Currently writing this on the train from Barcelona to Paris! All three of us are on the same train, but Alex is in economy while we are in first class; when we booked the tickets way, way back, the first class tickets were either €1 less or more than second class, so we decided to do it! When Alex booked, however, the tickets jumped to €144!
First class meant we got access to a fancypants lounge with free coffee/tea/juice/beer and snacks as well as comfy seats and wifi. Apparently, it also means suffering through 6.5 hours of annoying kids constantly bolting down the aisle to their parents or grandparents who were sitting behind us. Bolting, and using my chair to grab onto to stop at the row behind us. Literally, at least twice a minute. I was very, VERY tempted to stick an arm or foot out. Not only this, but older kids kept constantly coming back and leaning over my seat/grabbing it to talk to their parents. I swear to god. I didn't pay €100 for this BS. I have very little patience for kids like this and parents who are incapable of teaching their kids to be respectful on planes or trains.
 |
| Headed to Paris! |
ANYWAY, the train ride itself, annoying kids aside, was pretty good. The first class seats were super roomy and comfortable, unlike most of the trains we've taken on this trip. The views were also not bad; we traveled along the Mediterranean coast from Barcelona to the south of France, then headed North to Paris. The French countryside is pretty picturesque...wouldn't mind spending some time there!
We arrived about 30 to 40 minutes late, which is great considering we've been on trains delayed for up to 3 hours. I guess punctual trains are not a thing over here haha. Once we arrived at Gare de Lyon, we rushed to figure out the metro to get to the flat we rented out and meet our host.
AirBnB: Success
Our flat is absolutely adorable. It can't be more than 20 square metres but the space is used efficiently, with the bed in a loft space above the sitting area, a foldout dining table, lots of storage units, and with the bathroom under the building's stairs (we're on the ground floor), a sink installed in the door.
Why we love it:
1. Privacy and having our own space: it's definitely nice to be able to spread our stuff out and actually taking the time to unpack clothes from our bags since we're here for nearly two weeks. It's nice knowing that no one else has access to your things.
2. Kitchen: I guess this kind of goes with the above, but I am so happy we have a kitchen that's only ours. Almost every hostel has had some sort of kitchen with varying capacities, but after having our food stolen from the common fridge in London, I just didn't trust anyone else enough to leave food in common areas anymore. Now, we have our very own fridge and can fill it with as much as we want without having to worry!
3. Cheaper than a hostel: our flat is in a pretty decent location (at least I think so), straddling Le Marais and République, but Paris is very well-connected by metro so even if it wasn't, it wouldn't be a big deal. But I'm pretty sure that for the location, plus the amount of privacy we have/want, we would be paying a LOT more in a hostel. The difference is that you have to pay upfront for an AirBnB reservation (to AirBnB, who then transfers it to the host upon your arrival), so that's something to keep in mind if you're in a toss-up between hostel or AirBnB.
That's all for now, I'll write about some of the things we did in another post, as I'm NOW back home in Canada and this seems like a good place to split things up.
That's all for now, I'll write about some of the things we did in another post, as I'm NOW back home in Canada and this seems like a good place to split things up.
 |
| A view of the kitchen from the loft |
 |
| The door to the flat; underneath the loft is a little sitting area |
No comments:
Post a Comment