Day 14: Paris to Hamburg

see all photos »

It was my last day in Paris and we were very sad . There were 2 reasons , we spend so little time in such a great city and secondly it was end of our European Discover and we were heading back to our home base Hamburg .

We started our Journey in Amsterdam and it came to an end in Paris . We had bought Euroline bus ticket and it said that we need to go to some place called Ave du General de Gaulle, Bagnolet. We didn't had any clue how to reach there , so we thought we would better start early . And since our luggage was very light we decided to take the metro .

Drive through Brussels, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bremen ...

see all photos »

We had a very early breakfast and we were not able to say goodbye to our Contiki folks .

The help desk in our Hotel told us that we have to go to Pore De Bangolet station and du General de Gaulleis just there . Well we took the metro from Saint-Denis and changed to line 3 at St Lazare and then it was quite a comfortable ride and we got down at Pore De Bangolet as advised by the hotel desk .

But unfortunately when we came out there was not exit to any bus station and it was quite early in the morning and not people around to inquire about it . Well luckily we found a Sri Lankan lady selling news paper and she told us we have to go to Gallieni (Parc de Bagnolet). That was extremely frustrating , we just got down one station before and now we are at a wrong exit . We thought of taking a cab and even that was not easy to get .

see all photos »

It was kind a moment of panic and then God send his angels . We were approached by a Mauritian Indian couple and they offered to drop us at the Euroline bus terminus . It was such a relief . It was really unbelievable , they were truly god send .

Well after reaching the terminus we spotted our bus it was going from Paris to Stockholm . This was again a very long journey , we started at 9.00 am in the morning and reached hamburg around 12.30 midnight .

The Euroline bus was very comfortable but both the drivers were bit rude and throughout our journey we didn't had a service stop , which was bit painful at times and we were not prepaid for this .

see all photos »

Both the drivers took enough toilet breaks and snack breaks , but they were reluctant to consider the same need for the passengers .

Seating in the bus was really very uncomfortable and certainly there were no Contiki crew to entertain us .

Our first stop was Lille and then we crossed the border to Belgium . When we arrived in Brussels it was almost lunch time and we were kind of Hungry . Knowing that the bus will not stop before Cologne, I thought of grabbing some food .

I asked the driver to give some time interval but he was not at all cooperative . His gesture says “ I am going for a pee , when I am back , we will be moving “

see all photos »

The situation was not favorable but there is no way that I am going to starve the whole day . So I decided to take a plunge and look for some food . I ran into a nearby super store , ordered some salad and sandwiches . I told the lady in the counter , that by bus is leaving and she was really very fast to pack the food and give back my change .

I got the food and then I ran for the bus . But my sheer bad luck I was stumbled in to a different trouble . I took the wrong escalator and instead of getting in to first floor , I found myself in the basement . And it was kind of a train station , well I don't have time and I am taking wrong escalator . But that's not end of the story .

see all photos »

Well I found out another escalator and was about to reach the first level . But unfortunately I was greeter by two police men and they started asking about tickets .

This may be the moment you need to test your nervous . My wife and all my belonging is in the bus , which can leave any moment . And there are 2 police men holding me up , saying I am traveling without ticket .

It took me some time to convince them that I am not traveling by local train , my destination is Hamburg and I have nothing to do in Brussels . I show them the pack of sandwich and then only they were bit convinced and shown their mercy to leave me .

see all photos »

To my surprise the bus was still there and my day was saved .

After this experience I never ventured out of the bus in our subsequent stops for the day . It was kind of a boring day , entirely seating in a coach .

We passed by Bonn , Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bremen . But there was no opportunity for sightseeing .I started thinking about my European discovery in retrospect .

I learned A LOT on/planning for this trip—about different cultures, history, other people, and myself. Here are some of my pearls of wisdom which I would like to share with my readers .

see all photos »

•  Invest in a portable tripod before you leave for a trip like this.

• If you have a digital camera and an iPod, get a digital camera connector, which allows you to store your photos on your iPod until you can hook it up to your computer when you get home. This allows you to take THOUSANDS of pictures.

• Don't forget your voltage adapter for any plugs.

  

  see all photos »

• McDonald's in Holland charges extra for ketchup.

• What happens in Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam. Consume your exotic purchases don't keep them as souvenir.

  

  see all photos »

• The Germanic countries are very clean, and the people are very nice.

• Italy is dirty, and overrated. It's main redeeming quality is the food.

  

  see all photos »

• Switzerland is very pretty, and the people are nice, but I question Switzerland's motives when it comes to money and its "neutrality."

• Paris has good parts and bad parts of town. Stick to the touristy stuff and you'll be fine. Beware of Montmartre at night.

  

  see all photos »

• Wine is cheaper than Coke.

The Coach:

Some days on the coach are long, the worst was Lucerne to Paris, but I think that was the only day that people actually complained about it. But the coach stops every 2 and a half to 3 hours either for a break or lunch. The time on the coach is good for sleeping, updating your journal, reading a book or magazines, listening to music, talking to people, or playing games.

I must admit, I kinda missed the coach on our non-coach days and after the tour.

Money:

I spent quite a bit of money while on my trip so I'm probably not the best person to give advice on spending money, but I'll try to give some guidance and tips on how and where to save and get it.

I didn't really watch my money that closely, but probably could have spent less if I had. I also ate some not so cheap meals, I spent between 3 and 15 euros on meals, and even got the infamous 5 euro soda once or twice. Always check the drink prices on the menu (especially in Italy) as wine, beer and bottled water are often cheaper then soda. In some cities for lunch you can go to bakeries and get good sandwiches inexpensively.

I kept most of my money in my money belt, and around a 100 euros in my wallet and/or pocket.

I usually advise against bringing travelers cheques because they can be a pain to exchange. When you only have a couple hours in a city do you really want to spend time running around to find a place to exchange travelers cheques?

Contiki guided tours aren't for everyone. It's fast-paced and not for those who want to relax while on vacation. Every night is a Saturday night and every morning is a Monday morning.

Save up your money and book that trip! Work will always be there. The opportunity to travel before any big commitments come along (kids) may not.