I've mashed the finances for our French trip this morning.
Almost exactly on budget!
The accommodation was under budget due to self-catering rather than hotels with meals.
The travel was over budget mainly due to SNCF reservation charges and the more expensive ferry crossing.
#CoteBleuBlog #holiday
Here's my condensed summary blog post of our recent rail & ferry trip to the south of France (complete with a few photos)
https://gaylers.me/travel/2025/05/francemay25
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#interrail #railways #France #CoteBleuBlog #Martigues #Marseille #Lyon #Railway #SNCF
The final installment of our holiday journey to the south of france and back to the UK.
We got back home as expected without any drama on the return journey - in fact it was a very relaxing day's travelling.
Thanks Eurostar & East Midlands Railway
The daily blog posts I've been putting up will […]
Sigh.
Eurostar still think they are operating an airport not a railway station.
#SecurityTheatre #railways #CoteBleuBlog #eurostar
Today will be spent travelling west and north towards home.
We're currently in Lille, France.
First destination - by rail - will be London St Pancras. Then on to Leicester.
But first - once we're up - is to fuel up on the hotel breakfast.
Once our bags are repacked then saunter across the road […]
This hotel room has a bath.
I don't often have the opportunity to have a bath as we've only got a shower at home.
It's the tiniest bath I've ever tried to get in - at least there was no danger of drowning!!
(FFS - If you're designing a hotel room, don't put a short, narrow bath in - just make […]
Todays travelling blog - as we head back towards the north of France courtesy of SNCF and we go home tomorrow with Eurostar.
https://mikefromlfe.mataroa.blog/blog/monday/
#interrail #france #CoteBleuBlog #blog #blogging
We seem to have been caught up in some incident on the TGV lines.
Most of the trains are currently delayed by between 30 & 90 minutes although the screens indicate that services are getting back to normal.
I'm expecting our 3:15 service not to be on time!
I've had the first poor night's sleep since we've been away on holiday.
We're travelling towards home today - as far as Lille - so I could have done with a better rest.
I think the lack of sleep was due to a combination of the effects of co-codamol, dehydration, backache and the vast amount of […]
I should have taken a photo, but didn't - there was a stall on the market today with two ladies offering minor clothing repairs while you waited.
What a great idea, and how very French!
#france
Pen and watercolour sketch of a bay. There are blocked out green trees above brown & grey rocks on the left & centre. There is a representation of a crowded beach in the centre left and a green bush I the right foreground.
Yesterday's beach scene.
I wasn't happy with this when I did it, but it's grown on me.
Plage de Carro near Martigues
It's market day here.
Guess where we're going!
#france #CoteBleuBlog
Good day Saturday Tooters.
After yesterday's relatively successful day trip by bus (which needed a bit of planning because of the random timetable) we're going to try going to a different place today.
If it goes according to plan it'll be one river-boat shuttle, and three buses. I'm not sure […]
I haven't forgotten my daily holiday blog posts, but as we're not actually travelling at the moment, there's little to report.
I'm keeping the blog up to date - so if your really want to know what we've been doing look you here:
https://mikefromlfe.mataroa.blog/
#CoteBleuBlog
Statue of a naked man holding the limp body of a naked woman. The woman's left hand appears - because of the angle of the photo - to be cupping the man's penis. There is a river beyond the sculpture and buildings on the far bank.
I know I've got a smutty mind but the angle of my photo of this sculpture is...... errr
#lyon #CoteBleuBlog
Day 3 of our holiday journey.
We travelled from Lyon to Martigues and had a few issues on the way!
mikefromlfe.mataroa.blog/blog/day-3-where-i-mess-...
A complete and utter balls up on my part!
I got lost on the Lyon Metro and we missed our planned train from Part Dieu.
This is where the flexibility of the Interrail pass comes in
It did involve a purchase of reservations for the TGV to Marseille, but at least we're on our way.
The connection […]
I slept better last night in this hotel bed than I have anywhere else in weeks!
Lyon seems like a lovely city - we cheated and eat at Five Guys yesterday evening.
We sat outside with our burgers and watched the evening crowds along the main street. An amazing, inclusive, all ages, diverse […]
Day two of our French Interrail holiday.
St Malo to Lyon
mikefromlfe.mataroa.blog/blog/day-2-onwards-to-ly...
#holiday #interrail #CoteBleuBlog #france
Sitting on a stationary TGV in the middle of the French countryside is strangely relaxing. Very tranquil.
Good job I'm not in a hurry!
#SNCF #CoteBleuBlog
Modern building with a slabbed area in front. A bench is in the left foreground. The label on the single storey building says 'Gare de Rennes SNCF'. The sky is cloudy
Gare de Rennes
#sncf #interrail
Good morning to you from France.
I slept badly - maybe too much very fine food in the posh restaurant here on the ferry.
I woke up far too early, confused about what time it is, and what time the alarm would get us up.
The attitude to customer services on the boat is very French - ask a […]
Day 1 of our holiday -
First blog post describing our curious day!
mikefromlfe.mataroa.blog/blog/day-1-home-to-ports...
#CoteBleuBlog
Very strange!
On a London Circle Line train about 100 miles from home I met someone I used to work with about 20 years ago.
She'd been trying to find out how to contact me so as to invite me to her retirement do.
Coincidences happen!
#CoteBleuBlog
We had a fair bit of rain here overnight - maybe not enough to do much good on the allotment, but every little helps.
Up bright and early to get organised for the taxi to take us to the station.
The bags are by the front door.
Kasa will be staying here to look after Kit the new Cat, so we've […]
It's Sunday again.
Welcome!
Have a good one.
We're looking after a pair of grandchildren for a couple of days - mum brought them yesterday lunchtime and dad will remove them this evening when he finishes work.
They are very well behaved and pretty self-sufficient these days.
The 11year old […]
