Day 3

Today was certainly interesting, to say the least! We arrived in Helsinki early after our overnight flight from Singapore, and even before the doors opened, there was a PA announcement warning unsuspecting passengers about the situation awaiting them at Helsinki Airport. Ted and I were the first passengers off the plane and made a beeline for baggage claim.

As it turned out, we were told our bags would be offloaded—but that it could take a while. They weren’t kidding. We ended up standing in the baggage hall for well over an hour. Still, we consoled ourselves with the fact that at least we’d be getting them today, not tomorrow.

While we waited, we weighed up our options for getting to Berlin. Seats were limited, so I suggested flying to Hamburg and catching a train from there. Ted thought it would be better to just buy full-fare tickets directly to Berlin, since the price difference wasn’t that significant. I initially baulked at the cost—until I realised it was much of a muchness either way.

Relief quickly turned to panic when we realised Ted had accidentally booked the flights for the 19th of June, not May. Given how strict many airlines are about cancellations, we assumed we’d just kissed that money goodbye. We had an anxious wait before we could speak with someone at Finnair—but their staff couldn’t help either, since the booking was too far in the future to show in their system yet.

I jumped on Finnair’s live chat, bracing for bad news. To my surprise—and immense relief—because the booking was for several weeks ahead and had been made within the last hour, we were eligible for a full refund. Phew!

After all that excitement, we headed to Starbucks to regroup and enjoy a surprisingly decent coffee. Hamburg now looked like the best option, so we bought staff travel tickets and were upgraded straight away. After clearing security, we weren’t sure if we were eligible for the Finnair lounge—but we were, and it turned out to be a very comfortable place to wait.

The flight to Hamburg was about two hours, although due to the industrial action, catering was minimal. Once we’d collected our luggage, we dashed to the S-Bahn to buy train tickets to Berlin. Unfortunately, neither of us could figure out the ticket machine. We asked one of the station staff for help, and he pointed us toward a better option: instead of paying €96 each for the train, we could catch a Flixbus for just €17. It would take a little longer—but that sounded like a bargain to us.

We bought single tickets to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof and easily found the bus station nearby. We even had time to grab some cheese pastries and water for the three-hour ride.

Now, Flixbus isn’t exactly glamorous—especially after our recent Business Class streak. The seats were tight, the drivers looked thoroughly unimpressed with life, and the tray tables could barely hold a bottle of water. But at that price and level of efficiency, who’s complaining?

Once we arrived in Berlin, we took an Uber to our hotel, which is perfectly located near the Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)—ideal for both sightseeing and our upcoming journey to Poland. We had a quick look around the station and picked up a few groceries, as we were both keen for some fresh food rather than another restaurant meal.

I think it’ll be an early night tonight—I’m barely staying awake. Considering we’ve been in three countries in the last 24 hours, I’d say that’s fair. There’ll be plenty of time for late nights later in the trip! 😊Weiterlesen