Eurostar from Waterloo to Gare du Nord and back

Advantages: Very Fast
Disadvantages: Too much like a flight

...the train leaves and after about 10 minutes of going at a relaxed pace through the south london suburbs it turns onto the CTRL (Channel Tunnel Rail Link) and whooshes through Kent. My train wasnt stopping at Ashford so it was straight to the Channel Tunnel I got a sandwhich before the tunnel from the buffet which is bit sparse. Instead they should have a proper dining car. In the tunnel all the carriges are locked so you cant go to the buffet. The actual ride through the tunnel took about half an hour and France seemed a refreshing change from Britain when the train got out. After that all you had to do was wait. After a while we stopped in Lille for a short time and a few people got off. Then the train proceeded to Paris, when you arrive there are no formalities whatsoever you just go. On the return leg the signs at gare du nord towards...

bandages 28.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Eurostar

● Remarkable Paris ●

Advantages: beautiful sceneries, plenty of stations, good quality hotels, fancy food, great attractions.
Disadvantages: Expensive, The history of France isn't always appreciated.

...● PARIS ( the place of love) has so many resplendent things about it and to be honest it is beyond words!.● ● Seven train stations are in Paris. Including: Gare Saint-Lazare, Gare du Nord, Gare de l'Est, Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse && Gare d' Austerlitz. ● ● Two airports are situated top east and bottom east of Paris they are called: Aéroport de Roissy && Aeroport d'Orly.● ● There are lots of things which instantly attract you to Paris some of them are: ● The Eiffel Tower ( Tour Eiffel) which is a inspiring monument built in 1889 to celebrate the science and engineering achievements of its age, soaring 300m / 984 ft. and weighing 7000 tons. ● The Notre Dame ( an gothic cathedral in Paris) is situated beside the River Seine. The construction of Notre-Dame de Paris...

hyperbunny62 13.07.2007 · Read review
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Review of Paris in general

Not exactly colonial

Advantages: Central, inexpensive.
Disadvantages: Poor service, stark rooms, no English cable tv.

...The Hotel des Colonies is on a side street off of one of Brussells' main drags (not far from the Gare du Nord). It is right next to the huge Sheraton, and a few hundred yards from what seems to be the heart of the local sex trade (lots of places called 'Bar American'!). The brochure said it was recently refurbished. If 1970s is recent, then that is true. The rooms are functional, but the general hotel facilities are not. The bar is closed all weekend. the concierge had difficulty speaking the local language, let alone English. The street outside was rather grotty (not really their fault - road works). Booked a double (they do actually have double rooms) but got a twin. But... not too pricy, certainly compared with near neighbours....

enevel 15.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of Hotel des Colonies, Sint-Joost-ten-Node

Brussels By Eurostar

Advantages: Great staff. Good deals.
Disadvantages: Any time spent in Brussels is immediate need for a diet afterwards.

...This is the second time we have used Bridge Travel, in their Belgian Travel Service guise. On both occasions, all of their arrangements have run like clockwork. We are full of praise for their telephone staff - putting holidays on hold while the rest of your family decides if they can afford it, or in my daughter's case, whether she is still talking to the same boyfriend! A good way of getting a weekend in Brussels off to a relaxing start is to get down to Ashford, Kent the night before, using the hotel booked by Bridge Travel. A short taxi ride to the station after an early breakfast seems so civilised compared to the air equivalent. All your bags are carry-on so no retrieval problems. Brussels has a good few budget hotels only a few Tram/Metro stops away from the Gare du Midi, where the Eurostar arrives. The only major disappointment...

BNibbles 12.11.2000 (18.11.2000) · Read review
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Review of Bridge Travel

Your Bed...My Liege!

Advantages: Good Location, Comfy Beds, Nice Views on Our Floor
Disadvantages: Crazy Maid Monsters

...On a recent long weekend to Paris with my sister and a few of our friends we booked ourselves into the Paris Liege hotel for 2 nights. Where is it --------------- Located just opposite Gare Du Nord station in the heart of Paris, the hotel liege is ever so slightly out of sight behind a few brighter signed buildings. It?s on the left hand side of the road as you cross over and has a nice subtle pink sign indicating its presence. How much / How to Book? ------------------------------------- We booked through lastminute.com who arranged everything on our behalf. When we arrived our reservations were correct and we were given a key card for or room with no troubles at all. My sister and I shared a twin room at £70 per night. I thought this was pretty reasonable considering the great location and proximity to the station...

