Multi-Modal-Mayhem - Back to Toronto with a multi-modal bevvy of madness...
With Eurolines, Brussels Airlines, Air Canada and Lufthansa
Well I did promise I have something on the boil. Guess I’m starting to understand the mistake fares that happen. Oh well. As usual, we’re in traditional Kevincm territory here - that means it’s back of the plane, non-stolen iPhones in sickbags, but with some additional elements... as you can guess by the title... 
Lets call this a mini-road trip and we'll settle at that
Mistake fare: A mileage runners dream and a planners nightmare
(Yup, the Introduction - one day I’ll run out of witty titles...)
Even though I have Lufthansa Senator status sewn up for this year, there is a small matter of BMI Gold. And call me olde fashioned - but I like my BMI Gold card - least of all there is a chance to retrain BMI gold, and it will be a lot easier to hang onto than Lufthansa Senator. As putting any miles in Lufthansa’s way would be “thrown away” this year (100,000 in 4 months? I think not...), it seems to make sense to keep BMI Gold and re-qualify on that for now (even though BMI is in more of state than usual it seems)
So as usual, I was keeping an eye out on the mileage run forums, when the a fare popped up. After crunching the numbers, I could make it work.
So where would I be going? Toronto. Hang on... Wasn’t I here before in
April? Correct dear reader - a repeat visit to somewhere... that isn’t Chicago. Shocking eh?
Map generated by the Great Circle Mapper -
www.gcmap.com
However, the clever observers will have noted the ones small little detail. As I’m based near to Birmingham (BHX), I’d have to schelp down to Brussels to start the trip.
I briefly considered flying to Brussels, but at single fares coming in at 3 figures, I threw that out of the window. Next I considered Eurostar, which came in at a reasonable £49. However, the shocker was the hotel bills. And there’s no easy way to put this: €160 for a Holiday Inn Express or €149 for a Holiday Inn near the airport.
There is such a thing I believe called
“Taking the mickey” - the above prices being a classic example of this. Scrapping the hotel plan, I realised with some semi dawning horror what the only way to get to Brussels Airport on schedule without breaking the bank.
A COACH TRIP.
Whilst the trip is over 8 hours, on the plus side, there’s no accommodation fee, and it costs a grand total of £33. In addition, as it’s a late night coach, it’s a ferry service over The English Channel, and gets me to Brussels Noord for 5:45 in the morning - early enough to catch the train to Brussels Airport.
Getting back was a simple FRA-LCY trip with Lufthansa in a E-190. The fare was reasonable £88 in comparison to heading directly to Birmingham. And as I had a held return train portion for the train trip back, makes no odds to me.
So we’ve got the major modes of travel covered: Train, Plane, Coach and Ferry. Read and weep.
And that’s the plan. Alas, the best laid plans of mice and men come into play later in this trip...