To think you check you can get home?

I think is reasonable to assume the trains would be running if you’ve no experience. You can fly every day of the year, buses run…would I have checked? Yes…but my DD would check on the day.

We had a kind of similar situation many years ago with my sister. She came to stay with us for Christmas and the plan was that she would join us at the in laws on boxing day. On boxing day morning, she decided that she was 'not in the mood to be sociable' and wanted to go home. We dropped her at the train station and set off to the in laws, only to receive a panicked phone call asking us to come back and get her because there were no trains. She still refused to come to the in laws with us so we had to drive back home and leave her there. She got a train back the next morning and put the keys through the letter box for when we got back. It was really annoying. But that was how I learned there are no trains on boxing day!

Also, on NYE I discovered that while we were away she'd eaten the nice party food I'd had in the freezer for NYE. We didn't invite her again!

This would put me off a friendship with them to be honest.

So many stone cold cynics on this thread!

Chuck them out, drop them at a hotel, stick them on a bus with ten changes...

Not really the Christmas spirit is it 😕.

I'd be like you op, a little miffed I didn't get my down time, but would get over it and crack on. There is no way I'd turf someone out if they were stuck. It would be leftovers and party snacks for dinner, and something on TV with wine for the evening as planned, but they would be welcome and included.

It's Christmas, if an innkeeper can make room for a woman in labour, we can house a thoughtful and considerate house guest for an accidental extra night.

You sound a lovely host.

I think it’s most odd to not check a train journey though. Firstly, I’d want to know how much it was (train journeys can sometimes be extortionate if not booked loads in advance) but if I was travelling on Boxing day, my first thought would be, ‘I’d better check there is actually a train running on that day!’

Very odd that they didn’t check the train times. I thought it was common knowledge that there are a. No trains on Boxing Day and b. The whole of the festive season can be a disaster for trains with engineering works etc. The control freak in me would have wanted to know exactly what time they were leaving before they arrived, but that’s just me.

anyway If you are happy to leave them at home to dog sit (presumably the dog is happy) then that’s the best situation. I think trying to make them find their own way home on Boxing Day would be mean but they are a bit daft to have assumed it would be ok in the first place.

They even announced on Radio 2 that trains wouldn’t be running!

Regardless of that, it’s normal to check train travel so you can let your hosts know regarding food, lifts to station etc.

Where are you based op

I imagine if the trains aren't running they miayy be full

I think they just made an honest mistake because they are human.
You are out all day so they will pay the price

They should have checked, but it’s always been the case no trains on boxing day

OP I think you sound like a wonderfully kind person, and your friend sounds as if they are very grateful that you invited them, and you've given them a nice Christmas instead of them being sat on their own.

Christmas is supposed to be about giving - and half these posters would have you chuck someone out on the street when it's only a minor inconvenience for you to have them stay.

It is a bit strange they didn't check the train times, but I can see why someone would just assume they were running. Lots of stuff is open as normal on boxing day.

You don't need to be in 'host' mode when you get home tonight, you can text friend that you wont be cooking so they can just feed themselves from leftovers / freezer food. And pre warn them you will be going to bed early / slobbing on the sofa if you feel the need!

OP, from reading that I retract my earlier statement of just dropping them somewhere. It seems like they were genuinely caught out. I have a habit of booking my whole trip before I even leave the house, but you can still buy tickets at train stations, so I get not everyone does it that way.

No trains on Boxing Day is the norm and thanks to RMT, ASLEF and the Labour government, there are hardly any on a Sunday either.

It’s pretty weird having an almost total stranger staying over at Christmas though.
How big’s your house?

I’d have assumed the trains were running. Why wouldn’t they be! I’ve flown on Christmas Day and Boxing Day plenty of times!

There should be a rail replacement service.

LOL! It's not a case of works on the line or some issue that rail companies have to compensate for. They have no timetabled trains running today. If you're buying an open return common sense says you check which trains you might get back and at that point your guest would have realised. You either drive, get a coach or stay longer if you go somewhere just for Xmas Day.

My resolution for the new year would be to stop being treated like a mug by this woman.

I think it is lovely to invite a new friend who is on their own to join in with Christmas, and also think it is very kind of OP to be concerned with that person't comfort while alone and to thrust the person alone in her house. So, OP, I don't think you are strange, but thoughtful and generous. Having this person for an extra day will be ok too, because of your generous spirit! Hope you have a lovely day with family-

That would majorly piss me off.

I have a friend who comes over to my house and the houses of others/goes to the pubs with us but never had any idea as to how she’s going to get home. She’ll want to stay out late, but if someone mentions they’re driving home or getting picked up, she starts loudly saying she doesn’t know how she’s getting home and suddenly a lift is offered to her. If this doesn’t happen, one or 2 of us will order and pay for an Uber as we have no other way of getting home and this has been our planned journey home and she always ends up travelling with one of us and getting dropped off at our expense. She never gives any money towards it or offers to pay for the next one, nor does she give us anything like a bottle of wine for helping. I find it so rude.

Yeah maybe I should have oops!

Perhaps try and read OP’s posts?

Why on earth did you let someone your not that close with impose on your day! Your not being unreasonable in the slightest I’d be looking at coaches etc to get them back! X