Trains planes and automobiles...part II

After the exitement of our bouncing luggage on the way to Tours we arrived at the station where we picked up our third mode of transport of our journey, the 'Navette' train that links Tours station to Saint Pierre des Corps where we were to catch the TGV to CDG Airport.

Because of our advancing years and Pauline buying the tickets well in advance, we paid the princely sum of €15.00 to get to CDG in the comfort of the TGV...

after of course the necessary 'composting' of our ticket

and finding out where we would be located on this very long train that was going to split into two later on in the journey. Easy enough when you have done it as often as we have but can well remember our first experience was a little more stressful.

On the wrong track...

On our way back from a visit to Chinon last week (more on this later) our friend Karen decided that she wanted to be navigator and she preferred the route back along the Vienne side of the river of the same name. This was fine until she managed to take us too close to the route of the new TGV line - well actually on it!!! We had to make a sharp exit to avoid this huge truck trundling towards us.

Trains to Amsterdam...

This week I'd like to give you a taste of our trip to Amsterdam.We started the journey by driving to Le Grand Pressigny where we left our car and caught the very expensive ( €1.80) 10.35am bus to Tours.

 Pauline had organised trains that would take us from Tours station to Montpernasse in Paris on the 'TGV' then the metro (had tickets from our last trip*) to Gare du Nord where we would pick up a 'Thalys' high speed train to Amsterdam itself. With a couple of breaks while waiting for connections the trip should have taken just over 8hrs.

The train from Tours was bang on time and we had a smooth and comfortable trip into Paris.

We are fairly well-seasoned Paris visitors now and arriving at the busy Montparnasse station and finding or way to the metro station is fairly straight-forward for us, even with hand luggage. We can however understand that first timer's arriving here and having to get to Gare du Nord for a connecting train might find it a little daunting. 

**We know for example that although you can do the connecting journey in 1 hour you should allow at least 90 minutes, for although it is only one metro ride on line 4 ( in the direction of Porte de Clignancort) it is a bit of a trek from the main railway station to the metro station and at busy times they do not take any prisoners!

Even with their long moving walkway its a reasonably long walk at about 700 metres...

...which includes stairs and escalators...

...before you actually arrive at the 'Montparnasse Bienvenue***' metro station. 

Once on board you have 12 stops before arriving at Gare du Nord metro station.

From the metro you have to follow the signs to the main railway station 'Grande Lignes'

Once there you check your departure platform and if like us, you've arrived early and it's not posted, you can sit down and have a drink to congratulate yourselves for a smooth trip so far...or so we thought...more tomorrow.

* I once used (much to Pauline's horror) a metro ticket left over from our honeymoon in 1975, 15 years later and it worked. I had vowed then that we would one day be back, even though then, it was actually our first time abroad! Never in a million years did we think then that we would end up living in France.

** I am using the knowledge gained from our Paris trips to put together a new website about this delightful city (as if it needs one!) called www.about-paris.com 

*** 'Montparnasse Bienvenue' isn't actually welcoming  you to the station - it is in fact named after the principal engineer of the Paris Metro, Fulgence Bienvenüe.

Distorted view of Paris...

 Still have a few posts re Paris visits - here are some pics from our strolls around the city.

The old and the new

'Trained' eye.

Towers - Institut du Monde Arabe