EasyJet pile of pants - so fed up and dissapointed

[PamShipman]

Yesterday evening the DC (16,13) and i were meant to be flying to Berlin for 4 days. We were really looking forward to it. DS did his GCSEs this summer and loves European history; DD loves travel and exploring new places and has never been to Germany and I have always wanted to go since I watched the wall come down on a little b&w telly in my student flat in 1989! I was also looking forward to not having to think about food, entertainment or driving for a week.

Our plane was an hour late. We started to board. People with young children were on board. 40 mins later the (full) flight was cancelled. EastJet gave us forms to fill in for refunds and escorted us back landside. We had to go back through passport control without having been anywhere. Just at the time we should have been landing in Berlin, DH arrived to pick us up and take us hime.

We booked flights + hotel as a package through an independent travel agent, who was looking for all the alternatives to get us there, but nothing doing in the time I have booked off work. She’s arranged a full refund.

Any ideas for a very last minute break this week with two disappointed teens in the UK, that involves land travel only? We’re halfway between Leeds and Sheffield.

@ThunderyDays you’re very fortunate to have that degree of flexibility. My team have a lot of staff with school aged kids and leave through the summer holidays was finalised at the beginning of June. No changes are allowed unless someone doing the exact same role will swap with you.

@PamShipman where haven’t you been to in the uk? Hop on a train and head off somewhere for a couple of days. There is history everywhere, even places that might not immediately jump out at you.

That’s rubbish and this doesn’t change this week for you but we went to Berlin with BA holidays two weeks and had no issues.
That being said I was cabin crew for ten years ( for both airlines actually) and unfortunately these things happen and are often out of anyone’s control

I know you said no flights, but KLM fly to Amsterdam out of Leeds Bradford several times a day if you'd be interested.

Can you get a train to London and get on the Eurostar in London? Paris, Amsterdam or an onward train to another Europen city? Perhaps a couple of days interrail pass? Skyscanner for last minute flights to Poland, Croatia etc

Hello, forget about getting a flight somewhere (don't need the risk of a second cancellation!) and do something easy non stressful. e.g anything from Airbnb that catches your eye within a 2 hr travel time, and then be surprised and spontaneous with exploring the local area wherever that may be. Most places have enough to do for a short stay.

Lake district or train to london? Or do a different European city- Dublin, paris, Amsterdam, krakow.

I love the way the OP asks for ideas for UK breaks involving land travel only and about 90% of the responses are suggesting flights and/or city breaks abroad.

OP, I second the suggestion of the Northumberland coast exploring the castles and Lindisfarne. History plus beautiful coastline and lots of good walking. You can also go to Kielder Observatory for the dark sky experience.

Yep, pretty much all the German major and even minor airports are notorious for having very strict night curfews..so if you are heading for one on a late evening flight if you end up off schedule for whatever the reason, you can very quickly be stuffed.
..

I have to book time off at least 6 weeks in advance and if another staff member is already off that day it’s refused (small team of 3)

You were so unlucky 😞 One of my dd's flies to Berlin regularly for work and this has never happened touches wood although recently EJ are often running 1-2 hours late.

Berlin is such an amazing city and will be there for you another time. Your teens sound very level headed to opt to wait until later when the trip isn't shortened.

We’re halfway between Leeds and Sheffield.

Liverpools great to visit- you could travel down to London I suppose - lots to do there.

(I'd say York but if you work there then I can see why not).

North Wales another possblity though sounds like you want a city break more.

I'd look at cheap hotels and Air b&b and what to do sites.

I’d go to Anglesey.

I’m so sorry. What a bloody disappointment.

Can you get a few nights in London sorted and some things you’ve never done before to make it seem a bit more special? Michelin star lunch maybe (I think teens would love Hakassan for example)? Highgate cemetery if they veer at all to the alternative? Theatre (Cabaret is brilliant if they’re older teens).

I did that very thing myself conscious I was doing it! It's very annoying. My excuse is that if I'd been geared up to be abroad then I would really struggle to get enthused about a UK trip, and the connecting trains for Eurostar plus the time that would all take in total means anything else in the OP's time period means flying. The Amsterdam option would be relatively painless.

That’s crap Op.
I guess the problem is flights are expensive this late.
I would just find a city you’ve not done, drive and explore . I liked Lincoln ( amazing Cathedral) and Liverpool. Newcastle is on my list. Go somewhere in the UK that has a different accent to the one you’re used to.

I would do Newcastle and north east coast too or Scottish highlands,, Loch Ness , fort William, Oban etc -

How about: train to London, one night in London then go to Canterbury for two nights (lots of history, v interesting) then one night on the coast eg whitstable? That’s just to break up the train journey but you could base yourself in Canterbury the entire time.

or - Chichester. Lots to see, nice to walk around, easy day trips to fishbourne and/ or Portsmouth.

or - Plymouth - lively university town with lots of military history

(am assuming you know the north better than the south so here are some south of England ideas)

We're in Oxford at the moment and it's great! Train here, hire bikes/scooters, great bus services, and most things are walkable anyway. Loads of things to do - concerts, plays, tours, library, museums etc.

Bristol is easy to get to on the train from where you are. Loads of interesting things going on for teenagers, as well as easy access to Bath and Exeter for day trips (or even Weston super Mare - slightly less cultural, but who doesnt love eating chips on the beach!)

What about a mooch around Cambridge and or Norwich? Or head towards Bletchley Park and then Oxford?
New Forest - Lymington and Bucklers Hard and Beaulieu?

@notimagain this is very true - and post Brexit there are actually a lot fewer flights to Germany than there used to be, particularly if it’s not Berlin - we do business in Germany and it’s made it areal pain if you need to go somewhere like Stuttgart . The flights are expensive too as there aren’t loads of them -

That definitely wouldn’t happen where I work.

I would recommend Perthshire or the Highlands! Beautiful scenery and lots to do outdoors. Some fabulous history too and the Highlands are close by too, if you have a car.

If your teen loves history they’d love Glasgow. Less expensive than Edinburgh especially at this time of year but so rich in history, great city to explore, plenty of things to do and see and excellent food and entertainment too. Fairly doable from where you are either by car, bus, plane or train. Enjoy your week off wherever you end up OP.

I'd go to Newcastle, Durham and the coast around there. I'm so sorry you had all that faff at the airport and then Berlin couldn't happen - I'd have bee gutted too.