Reversing at Marseilles
The train reversed at Marseilles. So instead of going backwards, I was now facing north and on the eastern side of the train, so I didn’t get any of the sun that was going. There wasn’t much and we did have a bit of rain.
It started twenty minutes late at 13:30 and arrived in Lille at 18:00, which meant it lost another five minutes. But I still had enough time to get the Eurostar to London.
This train was via Paris Charles de Gaulle, so I didn’t have to change trains in Paris.
Charles de Gaulle Airport from the TGV
Why is it we don’t plan to build a connection between HS1 and HS2 in London, just like the French have done around Paris?
After all Birmingham to Paris would be only about three and a half hours, which would probably be quicker than a plane, if you took in the transfers to and from the airports.
French Dog on a French Seat on a French TGV
I took this picture of a poodle on the TGV.
French Dog on a French Train
It went all the way from Nice to Lille.
How Safe is the TGV?
TGVs are fast, but are they safe?
It is interesting to look at the list of accidents on Wikipedia.
On high-speed lines, there have been derailments but overall the technology has worked and the train has stopped fairly safely, with perhaps a few bruised passengers. But then the lines are straight, have few points and crossovers, and the trains are designed to hold together in an accident.
But on normal tracks there have been some serious accidents; one bomb, one freak accident in a depot, one derailment and four involving level crossings. The French are worried about the last and are endeavouring to remove all level crossings from lines used by TGVs.
None of the accidents have been as bad as the Eschede accident on Deutsche Bahn, where over a hundred people died.
So are TGVs safe?
Yes!
The French are to be applauded in removing level crossings and keeping their high-speed lines as straight and as clear of things to hit as possible. It could be argued that if the train at Eschede had just derailed and not hit the bridge, then the casualties would have been greatly reduced.
Travelling Backwards
Why do we like travelling forwards in vehicles?
I suppose it’s because we like to see where we are going and in most journeys we do in cars, buses and planes we always face that way. I should say here, that I once sat backwards on a powerful motor-bike and was driven through the Mersey Tunnel. I didn’t have a helmet on either! Was it scary? Not really! But it was Panto Week in Liverpool – i.e. Rag Week in the University.
On Wednesday from Nice to Marseilles I travelled backwards, just as we often do in trains and it got me thinking.
It’s probably safer in a crash as you’re forced into the seat and don’t end up as a missile propelled forward to the seat in front. But then you don’t have too many train crashes!
I’ve actually flown backwards a couple of times in de Havilland Tridents, where half the seats were backwards. It wasn’t a problem and neither did my passengers complain when using the backwards facing seats in my Cessna-340A.
So perhaps we’re prejudiced against travelling backwards.
Trundling to Marseilles
Trundling is the word, as the TGV took just under three hours to get from Nice to Marseilles and then four and a half to get from Marseilles to Lille. And it’s not one and a half times the distance.
After my experiences on the journey down with the catering, I decided to bring my own, which I bought from a small supermarket near to the station. I arrived on the train with two bottles of Coke, some Roquefort, some butter, a pack of Trufree crackers, crisps, some fruit bars, two bananas and a free plastic knife. Never forget that, when you have a picnic.
Lunch, Puzzles, Phone and Notepad
Note too the paper cup from Paul. I can’t drink too well out of bottles, but found that this cup I got with coffee at the airport is excellent to stop my dribbling. But my menu shows the problems you have when travelling as a coeliac. The Roquefort was nice though and went well with the crackers.
The train left on time at 10:28 and it is very much a stop start journey with stops at Antibes (10:50), Cannes (11:00), St. Raphael (11:34), Les Arcs (11:52), Toulon (12:37) and it arrived at Marseilles at 13:20. That was just over twenty minutes late, but then the line from Nice to Marseilles is not a TGV line and carries all types of local traffic.
I think if I go south on the train again, I’ll go as far as Marseilles and then either go to a resort near there like Bandol or hire a car.
Just out of Nice I passed the Marina Baie des Anges.
Marina Baie des Anges
It describes itself as the world’s most beautiful marina, but that is probably subjective. Anyway, I think it’s awful and is starting to show its age from the railway.
We once went there with our two youngest children and had a holiday in a boat on the Mediterranean. It is perhaps a holiday we never talked about much and we never did something like that again. All I can remember was my youngest’s passion for eating duck every night in the various restaurants we visited and an outboard motor that was very temperamental.
Most of the journey to Marseilles was along the coast and you passed from one bay to another.
Agay
Here is the bay at Agay. This was a place that we visited in the boat and it is a lovely sheltered anchorage.
So although the journey is slow, there is a lot to look at.
A Train and a Half
Or is it is half a train and a double-half train?
A Standard TGV Reseau and a Duplex
This is the train I took from Nice to Lille. Note that it is a standard single-deck TGV Reseau, with a Duplex coupled on behind.
It might look odd, but it does give a degree of flexibility. In fact the two halves split at Lille, with the Reseau going on to Brussels.
Nice Airport to Nice Station
Read the information at Nice Airport and it gives the impression that it is not recommended to take the train, as this is a fifteen or twenty minute walk to Nice St. Augustin station. As my friend had to take the plane, they had the hire-car and left before me, I decided that as I had plenty of time, I’d chance the walk in the sun.
It was easy and I did it in under fifteen minutes from the terminal and then had to wait about five minutes for a train which took just six to get to the centre of Nice. As the trains are every ten or fifteen minutes and the buses only run every half-hour, I would always take the train.
Suburban Train at Nice St. Augustin Station
I should say that in the three years since I last visited the Cote d’Azur, public transport has improved immeasurably. These trains are all new and then there’s the trams and the buses.
