Today I visited a couple of train stations that I hadn’t been by before,
Gare de l’Est and
Gare du Nord (the city's east and the north stations). There are six major train stations in
Paris, each serving different regions. Sam and I left from
Gare St. Lazare when we went to Monet’s Gardens in Giverny last year. Suz and I may go
on a day trip or two so I took some time to discover these stations, pick up some timetables, etc. Yes, I know I can access the timetables on the web but I spend w-a-y too much time at this damn computer as it is! Or I can even talk to an English-speaking person on the phone or go to a local office to buy tickets. But this is a fun way to explore and I enjoy that.
Train stations in Europe (who goes to many in the US?) are very interesting—usually old (although they’re renovating the
Gare de l’Est to make way for new TGV (faster!) trains to places I love, like Colmar and Strasbourg), noisy, intimidating, and busy, busy—especially on a Friday afternoon! All the tracks (20 or more) fan out from the long and busy platform and you hope that the brakes on the incoming trains don’t malfunction. The huge signs that announce the departures of the trains are where all eyes are glue
d. These signs display the time and more importantly, the track number only a few minutes before departure. So get out of the way when the number displays since everyone has been watching the sign and then takes off to the appropriate track when they see their train listed. Some stations still have the old signs that flip through the schedules, destinations, times, etc. which I really enjoy watching.
Train travel is such a “given” in Europe; young
children even travel alone between Mom's and Dad’s different places of residence. European trains are another great reason never to need a car. Oh, I wish… And what a relaxing way to travel—easy access to the station by Metro or bus; no “arrive two hours before your flight” nonsense; comfortable seating; dining facilities on some—ahhh, I see a train trip coming up…
Today I visited a couple of train stations that I hadn’t been by before, Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord (the city's east and the north stations). There are six major train stations in Paris, each serving different regions. Sam and I left from Gare St. Lazare when we went to Monet’s Gardens in Giverny last year. Suz and I may go on a day trip or two so I took some time to discover these stations, pick up some timetables, etc. Yes, I know I can access the timetables on the web but I spend w-a-y too much time at this damn computer as it is! Or I can even talk to an English-speaking person on the phone or go to a local office to buy tickets. But this is a fun way to explore and I enjoy that. 
