Nightmare Trip

[whole diary]

[basset44]

Went on a long Birthday Trip should of new there were going to be problems when the 5.55 Cardiff to London on 28th January was cancelled. Never mind Flight was following day. Great couple of days on Holiday then UK^▸ (United Kingdom) gets a bit of snow. Our flight back from Budapest was cancelled on Monday and we were offered flights for Today Wednesday 4th when we were deciding the next couple of people asked and they Flight was Thursday. That was it I thought I allways wanted to Travel on the Old Orient Express route so decided to make our way home by Train.

We left Budapest on the 15.10 to Vienna on Monday arrived Vienna after 18.00 went to an internet cafe to check rest of trip home. Could not book tickets for the sleeper train from Vienna to Strasbourg in the OBB offices had to wait for the train and pay onboard. This was not a problem but was concerned about it booking for this train closes 5 hours before.Lucky it was quite time of year.

Train left at about 23.00 and we manged to purchase a 2 bed bunk it arrived at 12.00 the next day in Stasbourg 3 Hours late due to a "Jumper".

Quick run to the ticket office in Strasbourg for the 12.15 TGV^▸ (Train a Grande Vitesse) to Paris across Paris for the 16.13 Eurostar
to London then a quick Tube ride to Paddington.

Asked for the two cheapest Tickets to Cardiff and we caught the 18.45 and enjoyed a 45 min stop at Reading.

Arrived home knacked and today have been looking at my Travel Insurance, because not only the cost but I had advanced tickets bought for Travel from Luton to Llandudno on the Monday Llandudno to Wrexham on Tuesday and Wrexham to Cardiff today

Have to really think about trips and travel and if Advance tickets are worth it. Only advice I will give is be prepared to ask or know your Route even thou I asked for the cheapest Train from London to Cardiff
it came to 120.00 for two. If I asked for split tickets London-Swindon-Cardiff i could have saved 11.00 okay some will say but I think its crazy, The walk up fares were Budapest to Vienna 21,555 Forint for 2.
Vienna to Strasbourg 240 Euros for two berth sleeper, Strasbourg to Paris 130 Euros 2 Eurostar 277 Euros

So a cheap weekend with turned into a nightmare