Travel Essay

Travel Project: Paris to London

Travel Philosophy
by Matthew Dillon

Prior to diving into this project, let it be known that I have already visited Paris, at the tail-end of a three month backpacking tour of Europe while on a shoestring budget. My traveling experience then was geared more towards taking in the "must-see" sights, visiting as many countries as possible and having a lot of drinks with people from many different countries. I had a wonderful time but, having grown up a bit, as well as having lived in a world-class city for five years now, my intentions and expectations for this journey will be far different.

First, I visited all of the major museums in Paris, but had no background in either classical, impressionist or conceptual art. In turn, while I gained an appreciation -- one cannot help but have their perception altered by touring the great museums of Firenze, Rome, Paris, etc -- the first time around, I would like to return to the great museums with a finer eye and a more well rounded sense of appreciation for what I am seeing. Furthermore, my taste buds have developed magnificently since arriving in San Francisco, and a diet of bread, salami and yogurt will simply not do this time around. Wine and beer tastings, as well as restaurants, will play a significant role in this trip. Finally, my itinerary will be more sparse and relaxed. My first time through Europe, I was bouncing from city to city with two to four days to ingest everything, running from museum to cathedral to sight without breaks to rest or meditate. Looking through my photos, I was stunned to realize how many places I had been, but how few I remembered distinctly. This time, I will keep a more flexible schedule, allowing myself time to enjoy a cappucino, a novel or a few hours of people watching, in addition to the major sights.

Itinerary

Paris

Having grown up in Seattle, I am no stranger to what some refer to as "dreary" weather. My last trip began in early March and I was stunned to find how temperate central Europe was in comparison. Furthermore, the reduction in ticket prices is approximately $300 between early March and early May. I'll save the $300 and bring a couple sweaters and a rain-coat. Perusing my travel books, it seems as though most all sights stay open, and the slight reduction in open hours is more than compensated for by the lack of lines.

My flight will be out of SFO airport at 10:05am on March 3rd, 2008 on United Airlines. I will catch a connection flight in Toronto through Lufthansa, which will get me into Paris, France (Charles DeGaule airport) at 8:25am on March 4th, a Tuesday. Shopping on bestfares.com, I could get my round-trip ticket for $642. After picking up my luggage, I will go to the tourist information desk -- the government sponsored one, not a stand run by various businesses -- in order to obtain a train schedule, a city map, information concerning museums and sight hours, as well as request information on the best route to get to Chartres. I will also go to an ATM and withdraw about 300 Euro, for expenses that I cannot put on my debit card. Once finished, I can catch the RER B line by catching a free shuttle outside of my terminal. The one-way ticket from CDG airport to the heart of Paris is 8 Euro. To get to my hostel -- Square Caulaincourt -- I use the following directions provided on hostel world.com:

Take the RER B (commuter train, blue line) to Gare du Nord. Take the metro (line no. 4, direction Porte de Clignancourt) three stops, then, at Marcadet Poissonnière switch to line 12, direction Mairie d'Issy. Get off at Lamark Caulaincourt station.From there take the stairs up the hill behind the metro station and turn right at the top.You will see the Bar Cepage and the bakery( boulangerie) Laurent.In between is the little square of the hostel.

I have chosen to stay in hostels, at least to begin, for a few reasons. First, the price is 23 Euro per night, so six days is only 138. Second, the opportunity to get together with people from all over the world is truly priceless, and if I am to go alone -- if my girlfriend can go, then this would be altered dramatically, but I'm planning as if that is not the case -- then it is nice to meet buddies to go sightseeing or wine-tasting with. Third, this hostel provides a decent breakfast with coffee, which will save me a few bucks. Furthermore, I wanted to stay in the Montmarte area this time around, so this should work out nicely. I will drop off my backpack and put it into a lock at the hostel when I arrive, zip off my daypack and proceed back to the Metro station.

