My journey to the Netherlands on Saturday the 8th did not begin fortuitously – for a start, I mixed up my tickets for the train journey from Stoke-on-Trent, and thought I had to catch a noon train, not a 2 PM train. This however, had a bright side, for as I was standing on the platform, pondering the trains, I realised that I had left the Archos jukebox back in my house on the bed. Quick time, across the station, hail a taxi and make a very quick round-trip to pick it up from home. I then found out that my ticket allowed me to catch any train that was going in the approximate direction that I was going. This makes me wonder if I can travel to Manchester via London on a standard saver :) If I can, it’ll be a very cheap way to get around on the rail network.

The check-in for Jet2 was painless, if a bit tedious. They’ll only start checking-in for a flight 2 hours before the flight, and no earlier, even if the desk is open. So I had a pleasant stay in the line, waiting for them to close the Alicante flight and open the Amsterdam flight. Painless check-in though – present the booking ID and my passport, tag my carry-on and wander off to find lunch – which is how checking in should be.

If you ever travel out of Manchester Airport, and don’t mind spending a few quid over and above for lunch, find a seat at the Lancaster Brasserie in Terminal 1. The food is fantastic (especially for airport fare), the garlic bread was divine and the view is pretty darn good (right out onto the tarmac). The food quality was something I’d expect landside at a good restaurant in town, so 4 stars to the Brasserie.