Ticket and Travel Trauma - Luxembourg 2007
I thought I wouldn’t be able to go to Luxembourg, but my days off work fell perfectly, giving me a long weekend. So I searched around a few weeks before hand for a ticket. The only place I could find was a ticket agency, which basically buys peoples spare tickets and sells them on. Yeah, glorified ticket touts. I paid 3 times the price for it, which I didn’t mind as I really wanted to go.
A few days before I was due to fly out, there was still no sign of my ticket. Keeley from the message board had bought her ticket from the same place and hadn’t received hers either. We had both sent them emails which they had eventually answered saying they still hadn’t received the ticket from the suppliers. I gave it a couple more days and gave them a ring. They said they were waiting for the ticket to come from their suppliers in Luxembourg, to be sent them in the Netherlands then to be sent to me in the UK. I pointed out that there’s no way that’s going to happen in 2 days. In the end, I gave them the address of the hotel in Luxembourg and they said they would send it there.
By this point, I was seriously beginning to wonder if this ticket actually existed. Then the day before I was due to fly, I got a phone call at work from the agency. They had tried to deliver my ticket to the hotel, but they hadn’t heard of me. Of course they hadn’t, I wasn’t due there until the following day. They assured me they would send it again the following day. I felt a bit better then. At least I knew the ticket did indeed exist and they fully intended to deliver it to me. But I still couldn’t rest easy until I actually had it in my hand. My Mum phoned the hotel, just to make sure they knew I was expecting a ‘very important delivery’.
The following day, I got up at stupid o clock in the morning and made my way to Heathrow. I was really excited the whole way there. Here I was, off on another adventure, and I got to see Muse again too!
By the time I got to the departure lounge, my excitement had worn off and the reality of what I was doing had set in. Here I was, flying off to a country where I don’t even speak the same language, by myself, and I wasn’t even sure if my ticket for the show was going to show up. I actually felt really sick and nearly didn’t get on the plane. I told myself not to be so silly. I was due to meet up with some of the girls from the message board later that evening, so its not like I was completely on my own.
I hated the plane too. I’ve been on smaller planes before, but this one was thin, with 2 seats, an aisle then a single seat. It made me feel really claustrophobic!
So I arrived in Luxembourg. I hadn’t really calmed down any during the flight, so I was already in a bit of a flap. First thing I did was buy a map. Of course I was spoken to in French and I kind of looked back at the guy blankly!
I then had to figure out how to get from the airport into the city. When I looked it up on the net, it said there was a bus. I walked outside into the sunshine. There was no sign of a bus, only the car park shuttle buses. They were doing rebuilding work and there were no signposts anywhere. There was a line of taxis though. There was no way I was getting one of those though. How could I explain where I was going?
I went back inside and sat down. I was close to tears at this point. I was really tempted to just get the next flight home. I’ve never felt so alienated in my whole life. I was at that airport for around an hour, trying to escape.
Then I took another look outside. There must be a bus stop somewhere. I looked to my left and saw people disappearing behind this prefab building. I thought ‘I wonder where they are going, maybe they know something I don’t’ I decided I had nothing to loose, so I followed them. Sure enough, there, before my eyes on the other side of the prefab, was the bus stop!
I bought my ticket and settled down. Then I began to panic again. How will I know where to get off? I needed the train station to get me from the city centre to my hotel. In the end, I just looked for an area which looked like the centre and got off the bus. I then had a wander round Luxembourg city, in the blazing sun, suitcase in tow, attempting to find the station. It was 2 hours later when I finally hooked out my French phrase book and realised that ‘Gare’ was the French word for station. All the signs I had passed, pointing the opposite way, were the ones I should have been following. What’s more, when I finally made it to the ‘Gare’ I realised if I had stayed on the bus for 2 more stops, it would have dropped me right there!
I then had another panic attack when I couldn’t find a machine to buy a ticket from. I’d have to ask for it. 20 minutes later, I told myself, not to be so silly. I couldn’t just stand there, I’d eventually have to go and ask. I realised how silly I had been when the guy behind the counter spoke English.