Here, I will purchase a Carte Orange, which is essentially the Muni pass of Paris. For 16 Euro you get unlimited rides through zones one and two for a week. This will require me to bring a small, passport size photo. This is a far better deal than the Visite Paris pass, or the carte of ten tickets I purchased again and again my last time here. Afterwards, I will be free to travel on the RATP system without being concerned if I have the proper coins or enough tickets.

I will probably be terribly jetlagged at this point, so I will head out for lunch. My intention is to save money by avoiding restaurants for every meal, opting instead for picnics for a few of my lunches or dinners. When last in Paris, I was able to purchase three good meals -- fresh bread, meat and cheese for sandwiches, yogurt, fresh fruit, salad and carrots -- for around 20 euro. Insofar as my meat and cheese tastes will have developed, my total may turn closer to 25 euros or so, but that is still far less expensive than eating every meal in a café. I plan on sifting through a local market and grabbing enough for a few meals here, then eating in a nearby park. From there I can indulge myself the 3 Euro cappucino, relax, and return to check into my hostel after their 4pm check in time.

Too late for museum hours, I will probably just go for a walk along the Seine. To get there, I take the Metro 12 line from the Lamark Caulaincourt station to the Assemblee Nationale station. After sunset, I can take the Bateaux Vedettes Pont Neuf Seine Cruise, the ticket for which I can purchase online for 7 Euro. After this, I can get a decent dinner at Le Grenier de Notre Dame, a reasonably priced restaurant in the Latin Quarter. From here I can take a short walk to the Chalet station, take the 14 line towards Concord and connect with the 12 line back to my hostel for an early, jet-lag induced sleep.

After breakfast at the hostel, my first line of business is to return to the Louvre. I can purchase my ticket online at http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/event/EventListings?orgId=17072 before I arrive for $13.26. While my intention is to wander for a bit and see which paintings strike my fancy before contemplating them for an extended period of time, I do want to ensure I check out Poussin's Et in Arcadia Ego pt. 2 -- though I would prefer part 1, but that seems to be in Chatsworth, England -- and David's Oath of the Horatii. When dropping off my bag at the counter for 2 Euro, I will ask about the location of these two paintings.

After spending a few hours at the Louvre, I will tarry off to the adjoining gardens and take lunch from my sandwiches and fruit purchased the day before. Then, off to a café for midafternoon, for people watching and such. I then hope to take a walk down the Seine until I visit The Cathedral Saint-Chapelle near sunset, in order to get the best possible lighting for the stained glass. A ticket is 5.50 euro.

For dinner, I would like to have a real French restaurant experience, and am willing to spend money. Hopefully my girlfriend will be there, or I find another past-college backpacker at the hostel willing to drop some Euros on a fancy meal. La Tour d'Argent caught my eye, located in the Latin quarter nearby, but perhaps I will receive a restaurant recommendation between now and then.

Thursday is my day to go to visit the Cathedral at Chartres, something I have regretted missing since my last tour of Europe. I can buy a 2nd class, round trip ticket from the Guy Montparnasse train station to Chartres for $38 online prior to flying into Europe from the Eurail website online: http://www.railkey.com/tickets.

The Chartres Tourist Information building is located in front of the cathedral. Here, I will sign up for Malcolm Miller's tour at 12pm. After this, I will hang out for awhile longer, maybe eating a packed lunch on some grounds nearby and getting a coffee at a nearby cafe. I have heard too many wonderful things about Chartres to bolt too quickly. According to the Eye Witness Guide, there is a mass given at Latin each evening at 6pm, which would be near sunset -- again, to illuminate the stained glass. Having never been to a mass, much less in the mystery of Latin, this seems like too great an experience to pass on. After this, I will have dinner in Chartres. I will return to Paris around 9pm, at which point I will return to the hostel and see if it is a good night to mingle with my fellow travellers.

