Certain members of the London-based Vogue team have been known to describe the Eurostar terminal in St Pancras as a second home, so frequently do they zip across the Channel for ready-to-wear and couture shows, and—now—to take in the spectacle of Vogue World: Paris in Place Vendôme as well. Below, they share their train travel tips.
Listen
In the “suggested for you” age, it’s rare for anyone to listen to an album from start to finish, but any LP worthy of the name deserves to be considered as a body of work rather than “the record that gave rise to XYZ single”. Reserve a seat by the window, press play on track one of one of the best albums of the last 18 months, and lock your phone. “If you loved Brat’s thumping beats and brutal honesty, consider Raven by Kelela for an ambient take on club classics,” recommends features assistant Riann Phillip. “Ryan Beatty’s brooding Calico is a 33-minute masterpiece for those in search of gorgeous songwriting and staggering vocals, while Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft will have you crying, reminiscing, and wanting to party all at once.”
Watch
Obviously, this isn’t the moment to try and make it through Barbenheimer. If you’re heading to Paris, watch a film that clocks in at under two hours, ideally one that’s set in the City of Light but doesn’t require excessive concentration (save nouvelle vague masterpieces for another day). Some absolute failsafes: Charade (1963), a one-hour-and-55-minute caper starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant and filmed everywhere from Les Halles to the Palais Royale; the surreal, operatic thriller that is 1981’s Diva; and Paris, Je T’aime (2006), comprised of 18 shorts set across different arrondissements.
Curate
If you feel vaguely depressed each and every time you scroll through X/TikTok/Instagram, take a beat to cleanse your feeds/timelines, unfollowing and muting at will, then move onto organizing your camera roll. “I use the Slidebox app to make photo albums for every trip I take,” says news and features editor Hayley Maitland. “It’s infinitely easier than doing it in Photos and means that I actually have an edit of memories from, say, a holiday in Sardinia rather than dozens of images of the same plate of zuppa gallurese. I print whichever images I really love in postcard size, then hang them on the wall of our hallway in bobbin frames from Bertola Home Studios or lacquered ones from Matilda Goad.”
Soothe
“Use the lack of service when you’re crossing the Channel to take a beat and do a little skincare self-care,” advises beauty and wellness editor Hannah Coates. “Get onto the Eurostar with freshly cleansed skin, then apply an under-eye mask; 111Skin’s Celestial Black Diamond version works wonders for fine lines, while RéVive’s Instant De-Puffing Gel Eye Mask is brilliant for puffiness. I also never travel without a face mist; Caudalíe’s Beauty Elixir, a French pharmacy hero, is a favorite and keeps skin fresh and hydrated. And if you’re really stressed? Do some gua sha or face cupping, too. You’ll arrive in Paris glowing and more relaxed.”
Read
Two hours is just enough time to really get into a novel, and you can find the Vogue team’s list of the best ones published so far in 2024 here. If you’re someone who finds it hard to concentrate for extended periods in transit, though, there’s something to be said for reading short stories. If you prefer contemporary fiction, look to Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh or Daddy by Emma Cline, or sink your teeth into classics such as Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies, Alice Munro’s Lives of Girls and Women, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s The Thing Around Your Neck and Lorrie Moore’s Self-Help.