I have been in France for one week now. The plane over was uneventful, just uncomfortable. There is nothing fun about flying anymore. The terminals are difficult to get to (although not so much in France). The airports are expensive if you need to eat. The chairs are not made for an extended sit as are the seats in the aircraft. My legs cramped up continually even though I paid extra for extra legroom. Just not a good experience overall.
I did discover a somewhat inexpensive route to Newark International. You take the PATH train from The World Trade Center for $2.75 and the 62 bus for $2.50. It takes you right to the terminal. Easy and cheap which is how I like to roll.
On arriving in Paris at Orly I also took the relatively cheap route. My only problem is that I could not find a way to buy a single ticket. They make it hard to do. So I ended up buying ten tickets for the Parisian Transportation System. This would have been great had my plans been to stay in Paris. So I have a few extra metro tickets left over. I got the tram T7 to Villejuifs then a metro for another ticket to the hotel. Transportation in Paris is great. The hotel was in a nice area (15th arrondissement) and really comfortable. The rooms are small but that’s ok because they were clean. The place had an interesting name as well as a true Parisian elevator. It was called Abaca Messidor and is located near the Convention Metro station.
The next day, January 1st I was on my way. I was thankful to use another one of my 10 Metro tickets and made it to the Gare de Lyon. After a great up of coffee and a quiche I was off to find my train. What an easy experience. Everything can be done on line yet you can still buy tickets at the station.
Despite the fact that it was very busy it was easy to show your pass (barcode) at the proper track. Everything was clearly posted. You have to know the end of the line if you have an intermediate stop. Other than that it is straightforward. I chose first class because I get a special rate being 65. Age has a few perks. The high speed train (TGV) is fast and comfortable. IT took 5 hours, with stops, to Perpignan. We reached speeds of over 200 mph! I think that would make Boston to NewYork in about an hour? Plus there is no traveling to and from the airport. One arrives right in the center of town. Buses and other trains leave from here too. There is always a restaurant and hotel near the station.
I’ve got to say train travel is the way to go. It is just…civilized.