On Friday the 7th, I plan on going to the Musee d'Orsay, which I can get to via the 12 line near my hostel. I can buy my tickets to the permanent exhibition for 9 Euro online and be able to avoid the lines: http://musee-orsay.fnacspectacles.com. My previous visit to this museum was a revelation -- the top floor served as my introduction to Impressionist art. I would like to return to the floor and see which pieces really resonate with me, taking at least a half hour with a painting or two. Furthermore, I will spend a lot of time with Rodin's "The Gates of Hell" on the bottom floor. If I find there was too much too see for one visit, I may return tomorrow.

After this, I can pick my lunch from the markets and stalls along the left bank or a bit further towards the Boulevard Saint Germain. After this, I will go to the Musee Delacroix, which will be free with my student ID. I would really like to take my time with "Jacob Wrestling with the Angel." When done, I can wander down to the original Sorbonne and see where one of the primary influences on our current University system came from. From here it's an easy walk down the the Luxemboug gardens.

From here I can catch the B train and get off at Les Halles, where I catch the A train to the Opera district. My intent is simply to see the Opera National de Paris Garnier lit up at night, though hopefully the Temple at La Madeleine will be putting on a concert. If so, I will definitely attend, which will be around thirty euro. Otherwise, I can either go back to the hostel and see if anyone has made plans, or return to the Louvre, which stays open until 10 pm on Fridays. I can return home on the 12 line back to my hostel.

Saturday, my last day, will be more laid back. I may decide to return to the Musee d'Orsay, but if I do not, I would like to go to the Musee Rodin, which was a highlight of my last trip through Paris. The price is a mere 3 euro for students. From here it is an easy trek to Café Flore, where I will spend a good deal more on lunch than I probably should, excited nonetheless that I am absorbing the same ambience as Sartre. From here I can stroll down to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, which is extraordinary enough for a second visit -- though I will stick to the nave, as the treks through the spires may take too much time and cost money.

From here, I can catch the 11 train from the St Michelle metro station to the Rambuteau station. As it should be around mid-afternoon, I will walk the rest of the way to the Musee Picasso. Student entry is 5.70 Euro. I am not a Picasso afficianado, but my experiences with museums dedicated solely to one artist have been incredibly revealing and enjoyable, so I will give him a shot this way too. Afterwards, I will grab some lunch and coffee from a nearby café -- assume 15 Euro -- and walk down to the Pompidou center. I can buy my ticket online beforehand for 10 Euro, and the museum stays open until 9pm. While there will be specific exhibitions when I attend that I cannot foresee, I do know that I want to spend a lot of time with some Jackson Pollock and Surrealist pieces.

After this, I need to head back to my hostel -- which I reach most easily by walking to the Reaumur Sebastapol station, taking the 4 train to Marcadet Poissonniers station and connecting with the 12 train -- for an early night's rest. In the morning, I check out of my hostel and catch the 12 train to the Marcadet Poissonniers, get on the 4 and head 3 stops down to the Gare du Nord. I will have purchased my RailEurope train ticket from Paris to London at 11:13am on March 9th for 98 Euro. I will keep whatever leftover Euros I have for snacks and meals when I return, rather than exchanging them for pounds. I will arrive in London at St-Pancras station at 12:28pm.

Total Cost of Paris Leg ($1=1.5 Euro):
Hostel: 138 Euro.
Metro: 24 Euro.
Cruise: 7 Euro.
Chartres transportation/tour: 40 Euro.
Museums: 50 Euro (cheaper than the Musee Pass).
Possible Concert: 30 Euro.
Food/Beverages: 260 Euro (high estimation, assuming I stop for cappucino and wine tastings).
Ticket to London: 98 Euro.
Miscellany: 100 Euro (medicine, umbrella, internet, phone cards, bag-check at museums, etc.).
Total: 747 Euro, or roughly $1,120.50.

