Battle of the Gare

The second weekend we were here, Carly and I decided to spend a few days down in Aix-en-Provence. I had heard how simple it was to travel by train in Europe and was excited to try it out! Carly and I went to the Accent center to get help buying tickets and booking a hotel online. We had no idea how complicated this was about to be. For one, the train prices kept changing. It was difficult being on two separate computers and both finding the same price for tickets. After my visa was rejected twice, we decided to go to Gare du Lyon and buy them in person. Well, going to the train station on Friday afternoon was just about as bad as asking a French person how many wars they have won. It was so incredibly crowded and of course the only people in Paris that cannot speak English work at the Gare du Lyon. After finally figuring out where to buy train tickets, we waited in line for about an hour and a half. Once it was our turn to buy tickets, the man helped us find a train time from Paris to Aix-en-Provence. We found a time and price that we both agreed on and were ready to pay. Our credit cards were declined. Again. Frustrated and hot, Carly and I went to the ATM to withdraw an unsafe amount of money to buy these tickets. Carly's card only allowed her to withdraw 20 euros. So, we took the metro back home and Carly collected the exact amount of euros needed to buy tickets. We finally were able to purchase tickets to Aix-en-Provence but it was definitely a process. I never wanted to experience that frustration again. Well, just last Sunday, I went to Gare du Nord to buy tickets to Cannes for my sister and I. I had no problem finding the area where they were selling tickets and I was a little disappointed when I saw how long the line was. However, I waited approximately 20 minutes and had the best service I have experienced in France. The woman was very understanding of my choppy french and we found great times and prices for the train ride to Cannes. When she told me the price, she also mentioned a youth discount that my sister and I would both qualify for. Now, this french was getting pretty tricky, and I didn't mind spending the extra 30 euros without the youth discount. When I said I was okay with the more expensive option, she looked at me like I was making a mistake. She said she would be right back and found a worker that could speak english. The english speaking worker explained the youth discount and that it was a no brainer to take advantage of this opportunity. She also explained what I needed to do with my ticket once I got to the station, what time I needed to arrive before the train departed, and how to use my youth discount. Gare du Nord for the win! I told her how nice and helpful she was, and walked away holding my tickets with a smile on.