10-10-17, 08:54 AM
a couple of years ago I took the family on a trip which involved flying from London City > Paris > Guadeloupe and then back from Guadeloupe > Paris > London City.
So, rather than piling on a train or paying extortionate prices for parking up there (we live next to Gatwick) we took a taxi to London City. The trip out was great as was the holiday. On the way back however, the French air traffic controllers went on strike. This resulted in all short haul flights from Paris being cancelled. We landed in Paris and were told to go find our bags and call a number in a day or two when they may be able to get us on a flight back to London. Not great when you have just got off an overnight flight and actually needed to be back in the UK the next morning for work/whatever.
No other transport options were offered to us apart from up to €250 each if we organise our own onward travel.
Strangely enough, ALL of the hire companies at the airport had massively increased their costs for that day. It cost me something like €700 to hire a Ford Galaxy to take the 5 of us and our cases to Calais on a one way hire. €700 for 3 hours of feccin use!!!!!!!
Once in Calais it was another €30 for the 10 min taxi to the port and another €150-200 for the 5 of us to get on a ferry as foot passengers.
Once back in the UK, the taxi we had booked to pick us up from London, picked us up from Dover but charged us another £100 for the privilege.
All of this was claimed back (with receipts) but I had to dig deep that day to get us all home. The only thing air France wouldn't pay for was the beer I bought on the ferry. I needed a couple after all of that!
These Monarch passengers don't even know they're born :pokefun
So, rather than piling on a train or paying extortionate prices for parking up there (we live next to Gatwick) we took a taxi to London City. The trip out was great as was the holiday. On the way back however, the French air traffic controllers went on strike. This resulted in all short haul flights from Paris being cancelled. We landed in Paris and were told to go find our bags and call a number in a day or two when they may be able to get us on a flight back to London. Not great when you have just got off an overnight flight and actually needed to be back in the UK the next morning for work/whatever.
No other transport options were offered to us apart from up to €250 each if we organise our own onward travel.
Strangely enough, ALL of the hire companies at the airport had massively increased their costs for that day. It cost me something like €700 to hire a Ford Galaxy to take the 5 of us and our cases to Calais on a one way hire. €700 for 3 hours of feccin use!!!!!!!
Once in Calais it was another €30 for the 10 min taxi to the port and another €150-200 for the 5 of us to get on a ferry as foot passengers.
Once back in the UK, the taxi we had booked to pick us up from London, picked us up from Dover but charged us another £100 for the privilege.
All of this was claimed back (with receipts) but I had to dig deep that day to get us all home. The only thing air France wouldn't pay for was the beer I bought on the ferry. I needed a couple after all of that!
These Monarch passengers don't even know they're born :pokefun
Another ex-Fazer rider that is a foccer again