London

While at London St-Pancras Station, I will visit the tourist information desk. Here I will pick up a city map for 2 pounds, the London Buses: Central London map, the London Planner, a theatre guide and the Thaems River Services Brochure. Here I will also go to an ATM and withdraw about 300 pounds, as I have heard this is gets an even better exchange rate than most currency exchanges. While here, I will buy a 7 day Oyster card, which gives me unlimited rides in zones 1 and 2 for 23.20 pounds. As with Paris, even if I would not have spent this amount on tube travel -- which is unlikely -- having the transportation issue taken care of is worth the extra couple of pounds.

From here I catch the yellow circle train and go 6 stops to the Paddington station. I walk two blocks up Praed Street, take a right on Norfolk and stop in at the Boulevard Hotel at 10 Norfolk Place London W21QL. Booking online at www.londonnights.com, I can get a single room for 54 pounds. While this is more than I would pay ideally, it has been my experience that it is nice to take a night off from hostels from time to time, in order to get good rest and enjoy the quiet night alone. Ultimately, it will be worth picking up an extra shift while back home to have this night away from hostels.

For the remainder of my stay, I will be renting a bed at the Journey's Paddington Hostel. Monday through Thursday nights cost $20.81 each, while Friday and Saturday will cost $40.78 each, for a total stay -- including the previous hotel -- $272.80. My hostel includes breakfast, which seems to be rather uncommon in London hostels. The front desk has bag-check, so the morning of Monday the 10th I can check my bag in prior to checking in officially and receiving my bed. It is located one tube stop away from my hotel on the Circle line, so I will probably just walk there. Regardless, I can make the reservation on www.hostelworld.com well in advance, and have a phone number to confirm while in Paris.

Sunday afternoon will be used to get acquainted with the city. As I will be staying in central London, much of this can be accomplished by walking. At the Paddington station, I can take the Bakerloo line down to the Charing Cross station, which I will get acquainted with, seeing as it is where I will catch my train to Dover for the Ferry at the end of the week. From here I can walk from Trafalgar Square to Big Ben, stopping off at The Lord Moon of the Mall tavern, in order to get acquainted with pub food -- which I hear is both economical and surprisingly flavorful -- and have my first English Ale in Englad. Both Eyewitness Travel and Rick Steves' seem to indicate that decent meals can be had at both pubs and ethnic restaurants for around $15-20, so I may be eating out here a bit more than I did in Paris. I will probably stop for sandwiches, yogurt and fruit for a few meals from markets as well, but the abundance of good ethnic eateries seems like a tasty option.

After getting lunch, I will wander over to the National Portrait Gallery, which is free. While I do not plan on spending a great deal of time here, I would like to see the portraits of Shakespeare, Blake, Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats, Dylan Thomas and T.S. Eliot. From here I will walk down to Big Ben, take some photos and wander across the Thames to the Waterloo Pier. Near dark, I will take the Thames River cruise offered by the London Eye company. You can buy pre-booked tickets to both the river cruise and "flight" -- a tour from the London Eye -- for 25 pounds. I will pre-book the 4:45pm cruise and be introduced to the city by boat.

Once docked, I will already have my ticket for the London Eye. I love getting acquainted with a city from its highest point -- I have already done so in Paris, or else I would have visited the Eifel Tower -- and this seems like the way to go. Afterwards I will take the tube back to the area of my hotel, catch a cheap dinner in a pub or Indian restaurant and get a good night's rest.

On Monday morning, after dropping off my bag at Journey's Paddington Hostel, I will indulge myself the English "fry" breakfast of juice, coffee, cereal, fried egg, bacon, sausage, tomato and toast. This will set me back roughly 15 pounds, but "when in Rome. . ." My first stop will be the Tate Britain, which I access by taking the Circle train to Victoria station, then changing to the Victoria line and getting off one stop later at Pimlico. The museum is free, though I will try and leave a donation of about 3 pounds. My primary intention here is to spend a lot of time in the William Blake room. Beyond this, I would like to see some of Constable's work as well as check out some of Francis Bacon work.

