who has got family stranded by the volcanic ash?

[MrsShu]

me ! easy jet have cancelled return flight

Northern, that's what we're thinking and all that travelling on 'Chuggers' will delight the boy!

Also he will be delighted that Mummy has turned up on his birthday with his presents. At the moment he said he was sad yesterday because he didn't know when he would see Mummy again.

If this ends up as his best birthday ever I might think it was worthwhile.

It's certainly going to be memorable!

Yay Juno! Now, have they got sarnies for the ferry?

Madascheese - are you going out there on your own or with DP? Do you think things will be easier if you have 'back-up'? What a horrible situation for you - really hope it all works out and that you and DS have a great time on the way home.

My ex bosses' nanny is stuck in America and they're in much the same situation as your bosses, Lou! Some people's work schedules are so hectic that they know the broad outlines but not the minutiae - times, where things are kept, how long things take etc. The nanny is the person who does that week in, week out.

In other news we're slowly slipping into chaos in the Indian Ocean. The planes being in the wrong places are clearly having a knock on effect. And DH has to deal with a very pissed off senior at work who doesn't quite get that private planes are also subject to the rules!

forwardmotion
Are you advertising on here?

Not sure really, as your post is not very clear.

Perhaps you have misunderstood. This is a support thread for MNetters to share experiences and tips on getting their loved ones back. Not a place to advertise a Bentley (Bentley, FFS!)

Reshape, I'm going with DP - he's the one least likely to cause bloodshed over this as the rest of my family are not happy at all.

DP is a total rock and has taken charge of many of the organisation at the moment.

Hi all, we're stranded in Greece. We had a flight from Athens to Heathrow on the 15th which was cancelled. We thought about flying to Rome and then getting the train to Paris and then Eurostar but then thought Heathrow might open up again. We are currently booked to fly to Rome on 21st and are then planning on getting a train to Paris and then the Eurostar

Is anyone in Rome? What are our chances if we turn up at the train station and try and get tickets? Online is impossible to book and we have very limited internet access where we are.

Are there any other options once (if) we get to Rome?

DH and the 2 kids are going to miss at least a week off work and school and it is costing us a fortune. But we are on a lovely Greek island so it's not all bad.

Any hints, tips advice would be very gratefully appreciated!

Btw, i chose my MN name long before all this happened!

Exotic, i would think a local travel agent should be able to book you rail tickets for italy. have you tried asking them?

my mum is stranded with us in the middle east and is devastated. she is in her late 70's and is taking it personally. she has taken to her bed and says she is too ill to get up and just wants to go and sit at the airport.. she thinks if she goes to the airport and sits there (its closed)/ is as unpleasant as possible somehow a plane will take off for her.

feel v sorry for her, but at least she gets more time with the grandchildren. think she has had enough of them, mind- babies crying etc.
have got her on priority list

Exotic
Try posting on the other thread too

Watching the news conference in front of 10 Downing Street on BBC news now.

I wish someone would tell them that they look really daft when they stand there nodding their heads as Mandy talks.

I saw that news conference earlier and must say I was quite impressed by what the gov are doing (as they bloody well should).

Imagine if they do send a couple of war ships over to france to bring the Brits home!

Brilliant pre election PR for GB.

We have a US colleague of DH's staying with us as she's stranded. She was supposed to go back on Sat.

missed the conference! anything interesting said? was beginning to wonder whether the government had abandoned us to our fate while they all go about campaigning.

I thought about reporting good old Ray but could not be bothered, and thought that you all might need a laff.

Hi, again, sorry, I did not mean to post and run earlier, but my family were literally just rolling up the drive as I started typing so I pressed 'send' anyway!

My sympathies to everybody still stranded/with stranded loved ones wherever they may be in the world.

DH came from Germany via Amsterdam to Newcastle with DFDS with 3 DSs with my mum's car which we will have to get back to her at some point of course.
Apparently ferries in Amsterdam were busy but not booked out and in particular walk-on passangers were still taken. Maybe this info helps somebody.

And thanks for that link to the pilots forum, orienteerer! V interesting...

I have dipped in and out of this thread and the amount of help. information and moral support offered by lots of MNers (MmeLindt et al, you know who you are...) has once again warmed the cockles of my heart . Nest of vipers - pah! Lovely lovely people!

Really hope everybody gets to were they want to be soon.

MmeLindt and MM, very impressed with both your generosity and hard work to help others on this thread. Makes me wish I had space to offer and was somewhere other than London. Good luck to all travellers trying to get home (and their families).

The gov are looking at sending ships over to France and Spain to collect British people.
There was also talk of commandearing civilian boats/ships to help with this.

They are liaising with the Spannish gov to use Spain as a Hub to get people from America and Asia to Spain then on to Britain by sea.

Milliband was going on about Embassies and Consulutes doing everything possible to help with visas and getting medicine to stranded Britons.

Loads of typos in there sorry.