Something that we wanted to do on our vacation to ...

Something that we wanted to do on our vacation to London a few years ago was to go to Paris via the bullet train. Unfortunately, we weren't able to, so this time around we made it a point to do it.

It's pricey, but still cheaper (and more convenient) then flying to Paris and back. We purchased the nonrefundable fares as a backup in the event our plans would change. What's great is that we were able to pick out our seats with power-ports on them (cars 5 and 16 have them). Since we were going to be relying on our phones to get around Paris, this was a huge plus to make sure we had a full charge getting there and enough to get us home.

Getting to and through London St. Pancras station was easy and the staff was very friendly. Once you clear security, there's a large nice waiting area with some food and shopping options.

Boarding the train was simple and quick, each train car is labeled on the ground. The trains were clean and rather spacious (better than being in an airplane). The unfortunate part is that there was no way of telling which way the seats would be facing, so I took a gamble and lost as we were facing backwards, but it really didn't matter.

The train left right on the dot and we were on our way. The seats were comfortable, but it was getting hot in the train, sometimes the air would come through but it was borderline uncomfortable at times. The lavatories were decent, but of course you get typical slobs that just leave it in dirty conditions. There is also a food car, where you can buy food, drinks, snacks and tickets for attractions.

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The credit card terminal that they use accepts non-chip and pins cards BUT for security purposes, transactions are only allowed up to $50. Make sure you have cash or a chip and pin card if you plan on spending more than $50.
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Other than that, the staff was very friendly the entire time and we had a pleasant experience. Definitely plan on using them again sometime in the future.