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3 Stars - 103 Opinions
Chocolate treats
Eglise Saint-Thomas d'Aquin - Nov 2010
St. Denis.
The palace of Versailles
Because of my ignorance about train travel (last trip I took of was in 1942 and I was on my way from San Francisco to Eugene, OR to enter the University) I wasted a lot of people’s time and apologize. I thought I had to go to Milano to get to Lake Como. Our true destination is not Milan but rather Varenna on Lake Como and hoped to do this by train from Paris.
Was totally thrilled at KVB’s suggestion re Paris/Zurich/Lugano which would have been an opportunity take high speed trains on a scenic trip which I hate to miss.
Since that is not feasible, KVB suggests taking Paris/Lugano by train. But would this take us on a scenic/high speed train ?? Would we skip Zurich?
Would we be able to buy our tickets in Paris instead of over the Internet? Using TGV?
Use http://www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml for timtable, for Paris to Varenna it gives trains via Zurich, Basel, Geneve, Lyon (only 1 change) and Strasboug, all around 10 hours. TGV you can buy also at Paris trainstations, but the cheap tickets only with early booking. I think it is also possible to take the train just to Lugano, then a bus to Menaggio and from there a boat to Varenna (if you don´t have much luggage).
My original suggestion was to go to Lugano, and take a bus from there. This is ofcourse perfectly feasable, and I think a nice way to go.
However, the other option of just taking the Paris to Milano train, and a regional train to Varenna there (not to Como!) is also feasible.
So you have two options:
Via Switzerland:
This route would be the same as going to Milano via Zürich (in fact it's the same train), with the one difference that trains from Zürich to Lugano go hourly, so if you were to miss you connection in Zürich this would not ba a disaster.
The best place to buy your ticket for this trip would probably be the Swiss railway. Their website is to be found at: http://www.sbb.ch/en/index.htm, you can go directly to the ticket shop.
The bus etc. you just buy locally.
On this route you will leave from Paris Est, travel over the LGV-EST which is currently the fastest railway in Europe (320 kph, 200 miles/h!). Then on approaching Strasbourg the train slows down to a more leasurly 200kph, and continues to Basel and Zürich.
From Zürich to Lugano you travel over the Gotthard railway, which is one of the major transalpine railways, and which is very scenic. Then in Lugano it's on to Menaggio by bus, and then across the lake to Ravenna.
Via the direct Paris - Milano trains.
- Here you leave from Paris Gare de Lyon. You travel over the first French high speed line, and then through the French Alps, the Italian alps, to Arrive in Milano. Here you have ample time to get your ticket for the local train to Ravenna. The catch here is that there is only one direct daytime train from Paris to Milano.
If you choose this option just buy your ticket from www.sncf.fr, however, as you're American the website will probably want to trick you in to buying from raileurope.
So read this first:
http://www.seat61.com/France-trains.htm#How to use voyages-sncf.com
Both options involve about the same time in transit.
The Parisian region is named Ile-de-France. In French "ile" means "island", but in this case it is necessary to translate from latin "illeum" - "the heart, the center". And it is True, Paris is not only the heart of France, but, in my opinion, also it is the heart of Europe.
Of course the many bridges that line the Seine Canal. You can walk along this canal that goes many miles and enjoy your day slowly working your way back to the same destination that you started at. The many people that walk to and fo along this canal. You see I'm a people watcher.
This is the biggest square in Paris and it's very famous due to the big obelisk placed in the middle of it. This square is located at the end of the Tuileries garden (which starts at the Louvre) and it's a very busy place -- careful when trying to cross the streets, it can be hard!! The Champs Elysees Avenue starts here and leads you all the way to the Arc de Triomphe.
I read that it was at this square where the guillotine was placed in the late 1700's and where many personages were beheaded (including Marie Antoinette!!)...
Far ahead of the obelisk, on the central part of the picture, you can see a partial view of La Madeleine church, which is also very nice and impressive.
In general, it is not easy to meet people in Paris. People in Paris, like people in any big city, tend to be in a bit of a rush. Here's the tip: if you can speak French, you should definitely try to start a conversation with the OLDER people you might run into in a boulangerie, cafe, or park. They are a wealth of information of about the history of Paris and tend to have more time to talk than the younger people (who are busy pursuing their careers, caring for their children, or hanging out with their friends). In the last two days, I've had long conversations with two wonderful older Parisians - a man and a woman. (One conversation started when he offered to help me find my way, the other when she mentioned that she was looking for particular type of veal at the supermarket. )The man turned out to be a French teacher and offered me a few grammar tips. We discussed literature and travel and all sorts of topics. The woman and I discussed the cuisine of France, Salvador Dali's art, the Elgin Marbles, and the placement of the Victory of Samothrace in the Louvre. And she talked a bit about the French occupation which she had actually lived through. Don't worry if your French isn't perfect, as long as you can understand French fairly well you will learn a lot.
This little book is a " Godsend" if you are in a country that you have difficulty with the language, just look at the pictures and find one that is appropriate to your needs and point to it, simple!! Great travel aid.
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Address: 73 Rue Taitbout, Paris, Ile-de-France, 75009, France
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