My Layover in Zurich, Switzerland

 

(Photography: http://www.antiquehelper.com)

This week our Travel Themed prompt for the month is ‘Interesting/Weird Layovers’ and I look forward to hearing what you accomplished in the few (or many) hours between flights. As always do not feel you cannot linkup next week if you do not participate. Any travel or expat related posts are always welcome!
When the word ‘layover’ comes to mind, Zurich quickly follows it.  I was eighteen years old and I had just been back in Naples, Italy visiting friends and my church family for my senior trip, post graduation, before starting University that Autumn.  My flight from Rome to Zurich had been quite tight, and so much so that I missed my connecting flight out of Switzerland.  I remember feeling quite nervous, even as a well seasoned traveler at that age.  This had been my first overseas trip flying solo and now what was I supposed to do?
After talking with the airline staff I was notified they would get me a shuttle to a hotel, where a room and food would be paid for and I could catch the next flight out in the morning.  My room was amazing and I called my parents first thing to let them know about the delay. My mum recommended I go out and explore and so that is just what I did.  I went out and saw the town, found a place to eat, and even caught a film (saw Traffic).  It helped that Switzerland is one of my favourite places in Europe and it was nice to have an extended part to my senior trip.  What could have been a horrible experience of a layover stuck in an airport, ended up being a lush added day to my vacation.  I will always remember it fondly.
Q: Have you had any interesting layovers? Where did you get stuck?
traveltuesdayspotlight_qatar
This last week I really enjoyed Corinne’s post about Qatar.  I have never been there, but my father had been there a few times with the US Air Force.  I have since then met a few people whom have been there whether with the military, their civilian job, or as a trip.  Since my father is no longer with us, I would love to go places he has been to that I have yet to see with my own eyes. So thank you so much girl for sharing this post with us this week! Really enjoyed seeing your photographs.

 

 

 

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  • Phoebe Thomas

    My recent layover was in Dusseldorf where I popped out of the airport to have a quick beer with a friend. Nothing wild, but fun to catch up briefly. your experience in Zurich sounds fun.

  • http://letuswanderlust.blogspot.com/ Carly @ Let Us Wanderlust

    You definitely made the very best of your layover! Having enough time to go out and explore is the best you can hope for with long layovers!

  • Rosie @Eco-Gites of Lenault

    Not a stop-over as such but I had the delights of being stuck on a ferry that didn’t go anywhere. I was trying to come back to France from the UK when the French fishermen were on strike and had blockaded Cherbourg ferry port. They let us all on the ferry and then we stayed all night in Poole. I had found a bit of floor but then had the delights of being stuck there with some smelly feet near my head all night. We eventually got home via Portsmouth – Caen, 18 hours late!

  • http://www.wanderlyn.com/ Eternally WanderLyn

    It’s nice that they were so accommodating after missing your flight. :) And it sounds like it was a much better experience than it could have been! 😀

  • Corinne Vail

    Thanks for liking my post last week! I love the badge! Thank for using one of my camel photos!

  • Teresa Russell Nystrom

    Your dad and I missed a connection in Vienna to Italy. So, we spent the time until our departure doing exactly what I recommended you do in Zurich. Good thing. We saw the highlights and didn’t have to pay for a hotel. Vienna is very expensive!

  • http://www.the-lifestyle-project.com/ Danielle @ The-Lifestyle-Prj

    Sometimes missing a flight can be a good thing!! I’m happy the airline took care of you and set you up with a hotel, especially as you were younger. The last time I missed a flight (which wasn’t my fault) the airline offered me a nice hard chair outside the boarding gate as my bed for the night :S Not as fun as getting hooked up in Zurich!

  • Foreign Geek

    I was stuck at Kuala Lumpur airport for more than half day after a long flight from Sydney. I was so tired of waiting and waiting some more when they delayed the flight without additional information, thank God I was there with my best friends, else I would have killed myself :S

  • http://www.misadventureswithandi.com Andi Fisher

    I had the pleasure of working in Switzerland for 3 years, but on the French side. I went to Zurich a few times during my time there and found it so quaint!