Eurostar, Paris and TGV

January's journey was by one of our favourite means of transport - though rarely used because of the expense. This time however, special deals were found - including a €1 upgrade to first class on the TGV.
A very early start saw us on the 7.01 Eurostar at St Pancras International - getting into France just as dawn broke, and into Paris on time at 10.17. Our friend Céline met us at the Gare du Nord, and we were able to leave our luggage at her flat while we spent the day in Paris - lunching in a Vietnamese restaurant, and walking in the Jardin des Plantes and the Jardin de Luxembourg before going to Gare de Lyon for our TGV leaving at 18.07 for Perpignan.

Having lunched quite well, we didn't bother to get anything else to eat, thinking that we would snack in the TGV buffet... but just as the train pulled out of the station, there was a depressing announcement: because of staff shortages, there would be no buffet service on the train. Facing a journey of over 5 hours this announcement was not well received! I did wander up to the bar after about an hour, just to ensure I hadn't misheard, to find that the only sustenance available was 3 bottles of plain water, and a few plastic cups. What joy! Fortunately Mike had a packet of peanuts in his backpack, and I had packed some chocolates we'd been given at Christmas, so we didn't go completely hungry.
We were expecting to be met at 23.30 at Perpignan station by Jo, but she wasn't there... when all the other passengers had been collected or left in taxis, and we remained as lost souls in the cold evening air, I telephoned her - and woke her up! For the first time in all our years of living in St Jean Lasseille, she had totally forgotten that she'd agreed to pick us up. There was no other transport available to us, and she quickly got herself dressed and came to the station - the fastest she had ever driven that route, she said - arriving not too long after midnight, full of apology. She really is a star of a neighbour, so we could hardly complain! She had remembered, the previous day, to turn on our heating and hot water so we eventually got home to a nice, warm house.

Transport: bus, Eurostar, more buses, TGV, car
Door-to-door: 19 hours
Cost: £129.58

They've done it again!

Ryanair that is... the winter timetable doesn't include any direct journeys from London airports to Perpignan or Gerona. Last year's experiences persuaded us that we could combine our travel to the French home with visits to other cities – always, of course, making sure that the airports in question were not hours away from the cities Ryanair claims they serve. So the internet searches have begun again, and the first journey we make will be via Cologne.

Summer schedule

Although at the end of March Ryanair did resume some flights to Perpignan and to Gerona, they weren't always convenient for our schedules – and by then we'd found we quite enjoyed trying out other routes and visiting other cities so it's a trend we'll continue.


With London-Perpignan back on the Ryanair schedule again, Mike finally went back to our most often-used route in April. Despite missing his intended coach to the airport (the result of travelling at rush hour, and when there are road works it seems on every other London street at present) he made it to Stansted just in time for his flight. However, our neighbour who had offered to pick him up evidently had the wrong flight time noted, and there was an hour's wait (and several phone calls and text messages) at Perpignan before his lift appeared - so not the early arrival he'd hoped for.


Transport: Terravision bus, Ryanair flight, lift home
Door-to-door: 7 hours
Cost: £16.99

Northern route

Frogbus made a timetable change which was not compatible with our next flight out of Gerona. Both of us were flying from there to Birmingham International with Ryanair. Our good friend François very kindly drove us all the way to the airport in his taxi without charge! After two days of almost non-stop rain in the south of France, the weather cleared before we left home, giving us fantastic weather for flying. The views over the Pyrenees, and then later over the Atlantic coast, were superb. We got to Birmingham International with time to lunch before getting our train to London Euston. Unfortunately we got on the wrong London train (a Virgin train, which was scheduled 9 minutes before our booked Midland train) and had to get off at Coventry and wait for the train we'd actually booked on to arrive. Oh, for the days of British Rail – when there was only one company it was impossible to be on the “wrong” train going to the same destination. The platform announcer at Coventry has the most irritating voice imaginable – think of the rise-and-fall associated with the reading of football results, then magnify it! - so it was a great relief when the train arrived and we could escape her!

Transport: taxi, Ryanair flight, Midland train, 168 bus

Door-to-door: 8 hours

Cost: £66.12

Torre Pendente

Morag was also booked on an early flight in March, but from Gatwick not Stansted. As the trains from London Bridge don’t run very early in the morning, she decided to go down the previous evening and catch a bit of sleep in the terminal building – not very much sleep, but some. The flight to Pisa was with Easyjet – a pleasant change from the usual Ryanair service. The pilot had a sense of humour, the staff were friendly – and the seats were comfortable – not plastic! Also, although like with Ryanair there were attempts to sell extras – they didn't keep plugging something every five minutes over the intercom.

All went swimmingly until we were almost at Pisa; it seems the pilot was told only on his final approach of changes to the landing procedures at Pisa airport – so it was a sudden climb into a “go-around” for a second approach. One of the stewardesses was thrown against the rear bulkheads, injuring her arm, leg and neck At first she thought the arm was broken but as the (successful) final approach was made she got some feeling back in the hand and thought probably not a break after all. She would go to hospital in Pisa to be checked anyway. Morag – having some hours to pass before the next flight – offered to keep her company if needed (as the rest of the crew would have to go back with the aircraft). They must have found someone on the ground to go with her though – Morag was not called on. (She texted the next day - she'd been taken to hospital on a spinal board - happily X-rays and a CT scan had uncovered no breaks.)

Pisa airport is very near the city and the local bus costs only €1.50. The go-around had given a chance to see Pisa from the air, but as the weather was good and there were a few hours to fill, a bus ride and a walk were indicated. Although the weather was variable, it was never cold or rainy, so very pleasant for walking. With the free city map picked up in the airport, it was easy after a little sightseeing to find the main railway station and thus the navette back to the airport.

The second flight of the day was typically Ryanair – so no need for further comment!

Transport: London Bridge to Gatwick with Southern Railways, Gatwick to Pisa with Easyjet, Pisa to Gerona with Ryanair, Frogbus.

Door-to-door (including a night at the airport): 24½ hours

Cost: £73.29

STILL Germany!

Mike’s next journey to St Jean in March also involved a change in Germany, this time at Bremen. The early flight meant leaving home at 5 a.m. in order to get to Stansted in time, but did mean that there was time to visit the city in between flights. Unusually for Ryanair, the airport is very close to the city of Bremen so it was easy to visit the city – though not for a long walk, as the weather was very cold. He found it an interesting town, and wants to visit again some time.

Transport: car, Terravision coach, two Ryanair flights, Frogbus, car

Door-to-door: 15½ hours

Cost: £51.82

Germany again

Mike also returned to London via Germany, flying from Gerona to Memminghen (Munich West) and then Memminghen to Stansted – both with Ryanair. The first flight was made in fantastic weather with beautiful views of the coast. Memminghen was a tiny hangar type airport with only one food outlet... selling soup (very salty!), Bavarian sausages and lager... not much else. Fortunately the delay between flights was only a couple of hours. He was back in London in time for us to go out and celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary!

Transport: car, Frogbus, two Ryanair flights, Terravision coach to Liverpool Street, 78 bus.

Door-to-door: 11 hours

Cost: £59.12