2020 cheddar European corona family vacation.

Tchetek

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Figure I’ll start a new tread sum up my families last five days.

My wife’s,sister and their daughter live in Europe while her husband plays hockey for a living. This season was In miskolc Hungary.

Their typical year consists of them living a few month at home in Edmonton area. Then In mid summer my brother in-law leaves for training and my sister in-law and my niece head over when their season starts.

Their adventures In Europe started 5 years ago with my brother in-law first year and currently were we
are now in miskolc Hungary. My family (me, my wife, and 2 boys ages 5 and 2 at the time) can over in the spring of 2015 to visit and check things out.). We arrived in the late rounds of their playoffs and we witnessed the team first success in over 40 years . Then the fiesta started and continued for my next 3 weeks.

Time of my life. 2 for 1 beers for a dollar and with the victory my brother and my family were treated like celebrities. There was a victory parade where the zamboni got driven down the Main Street to the big celebration.

So now 5 years later of saving, and planning we had a trip of all trips planned. I now have 3 boys aged 9, 6, and 3.

We left home March 10th. Planned to return March 29.

Plan was leave edmonton, stop over in Amsterdam then Paris France for a quick stop at Disney Paris and a day at the sites In The city.

Next stop. Fly to Budapest Hungary. Relax for a few day at my sister/brother in-law place before a bunch other Canadian family met up with us here.

We were gonna spend some time in Hungary before we went to a sweet beach front air B and B on the water in Croatia.

Last stop on the way home was a couple days in Amsterdam to break up our flight layovers.
 

Tchetek

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So coming up to the trip we were obviously nervous about this virus issue.

But up until the time we left, and maybe currently, unless the government initiated official travel bans, our cancelation insurance would not be in effect if we decided to cancel or trip ourselves.

The current warning in France from the Canadian government was no travel ban but just to take extra hand washing precautions.

So off to France.

Edmonton air port was pretty quiet.

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Tchetek

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So we fly to Amsterdam. Have a brief layover and continue to Paris France.

We land, shuttle to our hotel, have a drink and hit the sack.

About 4:00 am for us our group chat with the group who from Canada that were gonna meat you with us start loosing their shat whit corona concerns.


My wife and i had just landed In The epicentre with our 3 boys.

Now what???
 

skegpro

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So we fly to Amsterdam. Have a brief layover and continue to Paris France.

We land, shuttle to our hotel, have a drink and hit the sack.

About 4:00 am for us our group chat with the group who from Canada that were gonna meat you with us start loosing their shat whit corona concerns.


My wife and i had just landed In The epicentre with our 3 boys.

Now what???
Enjoy your trip.
Media has this all overcooked.

You are going to "have to" self isolate when you guys get home one way or another.

Wash your hands.
Carry on with life.
 

Tchetek

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So first night is In Paris. Hotel is defiantly not North American standard.

Had a Family room. Clean, small, tight, could sleep 4 in the Main room plus a set of bunk beds in a separate room.

At this point I have slept about 30 minutes in the last 30 hours.

Our kids are wired with excitement and are now on Their 3Rd maybe forth wind.

So take them to the pool.
Have a drink.
 

Tchetek

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First night aboard. We are sleeping in a bed for the first time In many hours. Group chat hit the fan at 4:00 am.

My wife and I are both very slepp deprived.
 

Tchetek

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No hysteria happening where we are in the epicentre. North America Goes nuts over night.
Hmm

Decision time.


Stick out original plans

Head it home,

????!
 
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Tchetek

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No hysteria happening where we are in the epicentre. North America Goes nuts over night.
Hmm

Decision time.


Stick out original plans

Head it home,

????!

With a little sleep we decide we will make the best of the day for the kids!

Gonna spend
The day at Disney Paris. Then figure out a plan
 
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Tchetek

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Made the best of our day at Disney. Got some food and a beer at a pub on the way back to the hotel.
 

Tchetek

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Now Morning of day 2,

Original plans were to head into Paris and see the sites. Eiffel Tower ect.... then one more day at Disney before we were heading to Budapest.

We have now decided that this small hotel room in in France is not where we want to be struck.

We make a couple calls about changing our tickets, long waits on hold the price to change the tickets is through the roof.

We instead just buy new tickets to Budapest on the discount airline, pack our bags, and get an expensive taxi to the airport.

I give away 5 passes to Disney worth about $500 euro to a random family in the lobby as we check out.



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Thought this chick kicked the bucket mid flight

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Tchetek

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The crew of about 12 others that had plans to meet us either here in Hungary or next week in Croatia all cancel their trips and stay in Canada.

Croatia closes their borders to travellers form many countries including the Netherlands (but not France yet), apparently this ban will apply to us as our original stop over was in Amsterdam and that is were our passports got stamped for entering the European Union.

We now don’t have a flight option to get home as our existing tickets are from Croatia (March 27) to Amsterdam to home (march 29).
 

Tchetek

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At this point we have been through 4 airports and had no questions asked. Business as usual for all the airport staff.

No real panic in France. All is calm here in Hungary. All the news from home is its Full On Mad Max!

We have no idea what to do now. All is good and fine, but can’t get ahold of anybody at our travel insurance, the phone disconnects after 59 minutes on hold 2 times in a row.

One way flights home for us five is about $10grand at the moment. We can’t get to Croatia to use our original flights. And we have no idea if airlines will shut down completely in the near future.
 
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