Channel Adventure Day 1

Day 1 – Sunday, April 8, 2018 - Drive to Denver, CO; Flight to Heathrow Airport, London, England

It was time to get back to venturing out on our own. As much as we have enjoyed traveling with small groups like Overseas Adventure Travel, there were a few highlights we had missed along the way when the itinerary has to be rigid.

Today began our independent adventure to spend a few days in London, ride the bullet train from London to Paris under the English Channel, (known as The Chunnel), and then explore more of Paris and the French province of Brittany on our own.

Dan Kraft from Highland Ranch Travel helped us with the flights and lodging in London and Paris. Vic worked out all of the local details, downloaded maps, and Gennie found the specifics about the sites we wanted to see by researching this trip online.

The first leg of this journey was our drive to DIA. On a Sunday afternoon, the traffic was light and we had no concerns as we parked at the Pikes Peak lot and rode the shuttle bus to the terminal.

The United desk was not busy, because we were early, we managed to be two of the first passengers to check our bags and receive our boarding passes for London. Knowing we would be served a meal on the plane, we skipped the fast food and waited at the quiet United Lounge until it was time to go to our gate.

The 9-hour overnight flight on United Airlines Boeing 787 boarded at 4:50 and then we left the gate at 5:40pm. It has been awhile since we had flown with United so it was interesting to compare their new Polaris service to Lufthansa and Delta, our other frequent carriers.

The crew was very welcoming and as soon as we found our seats and settled in for the evening, they could not have been nicer to us. During the past year we have read the horror stories of traveling. We have found that a smile and positive outlook goes a long way in making the best of an overnight flight.

So here we go – on another flight and another adventure. Thanks for coming along for the ride with us. We would love to read your comments on GarciaTrips. As we travel in London, Paris, and the back roads of Brittany, please send us any suggestions of unusual venues that you have visited in these neighborhoods.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

Helen Keller