chugglebunny 08.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Hotel Paris-Liege, Paris

Really High Quality Hotel

Advantages: Excellent Service
Disadvantages: Distance To Paris

...pool, gym etc. There is a large restuarant on site with a bar adjacent. The food is good quality but as expected for a Hilton was fairly pricey. Travelling to Paris was much less hastle than expected. A few minutes to the rear of the hotel there is a train station which connects directly to Paris's main train stations. I.e Gare Du Nord. The journey took approx 25-30mins. Overall I would definately recommend this hotel and some good prices can be obtained. I also think that this hotel is a 4*+ as i have stayed in many other 4* hotels which are no way near the standard of this hotel....

djgoldstar 16.03.2007 · Read review
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Review of Hilton Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Roissy-en-France

A nice hotel in a train station

Advantages: easy access to the public transport, not expensive
Disadvantages: not in the city centre

...Recently we won something...a trip to Paris and a two day stay in this hotel, the Best Western Hotel Paris Est, was included. The 2-star hotel ist located literally in the train station Paris Gare d´Est. The hotel´s contact data are: Best Western Paris Est 4 Rue Du 8 Mai 1945 75010 Paris, France Telephone:+33(1)44892700 It belongs to the Best Western Hotel chain and has its website here: http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/priceAvail.do?iata=00162850&propertyCode=93510 The price for one night in a double room including breakfast is 60 Euro/ 53 Pound (for the room). 1.Location Since the hotel is really inside the train station it is very easy to reach. There are a few Metro lines departing from that station as well as regional trains. Just no direct way to the airport Charles de Gaulle ? you have to changed the train in...

squirrel123 16.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Best Western Hotel Paris-Est, Paris

Cheap and cheerful in Paris

Advantages: Well priced. Great location
Disadvantages: Basic hotel.

...I have stayed at the Hotel Aris Nord in Paris on a number of occasions. Whilst it is not a luxurious hotel it is functional, friendly and reasonable and I would highly recommend it. Location It is ideally located for Eurostar trips to Paris being about 5 minutes walk from the Gare du Nord. It is also 5 minutes walk away from Gare du L'est so is in easy reach of the Metro and mainline. The Rue du Fauborg is an exciting street (although quiet enough to sleep). It has many bars / restaurants along it. Due to this being an ethnic quarter of Paris there are many Indian / Albanian and other ethnic restaurants. Of course there are also the traditional french bars and brasseries selling steak, chips, red wine and beer. As these tend to be inhabited by the French rather than tourists they are reasonably priced. Price The hotel...

honey000 19.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of Hotel Aris Nord, Paris

Nice, relaxing way of getting to Paris

Advantages: Quick, reliable and gets you into the centre of Paris
Disadvantages: Time taken to get to Waterloo, Paris terminal was small.

...trains. The journey itself went very smoothly and within about an hour we were underneath the English Channel and nearly in France. The French portion of journey was the longest but also went very smoothly. Overall we left on time and arrived on time and the journey was comfy, all you could ask for really. The only real complaint is the size of the departure terminal at the Gare du Nord as it is far too small with seats for only about a fifth of the number of passengers that each Eurostar train can actually carry. If there were 2 trains due to depart, then I dread to think how busy it would have been. Overall, I would recommend Eurostar for travel to Paris if you are in London or within an hour or two's travel of London as it is a much more relaxing way of getting to Paris than flying. Within a few hours you are at the Gare du Nord...

sce8pmh 01.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Eurostar

Trams reliable but trains less so

Advantages: fairly cheap options
Disadvantages: train connections can be unreliable

...frequently, the Go Pass for travellers under 26 offers ten single journeys for about GBP23 and this means theoretically a ticket to Arlon from Brussels return costs about 5 pounds return! There are also passes for commuting where you get 10 single journeys for the price of eight, and this is well worth investigating. Brussels has a lot of different railway stations, which serve different directions, so be warned that you may well get a northbound train from the South Station (Gare du midi/Brussel Zuid) and not the otherway round! Eurostar goes to Gare du Midi/Brussel Zuid and from there there are a wide variety of buses, trams, métro and trains to allow you to travel onwards. Faredodging is a big issue in Brussels with fines escalating rapidly, and a three strikes and you're out type system. Bearing in mind that a custodial sentence could...

Morgenhund 28.07.2000 (21.05.2001) · Read review
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Review of Getting around in Brussels