Day #282 - Paris to London, England

Waiting to board the ship from Calais to Dover

People anxiously watching the Departure Boards at the Nord Train Station in Paris

Tuesday, December 21st

So, today was just as challenging as expected. The good thing however -- it ended with me arriving in London, England at 12 midnight. At that point, nothing else mattered -- the day was a success.

I got up and went over to the Nord Train station in Paris. I had a 2:30pm train to Calais, France booked - but I was fully expecting this to either be delayed or cancelled. My goal was to find backup. Well, it didn't take long for me to realize that the travel situation in Europe is serious. It's definitely real, and it's definitely not to be underestimated. This was clear from the faces of the thousands of people in the train station - a look of panic, anxiety, and desperation.

When I spoke with the lady last evening concerning trains to London, she didn't speak English well, and I didn't understand what she was trying to tell me. Today I get it. Due to snow issues in both England and France, there's been many delays to the Eurostar train connecting the ciites of Paris and London. Because of the delays, the tickets are completely booked for 7 days. The train lines are operational - but no spots are available.

The only 2 countries in which trains go directly to England from the mainland are: France and Belgium. I learned that this was not an option for me. I then checked into buses. Nothing. Long range bus options in France are not great to begin with, but they were completely booked as well. OK - deep breaths. There's 5 ways to get from Paris to London: car, train, bus, boat, or plane. Well, 2 of the 5 were eliminated as options (train & bus). I decided that the car option would be the absolute last thing I do. I wanted no part of driving in snow (on the wrong side of the road in England) to make this happen. Therefore, I had to look into 1) Boat or 2) Plane.

I did find a plane that would have gotten me into Southampon at 10pm. I could then take the train to London. It was pricey however - $400. So, my plan to take the train to Calais, then a boat across the English Channel to the White Cliffs of Dover, and then a train to London ----- this HAD to work. I had called the boat operator via Skype. I spoke with a guy from England. He told me that the ferries were currently only half full and the trains in England were running - just on delays. At that point, nothing else I could really due but cross my fingers. I sat around the train station waiting for my 2:30pm departure.

Luckily, the train to Calais went off on time. Just about everybody on this train was trying to get to London or other parts of the UK. We arrived into Calais, then took a bus into town. The crowds were massive, people were panicky. "Were the ferries to Dover going to be full?" Once into town, we had to get another bus to the port of Calais. Swarms of people were trying to make this happen. At this point of the game, I am lucky I had the ability to move quickly. I was taking no prisoners and negotiating around people to find the front of the line. We boarded the next bus to the port. All great - the boat leaves at 6:15pm. I buy a ticket - $50. Ouch - but it could be worse. We board the boat. We sit there. We sit longer. Announcement: "We have technical issues - more information to follow". We sit longer. 2 hours have passed. We should have already been in Dover. Announcement: "We have issues that cannot be repaired on this boat - everyone must deboard and a new boat is on the way". Not so good. We all stampeded onto the next boat and left the Port of Calais around 9:30pm. (over 3 hours delayed)

We arrived into Dover 1-1/2 hours later. A nice benefit, however, the time in England is 1 hour earlier than France. So, instead of being 11pm, it was only 10pm. I again hightailed it around many people to get to the first bus to Dover train station. Here, I was able to purchase a ticket into London for $40. I took the 10:44pm train to London and arrived at midnight.

I had no hotel, so I found a cafe open at the St. Pancreas International train station. I found a place within walking distance. I got there, and dumped my gear in my room about 12:45am. Whewww!!!!

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OK - the Top 3 countries. Coming in as my #3 favorite country on my Gap year 2010 is............................................................... FRANCE

Israel (#12)

Iceland (#11)

Norway (#10)

Greece (#9)

Austria (#8)

Spain (#7)

Italy (#6)

Switzerland (#5)

Ireland (#4)

France (#3)

FRANCE (#3)

Well, the reason I placed France in this position is simply due to the overall magnitude of 'Things To Do" in this country. France is not listed as the #1 most visited country in the world on most lists (with the USA being a very distant second place) by accident. It all starts with Paris. My favorite city in Europe. The Eiffel Tower, the Lourve, Notre Dame, Sacre-Coeur, Champs-Elysees, the Seine River, Invalides, the Bastille, the Republica - it goes on and on. Probably the main reason I like Paris so much, it's a great city to walk around. Endless things to see and a great atmosphere for doing such.

If the only attraction in France was just Paris, however, it may not have even made my Top 10. Circling the country clockwise starting at the 3-o'clock position -- you have the Alps. Awesome. Chamonix and Annecy were a couple of my favorite places. I've also skiied in Val d'lsere. It's not a surprise that many of my favorite countries border the Alps. Next, you come to the French Riviera. Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo -- this is a great spot. The beaches may be a little rocky, but the atmosphere makes up for it. Continuing south to the French/Spanish border - you have Lourdes. This was one of the most special places for me on the whole trip. Coming up the western coastline, you have Biarritz. This is a great town with incredible beaches. Next, further north, you come to the beaches of Normandy. The history here made me ask myself: "Am I really standing on Omaha Beach?". You come around to the city of Strasbourg before entering the Alps once again.

France is also apart of my heritage. I'm still not giving up linking some of my relatives to the Lyon, France area. What about the whole interior of France - with the wine country of Burgundy (and the endless other places I didn't even get to). Coming in as my #3 selection on my most favorite country list - France.