Well we've made it to Nice! Shortest booked trip of our lives.
Air France made me gate check my RS Rolling carryon. When we got to the hotel the lock was broken. Looked like something was stuffed up the TSA key spot.
Hotel staff sawed it off with a hacksaw.
That's a new one for me!
I'm so glad we were brave and got this underway. I feel alive again.
Bravo and bienvenue.
Thanks Bets! It's wonderful!
Andrea, what did you do to adjust for the time difference? You and I are in the same time zone in North America. About a week before we leave, I'm going to start prepping for the 6 hours difference between here and France.
Trblee, I am an early riser anyway, but on departure day got up at about 4:30. I'm wide awake despite copious amounts of wine. DH slept for about 90 minutes. I used to get terrible jetlag but last few trips I've been fine.
Wow!
It’s great that the hotel staff came to the rescue.
I suppose your messed up lock was not the first they’ve seen!
A couple of years ago, my daughter’s carry-on had to be checked because all overhead bins were full by the time she was allowed to board the plane. When we retrieved her bag from the conveyor belt, the lock was missing.
Fortunately she hadn’t packed anything of value so nothing was missing from her bag.
Wishing you a wonderful trip!
I hope you share your trip adventures upon your return!
Haha Priscilla ! -- no matter what flap we get into I always tell myself "they're hoteliers! They've seen it all!"!
Andrea,
I don’t know how long you’ll be in Nice, but you may get some day trip ideas from Jean’s Trip Report
(I‘d saved her post for future reference 😉
Jean wrote about her day trip to Menton, and her visit to Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild villa and it’s beautiful gardens.
Enjoy your trip!
Sorry Andrea, still doesn't top your Sergei massage story. :)
I’m so glad you made it! I hope you have a wonderful time.
We've found our way to an Irish pub where we've met fellow Canadians and are enjoying live music!
If I have a liver tomorrow...
We never lock our suitcases anymore after losing a few supposedly safe TSA type locks. I carry all meds, any jewelry, all electronics in my messenger bag and then don't worry about anyone stealing my underpants or my t-shirt.
Slainte, Andrea !!
Which pub? I managed 2 when I was there on St. Pat's weekend. One of the highlights of the Riviera LOL
Chani, it was The Snug. We had no plans to go but happened past while live music was underway and decided to join the party.
We use a nylon ty-wrap on the plane, and carry a lock for in-country transfers or in the hotel room. This does require carrying a nail-clipper (spare in outside pocket of bag) for use in the hotel upon arrival. The point is, even a non-TSA lock only "keeps out the honest people" anyway.
Tim, we've considered using a tie wrap but have no faith in our ability to remember to keep the clippers out of said bag.
Andrea — well that is certainly an arresting title thread !!!
Glad you are “here,” on your short-planned trip. Hope you have a great time.
I am like Janet. I don’t have anything in my checked luggage worth locking. The only time I ever lock is when I have my iPad in my 40-liter Gregory backpack going through the Paris metro to get to the train station ! (Or the reverse on the way home)
Andrea, so glad the hotel was able to open it.
After a few mishaps with checked bags (broken lock & bag that came partially unzipped with my clothes hanging out as it came down the conveyer belt), I now use a twist tie (like you get at the grocery store) to keep the zipper closed. No special tools are needed and it keeps the zipper closed. I pack a lock inside my bag and use that during my trip, but don’t bother with it for flights,
I've used cable-ties/zap-straps to "lock" my luggage for the past 20 years.
Never once has one been removed when the bag is out of my sight in an airport or plane.
No damage to any padlock, and no need for a hacksaw!...just have to remember to pack a teeny pair of scissors in an outside pocket.
I always use cable ties and usually have a pair of small scissors in an outside pocket, but there are occasional lapses. A couple of times I've had to ask the hotel staff for scissors or a knife. Once I arrived back at the Tel Aviv airport and opened my carry on to get out my house key. Not there, yikes! I carefully took everything out piece by piece with no success. Hmm, I must have inadvertently packed the key in the suitcase. I got it off the carousel, all secure with its cable ties, and no scissors in the outside pocket. It's the middle of the night so I can't wake up the woman who has my spare key, and I don't fancy sitting on the front steps waiting for hours till I can contact her. Try to find a knife or even scissors in a very security-conscious airport after 9/11 ! No one, but no one could help me airside. I finally remembered there's a florist in the terminal. Sure enough they had the necessary tool, and I quickly found the key, heaved a sigh of relief, and was home in 30 minutes.
I still use cable ties, but I'm more careful about where my house key is 😂
I've also had the ties cut off 2 or 3 times, always for security checks (though the Lord only knows why) and nothing's ever been missing.