Nice Station
On Wednesday, I had to return after four days and five nights in the sun. It would appear that one of the troubles of going by train is that as you take a whole day to get there, you spend an extra night in the hotel.
Nice station is typical of its time with a large iron shed and a station building built in the mid-nineteenth century, which is more or less original. There are various works taking place to improve it and I hope that they are being done as sympathetically as those in Place Massena in the centre of the city.
Cambridge to Nice by Train
I was dropped at Cambridge early, as since my stroke I get almost paranoid about missing anything. It’s probably that I’m insecure. But then I always was a bit! I’m just moreso now. But I really had no worries as my credit card and the reference number from Eurostar got the tickets issues without any fuss.
The outcome was that I got the 7:15 out of Cambridge instead of the 7:45 and sat comfortably in First Class. I should say that the extra two single tickets from Kings Cross to Cambridge cost me just £15 for the pair. And as I’m travelling First all the way to Nice, I get First to London. First Capital Connect are not always praised for their service and punctuality, but I had no problems and arrived in London on time.
But of course it was into the main station at Kings Cross, rather than the old surburban one which is just a short walk from St. Pancras International.
Kings Cross Station
As I knew I had a fully flexible ticket, was thirty minutes early and I had to pick my tickets up from the station, I decided to see if I could catch an earlier train. It’s the paranoia again, as I was rather worried that I might miss the connection in Paris, so a few extra minutes might be welcome.
Let’s say the flexible ticket worked and instead of being on the 9:32, I was on the 8:55. But I was told there might be a problem with my gluten-free meal, so would I mention it at the gate. I think the paranoia ruled the stomach and I preferred to be early and hungry, rather than full and late. It was just as well.
The guy on the gate made a note and said that he’d try to get it sorted.
He did and the first thing the steward said when I boarded was that they had the gluten-free breakfast.
That in itself felt that at least someone was looking after me!
The trip was uneventful and I tried yet again to take a picture of the Dartford Bridge from the train. At least this time I was ready for it, not like when I took the journey a couple of months ago on a Javelin.
Dartford Bridge from Eurostar
The only other new feature of note on the English side of the Channel is the station at Stratford. For my liking it is too stark and nothing but concrete at the moment. Surely not something for the entrance point to the London 2012 Olympics. But then, I suspect it hasn’t been properly finished and a good bit of colour helps most things.
On the other side of the Channel the train rolled along as it should across the flat open countryside of Northern France.
Flat France
You can understand why they didn’t have much trouble building this high speed line, as except for Lille, it missed out all the towns and villages. But then France has a lot more space than we do.
Gare du Nord, Paris
I arrived on time into Gare du Nord or Gare Nord, as they call it now, and had ninety minutes or get to the Gare de Lyon. I had been intending to take a taxi, but as I had the extra time I took the RER D from under the station.
It was a wise choice.
A young lad about eighteen or so was by the ticket machines, dressed in a vest which said that he was there to help. He showed me how to use the machines and told me that I needed track 44. Paris is certainly trying to make sure that they welcome visitors! But then tourism is a cut-throat business these days and personal service is something that always works.
Paris RER
Note the double deck! Will Crossrail be that way? I doubt it.
Gare de Lyon, Paris
But then I had an hour to spend in the Gare de Lyon.
Le Train Bleu, Gare de Lyon, Paris
Le Train Bleu Restaurant, that evokes pre-war travel and glamour, is still there, although it does have an Express version as well. Perhaps, we don’t have as much time as we used to.
The station is being upgraded and probably not before time, as such as St. Pancras, Milan, Berlin and even dear old Liverpool Street show that a good station creates the right experience.
The train left on time for the long haul to Nice. To say it is a large train would be an understatement. It is two TGV Duplex or double-deck units coupled together. Short of a boat, it must be one of the largest people carriers around. According to Wikipedia each set carries 545 people.
You do wonder about trains though!
A friend is joining me at Nice for a few days and they have just phoned me from Lyon. Their plane has diverted there because is on the ground there because of mist at Nice! Do I hear herds of thundering tortoises?
Now I’m the tortoise, as the train threads its slow way through Toulon and all stations to Nice. Not the best.
Neither was the snack I got. Despite asking several times in my worst French, I ended up with a fish thing clearly labelled gluten. So I picked out a few bits of fish and potatoes and left the rest. I hope I’m OK. Why didn’t the silly woman show me the packet and I could have read it?
We’re barely walking pace at the moment and my friend has just arrived in Nice. Perhaps this train is always late, as it was the last time I caught it. That was between Antibes and Nice in 2007 on one of the last holidays with my late wife. It seemed strange to use it as a local train then, but everybody does.
Still the countryside is all green and it’s sunny.
TGV Duplex Arrives at Nice
Finally we arrived in Nice about a quarter of an hour late.
And then I got ripped off by the taxi driver.
Who cares? There are worse things in life! But it’s probably why I avoid them like the plague.
Booking for the South of France
On Friday, I’m going away for a few days to the South of France. My late wife always threatened me with the legendary Pierre Gruneberg at the Grand Hotel du Cap-Ferrat to get me to swim.
So I’m going!
My doctor says that I shouldn’t fly and although I sometimes disagree with medics, I’ll take the advice, so that I can go on the train. My late wife and I always said we’d take the train one way and fly the other. Now, I’m going to take it all the way from Cambridge via St. Pancras and Paris to Nice. And all the way back, but that trip means changing at Lille instead of Paris.
The cost is £510 for the round trip, but that is a fully-flexible first class. I’d pay half-that to just get to Manchester from Euston on Virgin Trains, so I think it is good value! Interestingly in the 1980s, you used to pay £300 return to fly London to Nice in Economy.
It will be the longest trip, that I’ve ever done on a train.
