Transit Notes

Backtracking a little....The commute from Parma to Paris - London St. Pancreas - London Paddington - Bristol...

Parma to Paris was just awful. We took the night train which left at almost midnight, due to arrive in Paris around 915am. The air-conditioners weren't working, I was fighting clausterphobia in the humid and rancid-BO stinking cabin, and we arrived in Paris 2 hours late (without explanation...or maybe there was one, but I didn't understand it because it was in French). I know I blogged a little bit about this already before but I am repeating it to make a point.

In Paris, I showed up at the terminal, at the Eurostar counter, to collect my pre-purchased ticket from Paris to London. I asked if I could just get a train ticket from London to Bristol, and the Eurostar agent happily told me yes. So she gave me an insanely expensive roundtrip ticket -- which I just paid for because I didn't want to lug my bags around from train to tube to bus to bus. So I enjoyed the Paris to London trip because the three hour Eurostar ride was quite nice. They even serve you a gourmet meal complete with balsamic oil and vinegar as well as alcoholic beverages in recyclable bottles. It was better than airplane meals.

London St. Pancreas to London Paddington was fine -- I figured out the tube (subway) okay with a bit of information desk help. But then London Paddington to Bristol was weird. I found my train okay - after I was told that it was leaving in 2 minutes and I sprinted to catch it, I took whatever seat I could find on the car that the conductor scooted me into. Halfway into the ride when tickets were being checked, I was told I was on the wrong car. I was actually carrying a first class ticket (no wonder they were so expensive!)...so I got moved to first class. It wasn't worth it because it was only half the ride there. It was like I paid 50 pounds for a bottle of water and a newspaper. So I am crossing my fingers that SNCF will refund me for my unused return ticket - because I bought a MUCH cheaper one instead.