Then I went off to get my train. It was then I got excited. Double–Decker trains!!!!! We don’t have them in this country. I really wanted to sit on the top deck, just because I could, but I decided against it as I had my case with me. I promised myself I would when I went back into the city later.
I got off the train and found my hotel no problem. Then I was wandering about a bit trying to figure out where I check in. I eventually worked out I needed to go into the restaurant. I was halfway through checking in, when the phone went. So the guy stopped dealing with me and answered it. I glanced down and I saw a notepad with my name, a room number and ‘very important’ written on it. There were some pigeon-holes just to the left of me, where they kept the room keys. I looked for the number written on the paper, and saw, to my immense relief, an envelope sticking out. My Muse ticket!!! The guy finished on the phone and carried on with the check in, while I kind of jigged on the spot impatiently like a kid waiting for her present at Christmas. He reached up and got the key, picked up the envelope, looked at it, looked confused then looked at me. I said, ‘yes that’s for me thanks’ and almost snatched it out of the poor guys hand!
I had a little wander around the area and bought some supplies, mostly the all important bottles of water as I don’t do heat very well and I didn’t want a headache. A bit later on, I got a text from Sam saying she had arrived safely but her luggage hadn’t. It was still in Manchester! Still, she wasn’t going to let it spoil her fun. So I headed back into the city (on the top deck of the train of course!) to meet her. We wandered around for a bit before eventually finding the pub where we had arranged to meet other people from the message board.
Shortly after that, Tracey, Liz and Maysie arrived and we had a lovely drink and a chat. A bit later we decided to go off for some food. Just as we were about to leave, someone else from the muse board found us but we were just leaving! We found a pizza place and settled in there. While we were walking back to the station, the weather changed and it started thundering. Now, anyone that knows me knows I have a few phobias, thunder and lightening is one of them. I just took a deep breath and kept walking. There was nothing I could do about it, unless I wanted to miss the last train.
When we got back, I went back to my hotel as I was really tired but the other girls all stayed out. I wanted to save my energy for Muse!
A few days before I was due to fly out, there was still no sign of my ticket. Keeley from the message board had bought her ticket from the same place and hadn’t received hers either. We had both sent them emails which they had eventually answered saying they still hadn’t received the ticket from the suppliers. I gave it a couple more days and gave them a ring. They said they were waiting for the ticket to come from their suppliers in Luxembourg, to be sent them in the Netherlands then to be sent to me in the UK. I pointed out that there’s no way that’s going to happen in 2 days. In the end, I gave them the address of the hotel in Luxembourg and they said they would send it there.
By this point, I was seriously beginning to wonder if this ticket actually existed. Then the day before I was due to fly, I got a phone call at work from the agency. They had tried to deliver my ticket to the hotel, but they hadn’t heard of me. Of course they hadn’t, I wasn’t due there until the following day. They assured me they would send it again the following day. I felt a bit better then. At least I knew the ticket did indeed exist and they fully intended to deliver it to me. But I still couldn’t rest easy until I actually had it in my hand. My Mum phoned the hotel, just to make sure they knew I was expecting a ‘very important delivery’.
The following day, I got up at stupid o clock in the morning and made my way to Heathrow. I was really excited the whole way there. Here I was, off on another adventure, and I got to see Muse again too!
By the time I got to the departure lounge, my excitement had worn off and the reality of what I was doing had set in. Here I was, flying off to a country where I don’t even speak the same language, by myself, and I wasn’t even sure if my ticket for the show was going to show up. I actually felt really sick and nearly didn’t get on the plane. I told myself not to be so silly. I was due to meet up with some of the girls from the message board later that evening, so its not like I was completely on my own.
I hated the plane too. I’ve been on smaller planes before, but this one was thin, with 2 seats, an aisle then a single seat. It made me feel really claustrophobic!
