Eurostar Train from Paris to London (family version)

This is my attempt at a short post (I'm laughing already 😂).. It's ok. Let's give it a try.

We spent two nights in Paris (post to come) and we thought we just make our way to London via train. Well, we did and here is the scoop.

• Paris was a last minute add on to our trip so this part wasn't so well planned but I'm glad. The traffic in Paris is real and we might have missed our train if we had booked in advance. It took us over an hour to ride 6.3 miles to the Gare du Nord train station.

• Gare du Nord is huge and if you have tickets then skip ahead. But if you are planning to buy tickets, then head to the upper level and into the Eurostar's office to purchase them. Trains leave often but the middle of the day trains are most expensive. We spent €850 for 2nd class tickets for a family of four.

Gare du Nord by Julieta Duvall

• Our Chase card was declined because the fraud protection and it seems to me that any charge above €800 will do just that. I paid a portion in cash and gave the card another try. It worked!

• Bathrooms are far away from the ticket office and a bathroom break before going upstairs is highly recommended. Our youngest had to use the restroom and the ticket lady came out of her booth to help us but it was a secure area and entrance was limited.

• Everything was happening too fast and I knew we needed food. I needed food 😜. We went back downstairs and the first sandwich place had a line around the corner. The burrito place across from them had less people but it didn't look that great (hence the less people). So we settle in the comfort food we know and love—Five Guys. Yes, I couldn't believe it either.

• Five Guys had no line and a good amount of people eating there already. I started to make my way to the register and I was blocked by a lady having an out-of-body experience as she was picking out the best peanuts for her meal. I felt bad for interrupting her but I was on a timeline.

We ordered the food and they were great. Thanks to a helpful stranger we understood that the QR codes given to us with our receipt activated the pop machine and you start the timer when you scan it. You have 30 seconds to get your drink!

• We made our way upstairs after getting our food and we were told we couldn't bring our drinks. After the three tournaments against the pop machine we had to get rid of our trophies. We were ok as long as we got to keep the food.

• Three things happen once you get in line: You will go through French immigration and your passport will be stamped as you exit their country. Secondly, you will go through London's immigration. Lastly, there is security aspect to scan your bags as well as a metal detector.

• On the other side you will find the smaller version of an airport with duty free shop, toilets, and a small food area with sandwiches and drinks. Our train left at 13:06 and it was busy so we were glad we had our burgers. We took another bathroom break and it was time to get going.

• Our departure was announced over the intercom and we made our way to the train. The tickets had a cart number as well as the seat numbers. The train was full and people had lots of bags. Big bags, small bags, duffle bags, boxes and everything in between. The luggage racks get full pretty quickly.

• Our seats were side by side but some areas had a cute little table to hang out. I'm assuming it had an extra cost but I'm not sure. We had our food as we waited for a few late runners but we were done by the time the train left. Five Guys did not disappoint. The train left on time and we settled in our seats to enjoy the scenery through our 1/2 of a window. Train is equipped with Wifi.

• The ride was smooth and at times it looked like rural Ohio. The wind turbines were many and they blended amongst the red roofs of the smaller french towns. We went through the "chunnel" as the tunnel under the English channel is affectionately known and we had arrived at London St Pancras Int'l.

• The disembarking process started way before the train came to a complete stop. The line had such an energy that we decided to wait until everyone had left to collect our belongings slowly and give the boys the time that they needed. We were tired and not about to rush!

• We exited the train station and it was similar to arriving at a local airport from an international destination. We had to walk through customs and then towards the main area. Outside of the train station the hustle and bustle was at its peak. We tried to get a cab but we were redirected towards the "right" spot to get one. Once there the driver said "...your hotel is close. Make a left, then a right and it's right there..." Well, it wasn't quite like that but we had fun walking and noticing our home for the next four days.

So, it wasn't short at all but I think I covered the basics of this particular experience. Thanks for being here and reach out if you need additional support as you transition into Unschooling or Worldschooling.

Cheers!

Julieta

Ps. I will edit bits in pieces later on but for now I wanted to say this and try a different workflow.