This was a trip that I thought about for a long time way back,and finally happened. A one two punch of London and Paris!! Awesome! And it’s time I give it a refreshing and updating to the old post.
And another special trip as this trip was on public transportation!!. I still, do not undertand how people claims to take this route and find it good, no way I am a car lover and nothing is better than been independent of your time with a car. Having said that, my trip began at the Auray train station on a TGV to Montparnasse Paris, here took the metro line 4 to Réaumur-Sébastopol and then line 3 to République, where my hotel was just around the corner Hotel Meslay. Nice location, AC, elevator/lift, and nice friendly reception. The rooms as usual were a bit older traditional Parisien style but ok. Enough room. Hotel webpage: https://paris-hotel-meslay.com/fr/
The area is well known to me as used to handle accounting/finance work right on the square for the old Holiday Inn, now it is aCrown Plaza hotel! So all the restaurants there were my hangout for lunch or dinner. This time I went to the Indiana Café and was as good as old for dinner, great crowd, wonderful service and a great pastrami burger with a good Affligem beers, and double noisette coffee. A great place and chain and glad they are still going strong:webpage: http://www.indianacafe.fr/restaurants-clubs/46/republique.html
From there the next day I set out to walk Paris, wonderful as always and beating any mode of transport. I walked all the way to the Louvre museum passing by some familiar places like the Church of St Eustache, and seeing new ones like the Church of Saint Nicolas des Champs, with the great porte Saint Martin, the Les Forum (that was still under construction but open for business now done), the Arts et Métiers museum still nice ,and my old hangout work area by Rivoli to Castiglione.
I had time in my walks to visit my old Americain hangout Joe Allen with a great pint of Glolsch beer !!! More beautiful passages like the Grand Cerf, and finally the old Palais de la Bourse or Palais Brongniart.
From the metro Bourse line 3 took me back to Réaumur Sébastopol and then line 4 off for Gare du Nord, and here it was chaos as usual, renovation in plus, a horde of people been directed to different lanes and finally reach the outrageous RER B to get me to CDG Terminal 2E. For my flight to London Heathrow terminal 4 on AF.
The flight was easy as usual, and decided to continue tasting the public transports route, and took the underground/tube/metro/subway here on the Piccadilly line to my hotel at Gloucester Road station; had my old oyster card still with money in it! and this was easy as done before several times. My hotel was in an area that I know, chic Kensington.
The Millenium Gloucester Hotel, very nice grand old English style and service and amenities galore, classy place. webpage: https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/london/millennium-gloucester-hotel-london-kensington/
I was put in the 5th floor Millennium club and enough to say the experience was marvelous and the service tops. Great English breakfast too. However, my final destination where I was invited to speak on a world trade finance conference was held at the sister hotel the Millenium Knightsbridge Hotel on the Knightsbridge tube station on same Piccadilly line. My oyster card was good enough to take me there and recharge on the machines is easy with my debit Visa card. The Knightsbridge was excellent as well and great facilities, with great company of professionals from several countries and great lunch! webpage: https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/london/millennium-hotel-london-knightsbridge/
I must say a grand style visit to London with a double whammy Millenium hotels!! Great memories here too.
I took advantage of doing some walks in the chic area of Sloane street and over to Gloucester Road as usually my home with family or me was in Earl’s Court. The rides were ok, but smelly and crowded at end of the day coming back to hotel. I had all taken care here but did went out to indulge in the crazy American tradition of hamburgers ….well been from Florida had to try the Burger King here lol!: Gloucester road BK mind you ::)
After the meeting left by 4PM (16H) as needed to catch the flight back home, same Piccadilly line from Knightsbridge to Heathrow Terminal 4, long ride and tight but will do for the experience. I was there on time for my AF flight back to Paris CDG. Then, no more trains I thought, took a flight on AF to Nantes Atlantique airport ,my usual home area airport.
However, there was no transportation to my home and no one at home that can find me in Nantes, so needed to rent me a hotel room for the night at the B&B hotel at the airport with a code key sign in ,no human at the counter! For an airport hotel is ok but basic services, first time on one of them, and so so experience. I walk from airport to hotel about 10 minutes going by the parking of the Oceania hotel. The stay was fine and the room was easily found on 2nd Floor, large room and bath with one double and two twins beds! webpage: https://www.hotel-bb.com/fr/hotel/nantes-aeroport
Next day, this morning, took the navette bus from the airport to the train station gare sud in Nantes. This have done before so no problems, and the bus was waiting for me when arrive from the B&B hotel. It was 8€ now is 8.50€ and when I started taking them was 7€; it goes without saying all goes up. The TAN transport network of Nantes on the Express Airport Bus webpage : https://www.tan.fr/fr/navette-aeroport
At the train station, which I know well, had my breakfast at the Class’Croute bakery (now closed) in the south side or Gare de Nantes Sud, just after getting my ticket and validating it on the yellow machines. Here took a TER train direction Nantes-Quimper but stopping in Auray, where my old papa , reliable old men was waiting for me to take me home arriving by 12h30 or 12:30 pm night.
As you can imagine reading, this was a long trip and very time consuming and tiring, never done it again. I have tried them all so as not say never been here , I have but the car even the Eurotunnel that have taken afterward is better!
Hope you enjoy the post and get some useful information for a future trip along these lines. London and Paris back to back is awesome for the visit indeed
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 