https://mellow-feeling-68b.notion.site/Holiday-Sorrento-Summer-2026-3169c7d25c1f8079addac8ee807af1ea
Booking Ref: 2978918
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The first stop was the annual pre-holiday family breakfast. None of us had much to eat for the rest of the day. Eat properly and you too could have a figure like mine.
The holiday has started! Our main suitcase left at 16:15 a week before we go, and by the next morning was in Rome. The case is on its holiday. It left on the Wednesday and by Friday it was through customs and was in a warehouse just outside Rome. It made it to the hotel on Saturday - lucky suitcase. It might now be feeling lonely and is whimpering in a corner, waiting for us to catch up.
Max was the only one missing because he had to work and Chris is hiding at the back. The sensible lad does not want his street cred tarnished by being associated with us.
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Hotel Mecure Chambery, 183 Place de la Gare, Chambery, 73000. +33 4796 21011.
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The kind Chris turned up at 4:15 and we were on the train to St. Pancras by 4:28, not only a train earlier than we thought, but a train that didn't exist on the timetable! We really appreciated them putting on an extra train just for us.
That meant that we met our tour manager, Mama Duck, and had ½hour to kill before we could go through passport control.
Talking of passport control, we got preferential treatment because of the walking stick. We were through check in before the rest of the queue even started. 😊
It only takes 30 minutes to get to the Channel Tunnel and another 20 to get through into French France. It was raining in England, but the sun was out there. We sped along past little French villages with church spires surrounded by farmhouses and fields. The bright sunshine made it look peaceful as if from an earlier time.
We arrived on time in Paris at the Gard du Nord, but then had to get to the other side of town. The trains south leave from the Gare de Lyon. We had a huge coach for the 14 of us to get us across Paris to the Gare de Lyon station. The streets of Paris are narrow and congested, but our driver got us there in record time and without incident. Amazing.
The excellent Mama Duck pointed out the third terminal under the second one. We had never noticed that in all the times we had been there. She was right, it was less crowded. We sat and ate our lunch with a nice couple on our trip. She knew that there is a free water station on the main concourse, so we filled up there.
We had a fun couple of hours chatting and then it was back up to the heat and onto the train to Chambréy. The countryside in the northern section is quite monotonous.
We trundled through the French countryside. At one stage a lorry on the motorway was keeping pace with us. However, it was nice to see the scenery go by, chat, read a little and listen to the conversations around us.
The weather app was giving health warnings as we passed through central France for temperatures around 43°C. We were in our air conditioned cocoon.
We got off at Chambréy and the hotel was 5 minutes from the platform. There is a small service road outside the station and the hotel was immediately the other side of that.
I was so tired that I skipped the evening meal. Her Ladyship said it was adequate but did not seem enthused.
Steps: 6,897
Weather: It was warm enough when leaving home not to need a jumper. It was 29°C and sunny by the time we got to Paris, although it must have been much more under the glass roof of the Gare du Lyon. It is supposed to be about 32°C in Chambréy and the sky is bright blue.
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Left home: 4:20
Orpington Station (Arrive): 4:25
Orpington Station (Depart): 4:30
St. Pancras (Arrive): 5:23
St. Pancras (Depart): 08:01
Gare du Nord (Arrive): 11:29
Gare du Nord (Leave): 11:45
Gare de Lyon (Arrive): 12:10
Gare de Lyon (Depart): 14:48
Chambéry (Arrive): 17:50
Chambéry (Hotel): 17:55
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Hotel - Bettoja Hotel Massimo D'Azeglio, Via Cavour 18, Rome, 00184 +39 064 6205 646.
