NO!!! I will not wait for another train!! Oh, but you will.

OR:

What? The City of Light is a problem?     (waiting for Bus # 350

Far be it from me to dis  public transportation – anywhere – but especially in Paris.  It did more than get us around without a car for over a year.  It was a “saviour ” of sorts.  Because – it  was phenomenally outstanding & efficient, even at the worst of times.

But today was a different matter.  After our flight was  “kissing” the runway at CDG, we knew it was a “quick RER C” into the Pantheon /Latin Quarter area of Paris to our hotel.      NOT so fast there madame!     The RER was not going anywhere upon our arrival.   Someone left a package near La Courneuve, combined with electrical problems, and voila!  Take a BUS, madame, monsieur.
And,

we did.  But not without fear and trepidation.  The first hour of waiting, we realized the bus – # 350 – was not going to appear along with about 60 other (standing out in the rain & cold) souls.  Welcome to “France behaving like France” as my friend said.

Finally, we were given another bus….that took us to another bus, that took us to a “navette train” that took us to another train , that took us to the BIG train, that took us to GARE du NORD, and there we saw another delay, looked at each other wearily, traipsed upstairs & and took a taxi to the hotel.   This was all in the period of 5.5 hours.  Almost our entire transatlantic crossing.

Were we upset?
No, not really.  This is France.  We have lived here for (only) 2 years, and have learned their perplexing & “c’est normale” ways.

I have to say though, ……..If you are coming to PARIS on a shoestring……….that getting to PARIS ……on a BUS (normally # 350) is ONLY – O N L Y   5 euros each, and cheaper than you can order a coke.      It is long – and it will entertain you with interesting vistas and people,  but it has its FULL MOON moments.  However, should you actually take a BUS to the CITY OF LIGHT –  you will never EVER forget it,  for 5 little euros……….the cheapest thing you will ever do, if you should come to PARIS.

That’s my Travel Advice for this day,  the 15th of January, 2014.  Have a bonne journey!  And when the going gets tough – 

get MACAROONS!!!    🙂