just over four hours. It actually goes all the way to Marseilles.
Only ever been through Marseilles but the area in general is quite rough. I have seen quite a bit of anti social behaviour on the trains in Southern France. Lyon though seems to be quite a wealthy city.
From 2017 the Eurostar will be doing direct trains to Amsterdam too.
|
Well done Eurostar. - zippy
