When we went to bed on our last night in Paris we thought our train to Amsterdam left at 2:00 pm (14:00) in the next afternoon. We had even made tentative plans to meet a friend for breakfast.
But when we woke up we realized that our train actually left Paris at 10:30 am. Which meant we had to get all our luggage together, check out of the apartment, clean up the trash, drop the key in the lockbox, and pull our rollerbag suitcases on about a 10 minute walk to the Metro — and we had to leave well, now.
If you’ve ever been traveling and had that fire drill feeling, this is it. Suddenly all else falls away. There’s no time to think. You just have to go as fast as you can and hope you don’t forget anything.
You can’t be slowed down by the Sunday morning flea market shoppers or the ladies walking their tiny dogs.
When we arrived at Gare du Nord, we wandered for a bit trying to find the international trains, but all we saw were local destinations.
We stopped two information officers in the train station, but neither spoke English and our questions were not translating well into French.
All we knew was that the clock was ticking. I was very nervous when we exited the train station all together and started walking outside the building in places where pedestrians aren’t supposed to go. I thought for sure we’d have to turn back and that we might miss our train.
But we found the international train station, which was in a completely separate building. It was absolutely bustling. People were milling about the monitors displaying the track information.
Hari had warned me that when traveling within Europe they often don’t announce the gate (or train platform) until 30 minutes before departure. That means that as the half hour mark draws closer, more and more people congregate, ready to dash off like a game show or survival race as soon as the information is revealed.
Once the platform is announced, the crush to the line is a mass of confusion. The only thing to do is to follow the other people and hope you’re in the right line. Announcements are made in French and you have to listen hard or guess at the meaning — like, oh, that line that’s moving must be the First Class customers.
Once you’re set free to find your place, the train seems to go on forever. You might only know which car to look for so you keep walking and walking.
There’s a feeling of relief when you find your car, then panic when you wonder if what to do with your luggage. The seats are jammed so close together that only the smallest bag will fit underneath. The overhead storage compartments are big enough for a small suitcase or backpack.
If you’re one of the first ones on to your car you can find room in the luggage racks near the door, in between passenger compartments — although you’ll have to leave it out of sight and hope it’s still there when you depart.
After our whirlwind rush to the train, finally sitting down with a cup of coffee felt like Heaven. Hari got us “toasties” — which are basically grilled cheese sandwiches — from the dining car. For the next couple hours at least there would be no need to figure anything out, no one pushing and glaring at you to move out of their way, no foreign language to strain to understand.
When we arrived in Amsterdam, we had to find the local train that would take us on about a 30-minute ride to Utrecht.
Even on a Sunday morning when there weren’t many locals I felt like I was taking up too much space. I was too clunky and had too much stuff. I was like a bag lady — my coat too tight over my sweater, a bulky scarf, a rollerbag, backpack stuffed to the brim and another bag with my travel pillow bouncing around.
In short, I was a mess. And people in the Netherlands are the exact opposite. They are compact. They don’t have any more than necessary. What they are carrying is small, graceful and well-designed. People were silent or spoke in low voices.
I vowed that if I ever traveled internationally again, I would remember situations like this. I would imagine being on a train with incredibly neat and elegant people who take up no more space than needed. Next time I will be one of those people.