WHAT YOU WILL SEE:

London, England
London is a blend of old and new, pace and buzz alongside peace and tranquility, and an amazingly diverse cultural scene. The sounds of Brit-pop and techno pour out of Victorian pubs; experimental theater is popping up on stages built for Shakespeare's plays; upstart chefs are reinventing the bland dishes that British mums have made for generations; and Brits are even running the couture houses of Dior and Givenchy. In food, fashion, film, music, the visual arts, and just about everything else, London, as it moves deeper into the 21st century, stands at the cutting edge again, just as it did in the 1960s. But rest assured, traditional London survives, basically intact under the layer of hip. From high tea at Brown's to the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the city still abounds with the culture and charm of days gone by. London has grown less English and more international. The gent with the bowler hat has long gone out of fashion; today's Londoner might have a turban, a Mohawk, or even a baseball cap. It's becoming easier to find a café au lait and a croissant than a scone and a cup of tea. The city is home to thousands of immigrants and refugees, both rich and poor, from all reaches of the world. Yet it?s a decidedly royal city, studded with palaces, court gardens, coats of arms, and other regal paraphernalia; yet it's also the home of the world's second-oldest parliamentary democracy. (Iceland was the first.) There's so much to discover - more than 30,000 shops, world class galleries and museums, dramatic new landmark buildings, and an endless choice of restaurants, bars, clubs and live music venues, and, of course, theatre.

Paris, France
Paris assaults the senses, demanding to be seen, heard, touched, tasted and smelled. Gaze rapturously at its breezy boulevards, impressive monuments, and great works of art and magic lights. Savor its gourmet pastiche of cheese, chocolate, wine and seafood. Paris is a city of vast, noble perspectives and intimate, ramshackle streets, of formal espaces verts (green open spaces) and of quiet squares. This combination of the pompous and the private is one of the secrets of its perennial pull. Another is its size. Paris is relatively small as capitals go, with distances between many of its major sights and museums invariably walkable. You'll still find classic sights like the Tour Eiffel, Notre-Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, Sacré-Coeur, and all those atmospheric cafes, as well as trendy new projects like the Grande Arche de La Défense, the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, the Cité de la Musique, and the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand. And don't forget the parks, gardens, and squares; the Champs-Elysées and other grand boulevards; the river Seine and its quays. Paris's beauty is still overwhelming, especially at night, when it truly is the City of Light.

Nice, France
Nice is the capital of the Riviera, the largest city between Genoa and Marseille. It's also one of the most ancient, having been founded by the Greeks, who called it "Nike," or Victory. Because of its brilliant sunshine and relaxed living, it has attracted artists and writers. Among them were Dumas, Nietzsche, Flaubert, Victor Hugo, George Sand, Chateaubriand, and Mistral. Today it is far less glamorous and expensive than Cannes. It's also the best excursion center on the Riviera, especially if you're dependent on public transportation. For example, you can go to San Remo, "the queen of the Italian Riviera," and return to Nice by nightfall. From the Nice airport, the second largest in France, you can travel by bus along the entire coast to resorts like Juan-les-Pins and Cannes. With all the resources of a big city but the feel of a beach town, Nice is warmer and more homey and intimate than Monaco or Cannes. During the day, outdoor cafes in the old town's squares are popular places for people to congregate. But the most obvious hangout spot here is the beach. Oh, and don't expect golden sand, or any sand for that matter. The Nice beach is rocks, just rocks. Wear a pair of good sandals. Families, travelers, locals, young people, and old-timers mix it up at the beach, and you'll have no problem making friends with your neighbors, especially in the summer months when towels overlap for lack of space.

The Eurostar
Eurostar speeds you through the Channel Tunnel, one of Europe's biggest infrastructure projects to date. The $15 billion Channel Tunnel makes the old dream of a ground link between Great Britain and continental Europe a reality for the first time since the Ice Ages.
The tunnel consists of 3 interconnected tubes: 1 rail track each way plus 1 service tunnel. Its length is 31 miles, of which 23 miles are underwater. Its average depth is 150 feet under the seabed. The channel crossing time for Eurostar is only 20 minutes. You will be travelling at a speed of up to 300 kmph/186 mph.

Types of Train Services
First Class:
Comfortable, spacious, fully air-conditioned carriages create the perfect environment for work or relaxation. First Class also offers purpose-designed wheelchair facilities, five non smoking carriages per train, spacious reclining seats, footrests, business and entertainment facilities, tables providing individual workspace, seating layout enables group bookings for on board meetings, freedom to use Mobil phones, complimentary international newspapers, on board magazine, at seat full meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner according to the time of day) with choice of main course.
Second Class:
Easy-to-use, quick and comfortable, Standard Class offers excellent value, ten carriages per train, all carriages are non smoking, individual, comfortable seats, individual tables and or tray tables, family group areas, hot meals and snacks, coffee, tea, juices and a selection of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks available from trolley and buffet carts, on board baby care facilities, multilingual staff, air conditioning and on board magazines.

On board service:
The two bar cars carry a large selection of snacks and drinks, and 4 public phones are available. All Eurostar trains have dedicated areas for people traveling in wheelchairs, as well as special restrooms. Terminals are equipped with elevators and moving walkways.

The TGV
The TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) is the French high-speed train, which travels at speeds over 186 mph from Paris and Lyon to the French Mediterranean destinations such as Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Montpellier, Nimes and Nice with the TGV Med. This brand new high-speed line provides frequent service from Paris to the Mediterranean Sea. The TGV offers wide reclining seats with head rests, fold down tables in first and second class. Several spaces are at your disposal for your luggage: luggage racks above the seat, spaces behind or under the seat (in certain TGVs), racks in the middle of the carriage (in certain TGVs), larger racks outside the carriage for more voluminous luggage. Your luggage is your own responsibility. The buffet bars, situated in carriages 4 and 14 (unless otherwise announced) propose a large choice of hot drinks, a range of varied hot and cold dishes, sandwiches, toasted sandwiches or salads, which can be eaten in the buffet bar or taken back to your seat. The buffet bar also proposes ?saver menus? as well as a selection of magazines. The lay out and fittings of the TGV go hand in hand with comfort and pleasure, every last thing has been thought of to make your journey as pleasant as possible. A moment of relaxation and discovery, take the time to read, watch a film or even use your journey time to take a nap.

Types of Train Services
First Class:
Interiors feature 3 seats across arranged 2+1. There are 220-volt sockets in first class for computers, luggage racks in the middle of the carriages, and both forward and rear-facing seats.
Tourist Class:
The narrower seats are arranged 2+2. When making your required reservation, you are now able to specify in which direction you prefer to sit.

The renovated TGV offers more comfortable seats, remodeled floors and walls, improved lighting, cell phone space in 3 cars, additional luggage space in the middle of the 2nd class coaches, Information center in car # 4 to meet the train conductor and smoking cars at both ends of the train set.

On board service:
Access to the buffet car is available for all travellers. Buffet car is open for the duration of the journey and offers a wide choice of food and refreshments: breakfast, hot and cold meals, sandwiches, desserts and hot and cold beverages. A choice of newspapers and magazines are available for purchase at the bar. Facilities for handicapped travelers.