From here I can walk up the Thames a bit, take a hard left and go to Westminster Abbey. I will pay the ten pounds for entry and a tour, mill about, have a coffee in the cloister and attend the evensong that is put on at 5pm. Afterwards, I will wander over to Buckingham Palace and admire it from without. While I would feel negligent having not seen it journeying London, it is a low priority and, hence, is relegated to a viewing at night. After this I will return to my hostel to officially check in, meet some travellers and see if they would like to grab some dinner at a pub. Or I could do some laundry, which will probably seem pretty necessary at this point.

Tuesday, from Westminster tube via the Circle line, I will take a short walk to the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, cost 12 pounds. This is a museum where you really take your time, for historical reasons, and admission includes a stellar audio tour and admission to the interaction Churchill Museum. Afterwards, I will pick some sandwich stuffs from local markets and have a picnic over at Saint James park.

Afterwards, I would like to take the Circle Train at Westminster to Embankment, then take the Bakerloo train the Charing Cross, where I will wander over to the National Gallery. This museum is free, though I intend to make a 3 pound donation. Obviously, I will have to spend almost the whole afternoon here, though I have no plan per se, I would like to concentrate on Cezenne's Bathers, Monet's The Water-Lily Pond, and Michelangelo's Entombment.

At night, I can either walk or take the tube one stop to Leicester Square and look into the "half tkts" booth. If I can get a reasonable deal on either a Royal Shakespeare Company production, Les Miserables or Phantom of the Opera for this night, I will jump on it for thirty pounds. If not, I will stop by the tourist information booth here and ask about breweries and pubs in the area of note. I will likely be utilizing this book as well: http://www.aletrails.com/indexa.htm, a listing of pub crawls, with biographical information for each London Pub. If I decide to do neither of these, the House of Parliament is open until 10:30pm on Tuesdays, so I may take a session in.

Wednesday, after breakfast, I will be off to the Tower of London, which costs 16 pounds. The Circle Line just outside my hostel will take me directly to the Tower Hill station. I can buy the ticket online in advance for no extra charge, thereby avoiding the lines. After this, I plan on walking through "The City" of London on my way to Saint Paul's Cathedral. I'll hit my backpack for the sandwich groceries from yesterday in route, then enter Saint Paul's. The admission is 9.50 pounds, which will be worth the ascent up the Dome itself, much less the statue of John Donne. I plan on milling about and attending the evensong at 5pm. Past this, I may return to the National Gallery, which stays open late on Wednesdays, or will try to do something more social.

On Thursday, I plan on waking up early and going to the British Library. To do so, I just take the Circle Train to Saint Pancrass, which connects to the King's Cross station. In the main, I'm excited about seeing the the first Shakespeare Folio, the first Biblical Codex, the first King James Bible and the Gutenberg Bible. Afterwards, I will poke around the outlying areas for a good, cheap lunch, then head to the nearby British Museum. My first stop will be the information desk just inside the Great Court, where I will purchase a museum floor plan and an audio guide. While I want to see the Rosetta Stone and mummies as much as anyone, I plan on spending a lot of time here, perhaps returning later in the evening -- the museum is open until 8:30 Thursday through Saturday.

At night, I am going to take the Northern tube from King's Cross to London Bridge and take a tour of Vinopolois. This museum of the history of wine offers a two-hour tour, complete with five wine-tastings, as well as whiskey, beer and absinthe, for 21 pounds. I can purchase this "Discovery" ticket online at www.Vinopolis.co.uk. This tour should last until around 9pm, at which point I should probably just stop for a quick dinner -- probably a Doner Kebab somewhere for 6 pounds -- and go back to my hostel.

On Friday morning I will go to the Globe Theatre to see the exhibition, as well as receive a guided tour from a trained Shakespearean actor for 9 pounds. To get there, I take the Circle train from Paddington to Notting Hill Gate, transfer to the Central Line and get off at Saint John's. My first inquiry will be into whether there is a performance being held that evening. If so, I will purchase my standing-room-only ticket for 5 pounds and experience Shakespeare like an old-time peasant.

