I am currently in Paris getting ready to participate in a training course – makes a change to be trained, usually I am the one doing the training.
For me, getting to Paris is simple, I walk to my local station (less than ten minutes), catch a train to London (about 30 minutes) then the short walk to the Eurostar terminal and catch the Paris train. Less than two and a half hours later I would be walking in Parisian streets on my way to the hotel. The same journey by air would be a lot more convoluted with driving, parking and airport shuttle buses added into the mix. And if I go with a budget carrier no food – unlike my ticket today which gave me a meal and wine on the journey and way too much coffee.
So why do I need a new passport, well it’s got a couple of years to go before it expires, it is machine readable so I can get in the USA on a visa waver but the significant thing is the photograph – today the French border police took one look and smirked…
If only we were in Schengen zone then I would not have such hassle!
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