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In my opinion the EuroStar is an amazing method of transportation.  In just over 2 hours you can get from London, through the English Channel, to Paris!  Naturally when living in London, a weekend in Paris is a must! The first weekend in March, a group of girls, also studying at Kingston, and I went on a trip to the City of Love.  It was a trip hosted by Proscenium Tours http://www.prosceniumtours.com/, that was advertised through a Student Fair at our university.  We got a great discounted rate of 198 GBP, and it was so worth the money!  The day of departure we all met up at the Kingston train station to catch the very first train to London Waterloo around 5am.  From there we traveled to St. Pancras International Rail Station to meet our tour guide, Joel. We immediately loved Joel!  He had a great personality and was cracking jokes from the very beginning when our group crossed paths with a “Stag” party (aka Bachelor Party) all dressed as Hulk Hogan with feather boas – the British have quite the sense of humor.

A few hours later we arrived at Gare Du Nord, Paris, and started on our sightseeing tour.  We were on a coach for the greater part of the tour where Joel pointed out all the important sites of the city, and there were a few points where we stopped to get off the bus and take some pictures.  During the tour we saw Notre Dame, the Pantheon, the National Opera House, the Arch de Triumph, a statue of George Washington, the hotel Princess Diana left just before her fatal accident, the tunnel site of her accident, the Louvre, and of course the Eiffel Tower.  After the coach tour we stopped by the hotel to drop our things, and met up to go on a river cruise of La Seine. It was absolutely freezing on the waters of Paris in March, but seeing Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Paris’ famous bridges, and other Parisian sights all lit up along the river bank was an incredible sight.

The next morning we went on a walking tour with our guide Joel to La Bastille, the Marais district, Le Notre Dame, and the Ile de la Cite. While in Cite, we were given free time to explore Notre Dame, and discover the famous works of art in the Louvre Museum.  Also on our second day in Paris, we went to the Père Lachaise cemetery, which is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, and the burial grounds of Jim Morrison, Chopin, Delacroix, and Oscar Wilde, among many other famous names. We tried to go to the Catacombs, but by the time we made it there the site was closed for the day.  We headed back to the city to get some dinner, complete with a delicious dessert of Crème Brule, and to see the Eiffel Tower’s light show.  On the way home we had a slight traveler’s mishap, and got on a metro car at the end of its line.  My friends from London, some Greek musicians, and I got stuck in the Metro tunnel.  Naturally we all started screaming, and the conductor said something over the PA system, but it was obviously in French, which none of us, nor the Greeks could understand.  For about 2 minutes, which seemed like an eternity, we thought we were going to die in a dark Metro tunnel.  The metro car finally pulled out, and we got home with no further issues!

On our third and final day in the city of love, Leah, Sarah, Carolyn, and I headed to the Pantheon, where the crypts of Voltaire, Monnet, Marie Curie, and Victor Hugo are.  Our visit to Paris could be defined by all the graves we visited.  After the Pantheon we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and the view was nothing short of breath taking! When we were done with the oohs and ahhhs of standing so high above such a beautiful city, we met our guide, Joel, outside of the world famous Moulin Rouge for a tour of Montmartre and the Sacre Coeur.  In Montmartre there were great markets of artists selling paintings and doing portraits, bakers and sweet shops, and so many other great local merchants.  The Sacre Coeur was another beautiful and magestic cathedral sitting high on a hill with great views of the city below.  After our tour was over we headed back to the hotel to go home to London.

The most used phrase of the weekend was definitely, “Oh my gosh you guys… We’re in PARIS!!!”

And the number one thing you MUST do in Paris… Eat a Nutella Crepe! You will totally love it, and I am not ashamed to say, I have had dreams about these delicious Parisian pastries! As always, comment me! I’d be happy to answer any questions and give any advice!  :) Britt