So I arrived in Luxembourg. I hadn’t really calmed down any during the flight, so I was already in a bit of a flap. First thing I did was buy a map. Of course I was spoken to in French and I kind of looked back at the guy blankly!
I then had to figure out how to get from the airport into the city. When I looked it up on the net, it said there was a bus. I walked outside into the sunshine. There was no sign of a bus, only the car park shuttle buses. They were doing rebuilding work and there were no signposts anywhere. There was a line of taxis though. There was no way I was getting one of those though. How could I explain where I was going?
I went back inside and sat down. I was close to tears at this point. I was really tempted to just get the next flight home. I’ve never felt so alienated in my whole life. I was at that airport for around an hour, trying to escape.
Then I took another look outside. There must be a bus stop somewhere. I looked to my left and saw people disappearing behind this prefab building. I thought ‘I wonder where they are going, maybe they know something I don’t’ I decided I had nothing to loose, so I followed them. Sure enough, there, before my eyes on the other side of the prefab, was the bus stop!
I bought my ticket and settled down. Then I began to panic again. How will I know where to get off? I needed the train station to get me from the city centre to my hotel. In the end, I just looked for an area which looked like the centre and got off the bus. I then had a wander round Luxembourg city, in the blazing sun, suitcase in tow, attempting to find the station. It was 2 hours later when I finally hooked out my French phrase book and realised that ‘Gare’ was the French word for station. All the signs I had passed, pointing the opposite way, were the ones I should have been following. What’s more, when I finally made it to the ‘Gare’ I realised if I had stayed on the bus for 2 more stops, it would have dropped me right there!
I then had another panic attack when I couldn’t find a machine to buy a ticket from. I’d have to ask for it. 20 minutes later, I told myself, not to be so silly. I couldn’t just stand there, I’d eventually have to go and ask. I realised how silly I had been when the guy behind the counter spoke English.
Then I went off to get my train. It was then I got excited. Double–Decker trains!!!!! We don’t have them in this country. I really wanted to sit on the top deck, just because I could, but I decided against it as I had my case with me. I promised myself I would when I went back into the city later.
I got off the train and found my hotel no problem. Then I was wandering about a bit trying to figure out where I check in. I eventually worked out I needed to go into the restaurant. I was halfway through checking in, when the phone went. So the guy stopped dealing with me and answered it. I glanced down and I saw a notepad with my name, a room number and ‘very important’ written on it. There were some pigeon-holes just to the left of me, where they kept the room keys. I looked for the number written on the paper, and saw, to my immense relief, an envelope sticking out. My Muse ticket!!! The guy finished on the phone and carried on with the check in, while I kind of jigged on the spot impatiently like a kid waiting for her present at Christmas. He reached up and got the key, picked up the envelope, looked at it, looked confused then looked at me. I said, ‘yes that’s for me thanks’ and almost snatched it out of the poor guys hand!
I had a little wander around the area and bought some supplies, mostly the all important bottles of water as I don’t do heat very well and I didn’t want a headache. A bit later on, I got a text from Sam saying she had arrived safely but her luggage hadn’t. It was still in Manchester! Still, she wasn’t going to let it spoil her fun. So I headed back into the city (on the top deck of the train of course!) to meet her. We wandered around for a bit before eventually finding the pub where we had arranged to meet other people from the message board.
Shortly after that, Tracey, Liz and Maysie arrived and we had a lovely drink and a chat. A bit later we decided to go off for some food. Just as we were about to leave, someone else from the muse board found us but we were just leaving! We found a pizza place and settled in there. While we were walking back to the station, the weather changed and it started thundering. Now, anyone that knows me knows I have a few phobias, thunder and lightening is one of them. I just took a deep breath and kept walking. There was nothing I could do about it, unless I wanted to miss the last train.
When we got back, I went back to my hotel as I was really tired but the other girls all stayed out. I wanted to save my energy for Muse!
posted by Helen T On Tour at 8:14 AM
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