The Move - London to Bucharest (part 1)

Two days later I boarded a train to Doncaster where I met my mum at the legendary(?) Doncaster-Sheffield Robin Hood Airport.  Slung over my shoulder was a 'small cabin bag' (i.e. the largest I could get away with on Wizz Air) which I ensured was packed as tightly as possible with electronics since we didn't want them going in hold luggage.  Meanwhile, each hand pulled a 32kg suitcase.  Despite Jim dropping me just a few metres from the entrance to Kings Cross station, I was still enormously relieved to haul my bags to a safe corner on the train and have a sit down!

Wizz are a 'low cost' airline, which means their headline fares are low, but they make their money by charging for extras.  This is why I only took a 'small cabin bag' since that was allowed on board for free.  Anything larger than a laptop case and I'd have been charged £18.  However, each piece of hold luggage I booked for just £20 was allowed to be 32kg (airlines usually only let you take 23kg) which meant more things in less cases!

The train journey up was generally uneventful, other than me somehow becoming the 'go to guy' to reposition cases in a strange game of luggage Jenga.  Arriving at Doncaster station, I shared the lift from the platform to the exit with a Romanian guy who was taking the same flight as me.  He was also hauling two 32kg bags, and so neither of us needed much persuading to take a cab to the airport instead of relying on a bus from the bus station a reasonable distance away.  In the end my cut of the shared taxi didn't cost much more than a bus ticket anyway.

My mum was waiting for me at the Departures check-in.  She had offered to come with me to Bucharest to set up the house prior to Alice and Leila moving out and, although she says my initial reaction was luke-warm, I'm pretty sure I grabbed the offer with both hands!  Irrespective of whose opinion you believe, she was there with two bags and together we checked in for the flight to Romania.

Doncaster airport isn't much more than a large warehouse.  The budget nature of the operation (but also, therefore, the really cheap flights!) is summed up in this photo.  This art installation, sponsored by Yorkshire Bank in celebration of the Tour De France's 'Grand Depart' from Yorkshire, was positioned on the main route from the check-in desks security.  Yes, it's a second-hand mountain bike that's been sprayed yellow.

Despite its budget nature, I must say that I was impressed with the flight.  Boarding was a bit of a free-for-all due to Wizz flying with unallocated seats, but we managed to get a row of three seats between the two of us so we had plenty of space to stretch out.  Although we set off a few minutes late, we still arrived at Bucharest airport a few minutes early.  Bags took what felt like an age to come off the plane, however, but I think that's more an issue with Bucharest airport than the airline.

By this point it was 1.30am and we were desperate for sleep.  School had arranged for a taxi to collect us, and the driver took us to the Caro Hotel overlooking Carol Park in northern Bucharest.  On arrival the receptionist kept giving us strange looks, and on walking into the room we realised why - it only had a double bed.  After explaining the situation to the bell-boy, he quickly found us another room with twin beds which was a much better arrangement!