Welcome back to another update from my Europe Train Adventure.

Today was the first high speed rail leg of my trip, starting at St. Pancras International station in London and arriving at Gare du Nord in Paris.

A person walking through an arched corridor with the sign “St Pancras International” on a brick wall, indicating a location within St Pancras railway station.

I enjoyed the architecture of St. Pancras station as I headed to board Eurostar 9022 to Paris.

A busy train station with a large clock, passengers with luggage, a departing train, and a glass and metal roof structure.

Eurostar train at a station with a destination sign showing “Paris.

My car for the journey. It was clean, comfortable, and spacious. I also appreciated how low key the boarding experience was. I was relaxing in my seat and without any fanfare we slowly started to depart the station.

Interior of a train carriage with passengers seated and overhead luggage compartments, featuring comfortable seats and a digital display indicating the destination as Paris.

The high speed rail lived up to its name! That’s about 182 mph.

A digital display inside a train showing the speed of 293 km/h and the destination “Paris” under the label “Business Premier.

The trip felt quick too. We were practically to Paris by the time I was able to upload a photo and make a short post. My seat included food, which was served before we even entered the Chunnel.

The platform in Gare du Nord station. The Gare du Nord train station interior with platforms, tracks, passengers with luggage, overhead signs for platforms 3 and 4, a stairway, and a glass and metal roof.

The station exterior from the street. A wide shot of the Gare du Nord train station in Paris with pedestrians walking in front, decorative banners, and a red sculpture near a lamppost.

My hotel is only a short walk from Gare du Nord. After checking in to my room, I decided to stroll around and I ended up walking along Canal Saint Martin.

A scenic view of a canal with clear water, bordered by a pedestrian walkway and a road with a few cars and cyclists. Trees and buildings line the opposite bank under a cloudy sky.

Something I noticed while walking around Paris is how many bikes there are and the numerous bike lanes and associated bike infrastructure. Many lanes on busier streets seemed protected from car traffic, which is great. Other European cities, such as Amsterdam, are famous for their biking, but I didn’t realize Paris was this far along. I wish US cities would adopt this kind of bike infrastructure. There’s an increasing number of people riding bikes in Atlanta, but we are especially far behind when it comes to bike infra!

Tomorrow, I’ll do some sightseeing around Paris. Goodnight!