13/12/25 - Exeter To Paris
DIG 0845 (0844)>EXD▸ 0858 (0857) : 2T10 EXM>PGN : 2 x 150/2 (4 Cars)
EXD 0916 (0917)>PAD 1200 (1207) : 1A56 PNZ>PAD▸ : 1 x 802/1 (9 Cars)
TfL Underground Paddington > King's Cross St. Pancras (H&C Line)
Eurostar STP 1431 (OT)>PBN 1758 (OT) : Train 9032
Tickets: DIG>PAD Senior Railcard Advance Single £40.25, Railcard TfL Underground £1.85, Eurostar £51.00

2T10 was fairly well loaded on arrival at DIG where 13 pax boarded. Tickets/Railcards not checked.
1A56 was already busy on arrival at EXD and was full & standing - as it was all the way to PAD - on departure, this being slightly delayed due to the extended loading time, a situation exacerbated by the absence of on-board reservation data. I do not understand why on GWR trains reservation data is so frequently absent. Standard class trolley service announced as cancelled for obvious reasons. First delay on the approach to Hele & Bradninch where the train came to a short complete halt - TM announced a line obstruction so I would guess, but cannot confirm, fouling of the level crossing. Train was diverted via BRI (planned CLC line closure) from where it departed 2 late but was then further delayed on the approach to, and at, BTH by the late running 1F11 CDF>PMH and the significant passenger exchange (last day of the Bath Christmas Market according to the TM). Service ran late for the remainder of the journey and arrived at PAD 7 minutes down.
Tickets / Railcards not checked.
Absolute scrum at the PAD Platform 10 gateline to the extent that just before I got there the GWR staff surrendered and opened all the gates. So free travel for anybody prepared to chance it!
I had given myself a little extra time in London given the expectation that there might be queuing for EES Registration at STP. However I was told that the full rollout doesn't start until January and a small number of random pax, including me, were being processed by the existing French Border Police.
Uneventful, timely Eurostar journey to Paris followed by the delights of a completely rammed Paris Metro system to the 12th Arrondissment.

14/12/25 - Le Match Followed By Paris To Basingstoke
Breakfast, a leisurely stroll around the 12th & 13th Arrondissments on a chilly but sunny morning, and then the Metro to Stade Dominique Duvauchelle in Creteil for  the 12:00 Racing 92 v Exeter Chiefs (EPCR Challenge Cup) contest. A very entertaining game which ended in a 31-31 draw although Chiefs would have won had their discipline not disintegrated in the second half. 
I was travelling with our eldest son who needed to be back at home for work on Monday morning so we had decided in advance on a return to the UK that evening. A local bus took us to a nearby RER station for a quick run back to Gare du Nord, a much better option than the significantly slower Metro service.

Eurostar PBN 1909 (OT)>STP 2030 (2049) : Train 9055
TfL Underground King's Cross St. Pancras>Warren Street (Victoria Line) & Warren Street>Waterloo (Northern Line)
WAT 2135 (OT)>BSK 2226 (OT) : 1Z71 WAT>BSK : 2 x 450/0 (8 Cars)
Tickets: Eurostar £65.00, Railcard TfL Underground £1.85, WAT>BSK Senior Railcard Sunday Out Single £16.10

All seemed to be going to plan until our Eurostar stopped at Stratford International. After a short delay the TM announced that our train could not be accepted by STP 'because the passengers on a previous service were being subjected to a full customs check'. Personally I think this was cobblers and it was more likely the fact that the pax from the 30 minute late 9157 Bruxelles Midi train hadn't yet cleared the station exits. Once that was sorted we proceeded to STP arriving 19 minutes late. However, regardless of the root cause, if STP cannot handle those alighting from more than one international train at a time this needs to be seriously looked at before more services start running.
The remainder of the journey was as expected.

15/12/25 - Basingstoke To Exeter
BSK 1108 (OT)>EXC 1338 (1419) : 1L25 WAT>EXD (Terminated at EXC) : 2 x 159/0 (6 Cars)
EXC 1355>DIG 1400 : 2F19 PGN>EXM Missed Connection
EXC 1455 (OT)>DIG 1500 (OT) : 2F21 PGN>EXM : 1 x 150/2 (2 Car)
Tickets: BSK>EXC Senior Railcard Advance Single £12.15, EXC>DIG Senior Railcard Anytime Day Single £2.65

1L25, which was very well loaded, ran to time as far as the Tisbury Loop where it had to wait for the late running 1L40 to pass and departed 12 minutes down. It was further delayed, by 23 minutes, at HON waiting for the on-time London-bound 1L52 and departed towards Exeter 40 late. In the vicinity of Cranbrook it was announced that the train would be terminated at EXC (Platform 1). Pax for EXD and beyond were directed to the following 2T21 GWR EXM>PGN service. Exmouth branch pax such as myself were ignored. Which I didn't really care about having already checked the time of my next train to DIG but what about individuals who are not completely au fait with rail travel?
Anyway, not for the first time recently, my BSK>DIG journey will be the subject of a 100% Delay Repay refund.
And another of my favourite gripes; on departure from BSK the 1L25 on-board PIS showed the Next Station as Woking all the way to Exeter.
Tickets/Railcards not checked on either service.