Desperately need some way of getting to DLP...

[joewhite89]

Right here's a killer emergency for you all.

Me and my family are meant to be going to DLP for Halloween - we've got annual passes and plan to purchase the Halloween party tickets when they come out, got the eurotunnel ticks and all that's left to do is book the hotel...

However... there's a problem. My father was under the impression that I get a week off from University during October (which I don't...) and has planned to travel down on Tuesday and Wednesday (stopping off at friends Tues night), reaching DLP Wednesday then having Thursday, Friday and Halloween Saturday in the park, returning home Sunday.

I'm at Manchester (first year) and apparently they go awol if you miss lectures (I've got a friend who's been there a year already, he said they go crackers...) SO I've got a problem.

Either I find some way of getting down Friday night (maybe Thursday and skip Friday's lectures... what are they going to do - I could just say I'm ill...) and getting picked up from a Parisian airport, or I simply don't go!

My question is this: are there any cheap flights/trains/coaches that would depart from the Manchester area and hit Paris sometime around Friday/Saturday morning? Cheap being the operative word there, as I am a poor, poor student :P

THANKS for any help offered :D

[Lisa_C]

Tough one. Personally I wouldn't go as it seems a lot of effort for one day - then you have to go back and face the music.....

As for coaches into Paris, I might be wrong but I only know of tour operators running coaches there as part of a package And for trains, Eurostar or the indirect train are your only options there, and they won't be student budget. Plus you'd need to be in London or Ashford to pick these up, meaning travelling down from Manchester (which is only £20 advanced fair off peak) but you'd have to travel down the day before and stay overnight (NOT cheap) to guarrentee you'll catch your departure.
Cant' help with the flights, I know others fly but to me this is not cheap either, plus you still got to get to the airport/be picked up. If your parents are only there three days wouldn't it be too much to ask for them to pick you up loosing them park time??

You either have to make a decision to skip lessons and go down with your parents, or miss it I'm afraid. It sounds all to much effort to go just for the Saturday

sorry to sound negative but honestly, I wouldn't do it. Maybe if you all have AP's then you can book to go again with them??

Good luck with your decision

[torres_fan]

This may sound stupid but I guess it depends on what course your doing. Im at uni going into my 3rd year but im doing nursing and we have to actually sign in almost like school and we can only miss 8 days in a year. We also have lectures most days so means we tend to be in Monday - Friday. However all my other uni mates who are doing law, graphics, english etc etc may have 3 lectures at the most in one week and they dont have a register so if your not there your not there they dont even notice. Most unis arent like school, you pay to go and if you dont turn up you dont turn up.

So to be honest you just need to make the decision of if your going to go or not. I wouldnt bother going for just the day, if your going to go at all go the whole time.

Hope your able to make a decision. If its already booked maybe you could wait until you have your timetable and really see what your going to miss.

[Suzi-Q]

When you say you're in your first year do you mean you start your first year in September? Just a thought but might it worth speaking to the Uni to see what their outlook is, as the holiday was already booked prior to you starting and your parents assuming you had half term etc? Not sure what subject you're doing but if my neighbours daughter was anything to go by (studying Law) she didn't seem to go into uni very often - seemed to spend more time at home studying and only attending occasionally for lectures! You may find when you actually get your timetable that you wont actually be missing that many lectures! Maybe they would allow it if you asked in advance and arranged to have copies of notes for the lectures you were missing?

As for flights check skyscanner - I've just looked on there and for the last friday in October they have flights, MAN to CDG, with flybe for £42.29, one way, depart 06.40 arrive 09.25 or depart 13.05 arrive 15.45 (the later flight also comes up with a price of £43.80 )

If you're eurotunnel tickets are for wednesday maybe you could travel by train down south in the early hours of wednesday or after uni on tuesday and meet up with the rest of your family and then head to the eurotunnel?

I agree with the others tho' that it just doesn't seem worth going just for the one day - especially if it also disrupts/cuts into the rest of the family's time there by having to collect you from the airport.

Hope that helps and good luck, it's a tough decision to have to make!

[joewhite89]

Thanks guys - I get my timetable in September (starting in September and studying English - apparently you only have a few lectures per week) so I'll check it out then and hopefully get sorted!

You're all right though. Definitely not worth going just for the day :/

Thanks for your help!

[angel_nix]

Ring the university and see if the timetable has been completed yet (unlikely, but worth a try). My brother used to do journalism and had no lectures on a Thursday or Friday which was pretty useful for popping home, going away etc.

Personally, I wouldn't bother making all the effort for just one day.

[A Small World]

We have flown AirFrance from Manchester to CDG and there is one of the cheaper ones (think its EasyJet) goes to DLP as well.
There is also one of the cheap ones from Liverpool Airport (about an hr by train from manchester) but to be honest I wouldnt bother for a day - Id speak to the Uni and Im sure you'll be fine

[joewhite89]

Yeah that sounds like the best thing to do.

Thanks everyone :D