Recent content by Dougal2345

Off-topic question, but wouldn't the ferry have been a better alternative to driving..?

Well I think you've picked up on a throwaway remark I made, qualified with 'likely', and analysed it to death there. Although perhaps the more important point was the one below (also qualified with a 'likely'):

I Googled "Bournemouth Airport Destinations" and much (not all) of what came up seemed to be roughly due East or South East of Bournemouth - Krakow, Geneva, Venice, Crete etc., so Southampton, Gatwick and Heathrow are all vaguely on the way... But the crucial point is that a 100 mile drive to...

But who's going to pay? Why should the council subsidise a bus service to assist a private sector enterprise like the airport? I feel sure the airport could afford to stump up for a minibus service once every 2 hours between it and, say, Bournemouth Travel Interchange. And if it can't, why...

I did go into that a bit earlier in the thread:

Many of us hope the opposite. I certainly don't want my Council Tax funding a service to make it easier for people to fly abroad at enormous environmental cost, and spend their money overseas rather than locally. 'Plane travel has enough tax breaks as it is. If people want to fly from...

I was heading Perpignan to Vic about three weeks ago, going the Portbou way in what would have taken a long time on the "Rodalies", but then all the French services were cancelled due to a strike, and I ended up getting a Flixbus, changing at Girona Airport. So although I'd have preferred...

I've never even thought of leaving my passport in the safe when abroad, I always keep it on me. (also not all the cheaper hotels I stay in have a safe in the room...) I had a vague idea that some countries require you to be able to prove your identity at any time with an identity card, and as...

Is this definitely the case? When I asked for one in the on board café (which proved faulty, as discussed above) I was offered one with two trips. This was what I wanted so I didn't enquire further, but I didn't get the impression they could add extra journeys?

I think I'd need an NFC-capable 'phone to do that, but I'm behind the times...

Sadly I didn't have time today, already speeding to Perpignan, and my journey home is via Lille so I won't have a chance then... Still £7 is not the end of the world (but I hope I get it, it's the principle of the thing :) ).

Following the sage advice here, to-day I made my way to the Eurostar Café, bought a Navigo Easy (£7 or €8.75, I think) and on arrival at the GdN, strode confidently up to the RER gate... Unfortunately nothing happened, the card was not recognised at all. So it was all the stress of the...

€7.85 sounds okay, presumably if bought in France it would be €2.00 for the card, and 2 x €2.50 for the journeys - so it's only an 85 cent markup. I wonder why they don't sell them in the departure hall at St Pancras too, to save one having to mooch through the train - but perhaps it's a way to...

Thanks for all the advice! Sadly I don't have an "NFC-capable" 'phone, which I think would be needed - and besides I don't much like having to get my 'phone out and wave it around at busy ticket barriers - so will get the Navigo card on the Eurostar, hoping it's not too expensive...

Just a really quick question - are the standard paper single Metro tickets still available from machines taking coins at Gare du Nord? Have to do a quick-ish transfer to the Gare de Lyon in a couple of weeks so want to be prepared...