There are all sorts of advantages traveling by train these days: less security checks, no lost luggage or waiting around for luggage to come down a carousel, no restrictions on liquids or food being brought with you, more legroom, wider seats, better scenery and sometimes even less time spent in travel if you factor in the time you have to spend at an airport waiting for your plane, and of course it costs less if traveling second class.
So, that's sounds great, yes? Why wouldn't everyone travel by train then? That's exactly what I thought; especially the part about no restrictions on liquids and food being brought home with you, because we were in Paris after all, so of course we're bringing home cheeses, wine, mustards, fine chocolates, delectable macarons, chestnut and chocolate spreads, jams and sauces; a regular traveling pantry I'd say!
Our journey by taxi was actually enjoyable being picked up by a roomy Mercedes as it were. The friendly taxi guy spoke some frenglish which went well with our frenglish so we got on well and learned a few things. He brought us right up close to the sparkling Gare du Nord, and I say sparkling because the last time I was there 30 years ago, it was a dank, dirty and dingy place with filthy floors, beggars everywhere and very rude vendors who ripped you off for a small, stale sandwich. Now, it's a gleaming palace in comparison with a new glittery red bear like piece of art in front. But, before you get into this gleaming transportation hub, you must traverse 30 metres of being swarmed by pickpockets and so called beggars who really intend to distract and steal from you, and in fact, work in gangs of 5 or more. We learned this from everyone we met and actually had some dicey encounters ourselves, but that's another story.
So, we waded through the these annoyances clutching luggage and valuable Paris delicacies to the 'palace' because once inside, the gendarmerie were an ominous presence and there was nary a pickpocketer or 'beggar' to bother you.
Following Steven's advice (he'd traveled home two days before my sister and I with Elowyn), we got out of the cold and went by elevator upstairs to a Relay Store which is a book/magazine/snack/coffee store. We scored two comfortable seats in the warm store and ordered a coffee while we waited for our track to show up on the digital board. This is shown 30 min. before the train leaves.
When it was, we went back down and queued for security. This was new, didn't queue in Düsseldorf, but we were in Paris who is on high alert for terrorists and was like this in every museum and attraction we visited, so it was part of the new normal. In fact, the week we were there, the police had foiled some kind of terrorist plot and arrested a bunch of people.
Anyway, as luck would have it, our train was attached to another train and we would be separating in Brussels. Because of this, we had to walk a good 200 m all the way to the very last car on the train. Finally got in, stored our luggage and blissfully sank into our seats for the 3hr 55 min ride...or so we thought.
All went smoothly despite a family with four, count em FOUR babies under three years old. Two of them were twins, none of them were happy and all of them wore diapers, smelly diapers. It's hard to have an appetite when crying babies are being changed out of their poopy diapers RIGHT in the train cabin! I later checked out the facilities and in this day and age you'd think someone would design an area for a parent to change their child's diaper in a clean, safe, and well ventilated place! Maybe there was such a place in another car, but for convenience sake of her crying children, the mother changed them right there and everyone else had to suffer through the galling smell while we all covered our noses and breathed through our scarves to survive the diaper exchange. Lord!
The train was fast and arrived in Brussels on time where we separated our train and moved on towards Germany. In Köln, the family with all the babies got off and the rest of us breathed a sigh of relief thinking our troubles were over, but no, they were just about to begin.
We made good time and the train engineer announced we were about to arrive in the hauptbahnhof in Düsseldorf. We packed up our devices, got our coats on, and our luggage and queued in the aisles to get off as the train pulled in to the dark station at 8pm. We waited and waited until suddenly, the engineer said in four languages, "Close the doors, nobody is allowed off!" That was curious! One German guy looked out the darkened window and peered at the signpost and said in German," This is not Düsseldorf!" Now, our whole car was straining towards the window to see if it was true until the engineer said, "Sorry, we are not in Düsseldorf, we are in Sollingen!" WHAT?!? Now our train erupted with everyone talking at once. I asked German guy where Sollingen was and he said it was 45 km Northwest of Köln and no where near Düsseldorf which is straight north from Köln. Now we were in a pickle. What the hell happened?!? At first, we were joking about it and I said that the engineer had too much glüwein (mulled wine) until someone said ominously, "But, this is a FRENCH train!" It was then that we all got silent and worried, especially the Germans.
The engineer came on again sounding exasperated and apologized again and said we'd be at our destination soon. We started crawling along, then stopping and everyone seemed worried. I asked German guy why we were going so slow. He said that the engineer had made a terrible mistake by going on the wrong track and not to have noticed it for 45 km because all the trains were on schedules and now we were not on course and it was dangerous to proceed with other high speed trains on the same track, there could be a collision. I texted Steven and told him we'd be late and didn't know when we'd get in, and that we had missed our connecting train.
Ten minutes later, the engineer announced confidently that NOW we had arrived in Düsseldorf, but German guy looked out his window and said, it's impossible, it takes more than 10 min. to get to Düsseldorf from Solingen especially in a very slow train. And he was right, because a few moments later, an audibly agitated engineer announced this was NOT Düsseldorf after all and to close the doors.
All the passengers were talking at this point wondering if the engineer was incompetent, or 'in his cups' as one guy said. The train crawled on, stopping and going.
We finally arrived at our destination 45 min. late and hurried to catch the next connecting train to Ratingen. By this time, we were tired and it was much colder in the dark evening air, but we caught the next train which goes every 30 min. and settled down for the short ride.
I had texted Steven that we were coming, so he was coming by car to pick us up. We had arrived, went down the ramps, but no Steven.
Where are you? I texted.
Right here by the buses.
What buses?
Right at the only exit.
We ARE at the only exit and there's no one here.
We are on the street. (I texted the intersection names then took a photo of the train station sign too for good measure).
You got off at the wrong stop, you're 6 km away!
Then my phone died. Yeah...
Having a power bar came in handy, but it was buried in my purse, then I had to find the right cord. And finally I said to my sister, let's get back on the next train and go further. So, up the long ramps we trudged to the platform while my phone started juicing up. Then of course, I was locked out of my phone and needed the SIM number. Finally unlocked the dumb phone and texted Steven to stay where he was and wait for us.
Thankfully he got the message and did wait. We got on the next train and arrived home two hours behind schedule. ThalysTrain is getting a letter from me.
Good to be home. Today we try the Beaujolais wine to celebrate.
Would I travel by train again? Yes! But maybe, not a French train!
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