To kill time until then, I will go to Bramah's Tea and Coffee Museum. As an unapologetic coffee snob, this should be a real treat for four pounds. They also offer high noon tea here in their café for 9 pounds, which seems like a seminal London experience I should not miss out on.

After attending the Shakespeare play, I will get dinner at a pub or cheap restaurant and walk to the Tate Modern, via the city map I will purchase on arrival. The museum stays open until 10 pm, which should give me plenty of time to really digest the work, though, with this embarrassment of riches, its hard to say where I will concentrate. I definitely intend to meditate on a Pollock, as well as a one of Rothko's pair of rectangles -- I really enjoyed the piece he has at the MOMA -- and a Cezanne. Out of necessary curiosity, I will certainly check out DuChamp's Urinal as well. The museum is free, but I will make a donation. Afterwards, I will head back to my hostel.

On Saturday, I want to visit William Blake's gravesite, located in Bunhill Fields Cemetary. To get here, I need to take the black tube line towards Edgware and get off at the Old Street Station. From here I walk down City Road two blocks, and the cemetery should be on my right. I will go to an information desk to find the exact location of his grave, read a few poems or a section of "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell," and enjoy an early morning stroll through the cemetary. From here I can get back on the Northern Tube, travel top the Monument station and catch the Circle Train to South Kensington.

From here I will follow the adjoining tunnel to the Victoria and Albert Museum, which is free. My main interests here are the Michaelangelo Casts, as well as the West Wing, which features Islamic and Hindu Art. Having not really been exposed to Islamic art, I am quite excited here, as well as seeing the 12th century Shiva statues.

Afterwards, I will stop to purchase some groceries so that I can have a picnic in Hyde Park, and spend the rest of the daylight hours wandering through here, people watching and seeing how it measures up to Golden Gate Park and Central park.

I want to leave my last evening open while in London. I may return to the Tate Modern, which stays open until 10pm, or experience a Saturday night pub-crawling in London, or I may just sit in a café and collect my thoughts from my journey. Regardless, I will be waking up early in the morning to return to Paris, so it would be smart of me to get some sleep prior to a full day of travel.

Coming back to Paris -- the cost of switching to an open mouth flight from London seems to be rather prohibitive, as in at least $200 more -- I would like to undertake the ferry crossing. This makes my trip back a bit more complicated, but crossing the channel on a ferry is one of those experiences that seems worth the hassle. First, I will take a train from the London Charing Cross station to Dover at 8:54am. The ticket will cost around 37 Euro. From there I take the Dover to Dunkerque ferry for 17 Euro. I will use my groceries from the previous day for lunch, rather than overspend on ferry food.

I will arrive in Dunkerque at 3pm, which should give me plenty of time for possible delays and a light lunch prior to catching the Dunkerque to CDG Airport train, via Lille Flandres, at 4:14pm. The ticket can be purchased online for $47 on www.raileurope.com. I also read, in Rick Steves' guide to London 2008, that prices for the ferry and London to Dover train can be found for much less once in London, going through an agency, so these costs are the highest possible estimate. I will arrive at Charles DeGaule airport at 6:50pm, and rather than waste money on a hotel when I have to catch a flight at 7:15am on March 15th, getting there 3 hours beforehand, I will just hang out at the airport, write in my journal and read books until I pass out on the plane. If I'm feeling more active, I can see if I can pre-check my bag, or if there are lockers for oversize bags, and wander the surrounding areas. Finally, I will try and exchange whatever currency I have leftover from the trip, aside from coins for keepsakes.

London Costs (assuming $2 = 1 pound)
Map: $4.
Oyster Card: $47.
Hotel/Hostel: $272.80.
London Eye: $50
Museums: 81 pounds = $162
Vinopolis: $42
Theatre: $65
Food: $400
Beer: $50
Tickets back to Paris: $128
Miscellany: $120.
London Total: $1,340.80