Rail strikes may bite, but the joy of travel remains

Simon Calder’s Travel Week [View in browser]( [The Independent]( June 24, 2022 [The Independent]( The week's unluckiest travellers? Michelle and Rosanna, heading home from Morocco to Croydon via Gatwick airport. I met them at dawn on Tuesday. How was the trip? “Nightmare,” they chorused. [ Michelle (left) and Rosanna (right)]( Michelle (left) and Rosanna (right) My journey from the capital to the airport that morning had not been entirely smooth. As you probably know, [members of the RMT union working for Network Rail and 13 train operators]( walked out on Tuesday and Thursday, with another strike planned for tomorrow. Having identified perhaps the only train scheduled to run through the early hours on the first day of the national stoppage – the 3.40am from London Blackfriars to Gatwick – I turned up to find it cancelled due to staff shortage. So did a handful of other travellers with early flights. [We summoned, by Uber, a seven-seater Citröen Picasso]( – whose uber-cramped last row of seats, I discovered, has its roots in medieval torture. An hour compressed into a space designed for a small child, though, was as nothing compared with Michelle’s and Rosanna’s experience. You name the summer of 2022 travel problem – they suffered it. “We were supposed to be going to Egypt originally,” explained Michelle. “EasyJet rang us on the Friday before the Monday and cancelled our flight.” Britain's biggest budget airline has been grounding flights, and the longest trip on the books was an early casualty. “We had three hours to choose another flight and ended up in Morocco.” The journey home from North Africa was supposed to be smooth, landing them at Gatwick in good time for one of the last trains to Croydon before the shutdown. But it turned out to be an exhausting shambles. “The plane was delayed – engine problems.” They just missed the last train of the night, and a six-hour gap ensued for anyone who missed the last train shortly before one in the morning. “There wasn’t even a bus here to replace the train,” said Rosanna. “We had to sleep in the airport,” added Michelle. I helped them with their luggage to the airport station. But the travel gods had one more trick up their sleeves. The first fast train was cancelled, the second [gave up the will to move at Redhill](, where we were sidelined into platform zero and instructed to abandon that journey. A replacement train was on its way – but from platform 2, which required hundreds of people to wrestle absurd amounts of luggage down a narrow staircase and up another. This awkward performance may have had the look of the popular 1980s entertainment programme It’s A Knock-Out, but by elevenses [the trains were working normally]( – with eight departures every hour between London and Gatwick. Reports of Britain shutting down have been, in this humble travel correspondent's opinion, somewhat exaggerated. Despite the utter shambles of the journey, Michelle’s parting words have stuck with me: “The holiday part was lovely.” As you contemplate the summer, keep those words in mind. [Get inspired...](   [Saddle up]( Six of the best Eurovelo cycle routes to explore on your bike this summer [I'm an image]( [Naples city guide]( Where to stay, eat, drink and shop in Italy’s gateway to Amalfi [I'm an image]( //link.e.independent.co.uk/click/28161250.27424/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvdHJhdmVsL3VrL2Jpcm1pbmdoYW0tY2FuYWxzLWtheWFrLXVrLXRyYXZlbC1iMjEwMDk0MS5odG1s/583d2887487ccd777a8b7489B550bbbc1[Mykonos hotels]( The best places to stay on this luxe Greek island Tip of the week: Get a second British passport   If you need a second passport for professional or personal reasons, HM Passport Office routinely issues them to people who meet one of three criteria: - Frequent traveller – typically someone who would not have time between trips to renew their passport. This is particularly important given the current recommendation of allowing 10 weeks for renewals. - Business travel – eg a sales executive who has to apply weeks ahead for a visa for, say, an African nation, while still travelling regularly to Europe. - “Incompatible countries” – the standard example is for people who have travelled to Israel who then wish to visit one of several Islamic nations that do not recognise Israel. [Read our full guide on when to renew your passport]( Deal of the week: Scotland to Ireland, £26 return   Even when July arrives, the aviation bargains do not stop. Flying from [Edinburgh]( to the fine city of [Cork]( on Friday 1 July for a long weekend, returning 4 July, costs just £26 return. The early morning Ryanair flight and late evening return gives four full days, allowing plenty of time to explore beyond the city – notably Kinsale and Cobh. [Check out our list of 11 Irish towns that you really should discover]( Travel voucher of the week [Save £150 on holidays over £800 with this TUI voucher code]( Question of the week: Trans-Europe Express   Q Can you tell me the best way to travel from Etaples-Le Touquet train station to Rijeka? A The railway station that serves the lovely northern French resort of [Le Touquet]( is two hours and 10 minutes from Paris Gare du Nord by train. From here you can be at Charles de Gaulle airport in half-an-hour – but with no direct flights to Rijeka, I suggest you change for the Thalys train to Cologne. This high-speed train takes you on a lovely route via Brussels and Aachen to the fine city on the Rhine. Pause to explore, then head for the airport (20 minutes by train) and the Eurowings flight to Rijeka – typically around £70 one way. [Check out our guide on how to spend 48 hours in Cologne]( Stat of the week 95% The proportion of members of the GMB union working as British Airways check-in agents and ground staff at London Heathrow who [voted in favour of industrial action](; strikes could begin from 8 July at the earliest. What you might have missed   - Airlines keep slots: [Carriers can cancel flights but retain their rights to fly next summer]( - Brexit blamed: [easyJet boss says leaving the EU has contributed to staff shortage]( - Offloaded: [Elderly British couple inexplicably booted off Air Canada flight along with 25 other passengers]( Simon’s diary   Every day from Monday to Friday I tackle a top travel story, or explore a topic in more detail than usual in ‘Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast’ – available free on [Spotify](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Pocket Casts]( or [Acast](. I find the easiest way to rush out stories is to tweet them. It’s also an easy way to contact me. My DMs are open and I read all direct messages, though regrettably I can’t respond to every one. Let me know your thoughts [@SimonCalder]( Each Saturday and Sunday I take questions live at 3.30pm British time on Instagram Live – from wherever I happen to be in the world – so please do come and say hello. Follow me on [@Simon_Calder]( Or you can find me on TikTok. Come and have a look at what I have been up to as I bring you top travel topics and report on the latest changes in a minute or less via [@caldertravel](   INDYBEST / [TRAVEL BEST BUY](   8 best suitcases and check in bags for all of your globe-trotting adventures We’ve tested many cases over the years, both big brands and small, and at this precise moment we love the suitcases that we have detailed in our top 8 reviewed and rated. 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