Eurostar

Having not travelled on Eurostar for some time, was v. impressed with St Pancras, but couldn't understand why it was such a free for all when you actually came to entering the station.

All these companies are so obsessed with using online technology, but its all pretty useless if you are forced to use it and told not to approach a human and then your ticket doesn't read. Eurostar this happens, with a shrug of the shoulders.

East Midlands Rail is a worse offender with the journey to actually pick up your ticket taking you downstairs to another queue. You would be well and truly stuffed if you had left even a decent 10 minutes to get through the process.

A most helpful man at the automated ticket booth, contrasted with a really disinterested, verging on rude lady at the downstairs office. Is it my fault that the machine doesn't accept my credit card, or perhaps they should mention that this will happen if you dont have a chip in your card.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Toy shops in Paris

We decided to check out toy shops and have only made it to two so far.

One being Jouie Club, which is a series of shops in an arcade, with a huge range of toys.
3-5 Blvd des Italiens
Metro Richelieu Droit, right next to the metro stop.

The other was the oh, so pricey, but absolutely charming Au Nain Bleu. Beautiful dolls, hand crafted tableux, costumes (lots of princess action happening in Paris). We drooled at Nain Bleu, but actually found some of the same stuff much cheaper at Jouie.
5 Blvd Malesherbes
Metro Madeline, also on the same circular line as the Metro, so relatively easy to find.

We were surprised to find out that letoyvan.com is actually an English company and that Lion Touch, which we could have sworn was English is actually Scandinavian.

Joanne Kee
www.placesandspaces.com.au

Eiffel Tower

The queues were phenomenal snaking around the Eiffel Tower. I have to say, why would you bother if you had to stand in a queue for an hour?

We took the up market option and had the most amazing lunch at the Jules Verne Restaurant. Expensive, but we really enjoyed it. Food was fantastic, view sublime and we felt extremely pampered. Not to mention we got our own lift on the way down.

Joanne
www.placesandspaces.com.au

Euro Disney

Tips for Euro Disney

Expensive in anyone's language.

Yes it probably is worthwhile to pack some food. Around $50 for 3 hotdogs and a couple of bags of chips and only 2 bags of chips. That was the cheapest thing we could find.

Character buffet surprisingly good value, as they only whack on an extra $20 per head, as compared to a main meal and dessert price in other food outlets. Plus the characters actually come to you during lunch and hug, sign autographs and pose for pics.

It beat queuing to meet the characters and have our photo taken.

Definitely worth using the fast ticket system and of course the queues are shorter later in the day. Just a shame you can only have one fast ticket until the next one is used.

Real lack of signage at Euro Disney.

If you don't like cigarette smoke, it will drive you crazy, parents are puffing away, as they hold onto their kids.

Joanne Kee
www.ceressolutions.com.au

Travel bits and pieces while on the road

Hi this blog is for us to share our travel experiences

Joanne, Sandy & Arran