“I booked a holiday to Paris, but one email ruined everything” | Travel News | Travel

Booking holidays and travel usually involves a significant portion of the potential accident.

Maybe it's stuffing essentials or forgetting that you're facing flight delays. It's all part of the travel experience, unless good luck smiles at you in particular.

However, after booking a Paris-bound Eurostar trip, I was unable to prepare me for how my travel plans fell apart completely.

In January, fascinated by the Eurostar sale, I seized the opportunity to quickly escape to the French capital with a friend, and each won a return ticket for £100.

Supported by a vision from Emily on Netflix in Paris, I dream of pose in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower in a red beret, and absorbing the elegant aura of Paris over the gorgeous coffee that dances in my head.

But while I was crazy, reality hit hard, and later I had a coffee at a cafe at the station. An unexpected email landed in my inbox from EuroStar and the alarm bell rang.

“Hello, we are contacting you about your journey from London St. Pancras International to Paris Gae Node.”

My excitement came to an abrupt end with the next line. “We had to cancel your train due to the discovery of an unexploded bomb from World War II near Paris Gare du Nord.”

Complete surprise was an understatement. My luck could not have been worse. The remains of the war 80 years ago exploded into my present, driving my enthusiastically anticipated escape from Paris.

My friend and I scrambled and exchanged expressions of distrust after seeing the news that everyone was buzzing on social media to find an alternative route. We explored flights from nearby airports, but found that if everyone rushed to book, it would cost just £400 a day in Paris as they would have to return early on Sunday.

I also considered taking a ferry in Portsmouth, but the logistics were too complicated as I didn't know how to get to Paris without a car or where to park.

By this point we had missed the train to London, so we decided to retreat to our local pub and reflect on our next move. There was no way I wanted to spend the weekend at home when I was supposed to be in Paris, so we quickly brainstormed to quickly escape potential British destinations.

Initially we were thinking of the Lake District, but eventually settled in Cornwall. We quickly found a charming cottage with a pool that is available for £250 for 2 nights. This is roughly the amount refunded to Eurostar.

Once that was sorted out, I contacted a hotel in Paris. There, although it was believed that it was non-refundable, we were asked to inquire about a refund.

Fortunately, the unusual circumstances ensured us that we were not billed for the room. This was a relief, especially considering the large amounts paid for Eiffel Tower's views. It certainly wasn't a bargain.

After rushing to repack and replace my berets for some hoodies and sweatshirts, we set out on a 4 hour trip to Cornwall.

Upon arrival we were delighted that the cottage was absolutely charming and boasted scenic views of the swelling hills and the communal swimming pool for refreshing dips. Conveniently, we were only a 10 minute drive from the Eden Project, so we decided to explore it on Saturday and head to Newquay Beach on Sunday.

I also managed to take my son, who was supposed to be with my parents when I was in Paris (I didn't think he enjoyed it), so I had the opportunity to spend more quality time with him.

Despite the first hiccups, it turned out to be a great weekend. It proved that even if your trip plans fail due to unexpected events, you can still enjoy it.

I managed to secure a refund for everything, so I will reschedule my trip to Paris soon. My beret will see the light of the day this year, mark my words!