Take the Bus to Paris
Flying to Paris is never fun. Getting to Heathrow is always stressful, airport delays are standard, Charles de Gaulle airport is notoriously the most hated airport in the world, which is not surprising given the ugly hideousness of the place, the lack of meaningful signs, the rude staff, poor facilities and general scruffiness, and once you have negotiated yourself out of it there is that unpleasant journey from there to the centre of Paris. You might be in the air for just an hour, but allow around four hours from Heathrow to Paris Centre.
Of course for some time that has been the train, which might take just a little longer but it is considerably more comfortable and compared with flying it is relatively free from hassle. Alternatively you can drive, but would you really want to drive in Paris? If you have never done so than just accept that it can be a terrifying experience, and if you have done so, then you will know that already. Liberté, égalité, fraternité may be the French motto, and although Parisian drivers may practice the first of those two, in that there are no rules and everyone is equal no matter what colour traffic lights they are facing, there are very few signs of brotherhood; it is every man and woman for themselves.
Thankfully there is now a third way to get to Paris from London; since July 2012 you have been able to travel by bus. The iDBUS SNCF service was launched on 23rd July (tickets went on sale on 10th July) and it connects London with Paris and Lille. You can also take other busses from Paris or Lille to Amsterdam and Brussels.
You can choose to travel by day or overnight and the journey time for the former is 8.35 hours and for the latter is 9.00 hours, and apart from promotions the prices are fixed. The cheapest price for a single journey is £45 and there is a four for three deals, which awards one free ticket for each three that are purchased. There is even a special promotional deal with some tickets being available for just £3.
The iDBUS is no ordinary bus; it offers the ultimate in long distance coach travel, with comfortable reclining seats, individual air conditioning, TV screens, power points, free Wi-Fi and all the usual amenities. There is no need to be concerned about noisy fellow passengers either; alcoholic drinks are not allowed and music can only be listened through headphones; noisy use of mobile phones is also discouraged. Safety is also taken seriously; each seat has a three point seat belt and drivers are specially trained, they can also speak English and French fluently.
This is a guest post by Claire Sim a new Londoner, travel passionate and animal lover. She blogs about Pets and Travelling in Europe. If you want Claire to write you specific content you can send her a direct message or contact her on Twitter (Claire_Sim).
Category: Travel Tips
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