Luncheon In Paris?

I love any excuse to go to Paris, even for the day. However, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with Paris for many years. I still get excited about going. Previously, I would love the journey, feel a bit ‘oh, okay’ and fall in love with the city after a couple of days. This went on with each trip. I’ve been countless times, so it’s not a one-off.

However, it was time to fall in love with Paris again. This was my first trip since Covid, and I took the Eurostar from St Pancras in London. I love train journeys,

but this one is exceptional. London to Paris in 2 hours 14 minutes. Sometimes it's quicker to get to Paris than from one end of London to another!

I caught the 7 am from St Pancras, arriving at 10.15 am local time. We were offered an excellent light breakfast. You can buy snacks on board in one of the carriages. On this trip, I wanted to go to La Defence on the outskirts of Paris. Plus, there was an eatery that I wanted to try. La Defence is the equivalent of Canary Wharf in London. No hard feelings, Paris, but Canary Wharf wins hands down.

I found the area too concrete, and Mish mashed glass buildings around a main rectangular-type walking area. Thankfully, they have a lovely green garden at the bottom, from which you can get stunning views of the Champs Elysee and the Arc D’Triomphe.

You could sit on the Square Arch's steps with lunch or refreshments and daydream for hours. That’s precisely what the students from the nearby University did over lunch. After lunch, I headed to the 5th arrondissement to the Latin Quarter. I spent a couple of hours here. It’s a beautiful and quiet area, plus the Grand Mosque of Paris is situated here. The Sorbonne is close by, too.

Eiffel Tower Calling

You can’t go to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tour, so that’s where I headed next. The RER metro station was heaving with people doing the same thing. I usually avoid such places, but I thought I could quickly visit. I had no desire to go through security and gawp up at the Tower. There were just too many people there. I remember how easy it was to walk around the area on previous trips before the security measures were implemented.

Champs Elysee

No trip is complete without a trip to the Champs Elysee. I saw the new LV Hotel, which is still under wraps. I hope it looks great when it’s completed in 2025. The next stop was coffee and a little pastry at La Duree. It’s a ritual that adds the cherry on any trip to Paris. Then, it was time to head back to Gard Du Nord to pick up the 7 pm train back to London. I had a wonderful day in the French Capital and look forward to returning hopefully many times.

Back in London

Getting off the train at St Pancras was very special, especially when arriving in the area where the large clock and meeting point statue greets you with their quiet presence. I might have fallen in love with Paris again, but getting off the train in London felt like home.

Here are some top tips

1. You can get a real bargain if you book your ticket in advance. Keep a look out for great offers.

2. Check-in is easy if you download your QR code. Just go through the ticket barrier and get ready to go through security.

3. Leave plenty of time to go through se and border controls. For British passport holders, there are two border controls. Once you go through the U.K. one, you must queue up again for the French Border Force.

Parting Comments

You can have a full day in Paris at the right time. I caught the 7 p.m. return from Paris, which arrived at 8.16 p.m. London. The train stock is excellent, and the seats are nice. It’s got a fresh, clean look to it. Both inbound and outbound journeys were smooth and pleasurable.

After leaving the UK, the speed picks up. It started speeding up and hit 300 kilometres per hour on the French side. Our return was a smooth journey, too. Thankfully, it didn’t stop at Lille or Ebbsfleet like previous journeys. I wouldn’t travel any other way to Paris now.

Thank you for your attention

Best wishes

Tabby