From a cancelled flight to unplanned routes, here’s what I learnt when everything went wrong and how last minute travel lessons reshaped my adventures.
You might call this a travel mishap, but when my flight to Dubai got cancelled last minute, to me this was a travel disaster. I was still in London and I was due to fly to Romania in just a few hours. After a day and a bit in Romania, I was supposed to head over to my overly planned and highly anticipated adventure in Dubai.
It was not meant to be. I ended up going to the airport with my one-way ticket to Bucharest and zero idea what was in store for me for the next 8 days. I am a firm believer, however, that we are never victims of the circumstances – we, as people, create the circumstances. In the 40 minutes I had in the crowded Luton Airport, I booked 4 flights.
During the next 8 days, I visited not only Bucharest, but also Belgrade, Istanbul and southern Türkiye. This is what I learn along the way:
Booking last minute is not more expensive
My 4 new plane tickets were booked within days of departure and the overall price was about £150. I have not overspent on any of the hotels I stayed in. My 5-star hotel room in Istanbul cost me merely £56.
Download maps
I needed to rely on roaming and to make sure I always had my maps ready, I would always download them upfront, while I was in the hotel, which leads us to the next point.
Use WiFi
Make use of the hotels’ WiFi to download maps, movies, videos and music. I like to keep myself well entertained while I am flying or chilling at the airport. I always have a good selection of videos, music and movies to choose from.
I would advise you to use a VPN, however. I am very conscious of using public networks and I always use VPN and my anti-virus software wherever I go. You can check VPN options here.
Use Google Flights and comparison websites
I found the easiest and cheapest way to book flights quickly is using Google Flights. I would pick my starting point, choose the date I want to fly and ask for results to “Anywhere”. Once I pick an option, I would sometimes check websites and apps such as Trip.com to make sure I am picking the best prices and times. For ease, I have created a page with all sorts of booking platforms here.
Use Google for hotels
Here is another trick I found. I would go on Google Maps and search for “Hotels”. All sorts of hotels will pop up. Based on the public transport setting, distance from the airport and landmarks I want to see, I would pick a few hotels. I will then check their reviews and ensure that they have all the amenities I need for my stay.
I would then go on a booking website or app such as Booking.com and will compare the prices these hotels offer for different types of rooms. Only then, I will book. Check all sorts of hotel booking websites and apps here.
Advice: Some hotels are a bit cheeky and promote cheap rooms that are actually based in “annexes”. I am usually suspicious of these as they are often below the standard the main hotel building would offer. I, personally, avoid them.
Check which airport you are landing to and flying from
Always make sure you know which airport you are landing and flying away from. Big cities often have multiple airports servicing them and they are usually quite a distance from each other. For example, I was convinced that I was flying into Sabiha Gökçen International Airport from Belgrade and then flying out to Dalaman from the same airport. I was just minutes away from booking a hotel in Pendik, before realising that I was actually landing in Istanbul International Airport, on the European side.
This could have cost me quite some time and effort, considering I wanted to see Hagia Sophia while I was in Istanbul.
Arrange private transfer
As a solo female traveller, I simply don’t use cabs. One, for safety reasons and, two – because a taxi driver in France quoted me 35 EUR for a 7-minute ride. However, there are places where you need to book a cab or a private transfer. You can do this through Booking.com. Yes, it might be more expensive, but you will know the name of the driver, their contact number and further detail for the company they work for. You can screenshot all this and send it to a family member or a friend.
Packing list
I travel with a backpack and when I left the house, I left with no idea what climate I was going to face along the way. However, some evergreen items I always bring are: a body-warmer – you can see me in my vlogs with the same body warmer during the winter in Scandinavia and during the heatwave in Summer in Southern Europe; an umbrella – I live in London, so I don’t leave the house without it anyways; and a swimsuit – it doesn’t weigh anything and I love to be prepared!
Use your phone to pay
Keep your bank cards safe and out of sight. Wherever you can pay with a car, you can pay with most smartphones. Just install Google Wallet or Apple Pay and connect a bank card.
Advice: for extra security, create a digital card that you add to your wallet.
Use cards with free ATM withdrawals
Monzo and Revolut offer this option. I don’t usually exchange money before I leave for my adventures, but if I need cash, I withdraw from the local ATMs with no fees from my bank.
Buy whatever you want and purchase a Duty-Free bag
This is a secret I am a bit nervous to share in case WizzAir sees this and changes their policy. See, when you pass security no one cares how many bags you go in with as long as what you carry fits into what they allow. So, if you are travelling with a low-budget airline, on a ticket with no add-ons, you can smuggle a second bag with your purchases from your trip.
This is how it works: you get a bag and fill it in with whatever you bought during your trip. You go through security and once in the duty-free section, you buy something and ask for a bag. In airports such as the one in Copenhagen, you can buy nice multiple-use duty-free bags! They, you put all your purchases in this new bag and you are good to go. Obviously, you need to remain reasonable and remember – you will be having this bag In your lap or at your feet for the whole flight!
I can rely on myself fully
This trip was a massive confidence booster for me. I learnt that even in the most complicated situations, I can rely on myself fully and I can do it. There were hard times, especially in the beginning of my trip, when I thought I was going to go back home. But I didn’t and it was all worth it!
It’s liberating to have no plan and go with the best option of today
I am an over-planner and a self-proclaimed control freak. I am the type of person that has a list of tasks saying that I need to list my other tasks. Being pushed out of my comfort zone taught me to be more spontaneous and to be able to relax in the knowledge that whatever happens, I can deal with it.
See how to deal with flight cancellations here.
Below you can read all about my Unexpected Journey:
