eurostar

[topcat1]

Oh dear, my brother Mark (tc2) was going to spend christmas with the inlaws
in france. Instead he's spent all yesterday at St Pancras and the night in a hotel. All trains are cancelled today and he hopes to catch a train on monday, not likely. It's not looking good.

 

[Kirstie]

I feel so sorry for those people who are stuck...

 

[ComedyPilot]

Tell him to go to Dover, it's a port on the south coast with regular ferries to France. Once in Calais, get a train to the rellies.

Simples innit?

 

[Brains]

For those stuck on the 6 trains between Paris/London - 18 hours ! They could almost have cycled it faster !

Mind you I'm appaled that Europe can be cut off by something as simple as condensation. The tunnel temprature was always known, it was always a big issue, and 0 degrees in northern France is not exactly cold. Sounds like a serious cost cutting excersize in the design to me.

 

[Arch]

Tell him to go to Dover, it's a port on the south coast with regular ferries to France. Once in Calais, get a train to the rellies.

Simples innit?

Perhaps, but I gather Calais was closed over the weekend.

It does seem odd - presumably the trains have run over winter for years. I wonder if it was the suddeness of the cold snap - after all, over here it went from mild to snow and ice almost overnight. Mayber there's a very fine tolerance that got overloaded. It certainly seems to have been a freak occurrance.

I'm coming down on the side of Eurostar, purely based on the ranting whingers I've heard on the news. When did the British become such whining wimps? One woman was complaining that they had to walk, unaided. The horror!

 

[ComedyPilot]

I can only praise Eurostar. In February I went skiing, and was due to fly Stansted to Friedrichshafen. Unfortunately the big snow storm hit that night, and effectively shut down the SE of England's airports.

Instead of queueing to winge at a Ryanair employee (obviously inundated) I just got a train to London, hopped on Eurostar (almost empty), got to Brussels (said hello to David Coulthard on the platform) got a train to Koeln (Cologne) and then hired a car and drove to Bavaria. Got there just after midnight, flying would have got me there about 3pm, so only 9 hours late.

Some people gave up and went home, or sat besieged in airports instead of thinking for themselves.

I love independant thinking.

I might hitchhike this year!!

 

[snorri]

I love independant thinking.

Independent thinking is easy if after having bought an air ticket you still have enough money to buy a rail ticket to London, then buy a ticket to enable you to "hop" onto Eurostar and even then, still have money to hire a car.
Perhaps these whingers were a little less affluent?

 

[Crackle]

I'm coming down on the side of Eurostar, purely based on the ranting whingers I've heard on the news. When did the British become such whining wimps? One woman was complaining that they had to walk, unaided. The horror!

That's a good observation. I first noticed it 11 years ago when we flew into an airport and the next destination was snowed in, so no onward flight. The only people beseiging the desk and ranting were the brits. In the meantime, we got the last four wheel drive in the rental and set off to drive the 6 hours to our destination and a great adventure it was. When did the brits become can't do moaners?

 

[ComedyPilot]

Independent thinking is easy if after having bought an air ticket you still have enough money to buy a rail ticket to London, then buy a ticket to enable you to "hop" onto Eurostar and even then, still have money to hire a car.
Perhaps these whingers were a little less affluent?

I was more affluent before buying a last minute ticket (£174.oo each one way) to Brussels!!

Also, the hire car ended up being £300.00!!

I split the costs with my mate that I went with, but never the less, it was an expensive trip. We just offset a bit of the cost against spending too much in restaurants, and we ate at imbiss stube and burger bars for a few days.

Still, I got to ski for 7 days in a beautiful part of the world.

 

[Arch]

That's a good observation. I first noticed it 11 years ago when we flew into an airport and the next destination was snowed in, so no onward flight. The only people beseiging the desk and ranting were the brits. In the meantime, we got the last four wheel drive in the rental and set off to drive the 6 hours to our destination and a great adventure it was. When did the brits become can't do moaners?

I've started a thread on this in P and L....

Now, it's clouded over so I better nip out for the stamps I need befpre the snow starts again. Bloody weather, someone orta do summink abaht it...

Back later!

Edit: I do feel sorry, very sorry, for people who are stuck now, like TC's brother, but he'll get his money back so hopefully he can find another way to get there. We were planning to use Eurostar and the TGV to get to Annecy last September, but the fire in te tunnels and reduced service threw the timings out so we cancelled and flew instead, and the tickets got refunded very promptly, I have to say.

 

[ComedyPilot]

When did the brits become can't do moaners?

It has been prevelant in the last decade or so, where all entertainment is at their finger tips - TV, Sky, Playstation, Wii, X Box. They don't have an inkling what real adventure is, and when their insular travel plans (organised by someone else) fall apart, they don't have a clue on what to do.

 

[al78]

Independent thinking is easy if after having bought an air ticket you still have enough money to buy a rail ticket to London, then buy a ticket to enable you to "hop" onto Eurostar and even then, still have money to hire a car.
Perhaps these whingers were a little less affluent?

and you know enough of the local language to be able to enquire about what trains go where, assuming it is even possible to get to your destination by train in the first place that is.

 

[Haitch]

Was there already a train broken down in the tunnel when they let the second one in, and the third, and the fourth, and the fifth?

 

[al78]

When did the British become such whining wimps?

So if you were trapped on a train for 18 hours you would have no complaint whatsoever???

 

[snorri]

and you know enough of the local language to be able to enquire about what trains go where,

That's never stopped me.
I think you are just coming up with excuses for the timid.