Arkwrights till alive and on the Paris Metro

I really must not laugh, but I can't help it, watching people with luggage trying to use the Paris Metro with its amazing 2 seconds to grab your ticket and get through the gate before it closes. As I was passing through the Gard du Nord a party of English school children were trying and failing to master the gates with humans on one side of the gate and luggage on the other. By the time I arrived it was too late to offer assistance as most of them were already through, nursing bruises and dented suitcases. I'm sure the manufacturers of Arkwright's till on Open All Hours must also won the contract to build the access gates to the Paris Metro.

I am travelling home by train today, because the flight was too expensive, mind you the train was not cheap either, but then it is summer time and everyone is on the move, travelling to or from their holidays.

I am on a modern TGV I did not realise that there were 'ancient and modern' TGVs, but apparently there are. This one is travelling from Paris almost to Spain, I'm not sure if Henday, the final destination of this train, is in France or Spain. The advantage of this train is that the first stop after leaving Paris Montparnasse is Angouleme, it takes 2 hours 15 mins station to station, half the time it takes me to drive it.

I love the French idea of first class in the TGVs in general, the only difference between 1st class and 2nd class, apart from the price of the ticket, is the size of the seat, and to be honest the difference in price of the ticket is not huge. On the Eurostar the price of first class is more than double that of second class but then you do get a meal and a free bar, both on the train and at the station before boarding.

Blog update..... first class on this TGV has reached new heights, we have an at seat trolley service, now I am not sure what the French are going to make of this, as they have already brought their lunches on board with them, but the tourists are making good use of it. Poor guy needs to get the hang of it a little better though, as everytime someone orders something he has to race off to the buffet car to get it, I wonder what is actually in his trolley. This is the first time ever, in over 4 years of French train travel that I have had an at seat trolley service, long may it continue and Viva La Republique:-)