Some wise words from our Managing Director, Chris Wright, about the value of booking with a good travel agent or tour operator when faced with unplanned travel disruption. As you'll read below, from first hand experience.
After a few days seeing in the New Year in Greece, I was looking forward to being back in the office, kicking off 2026 with the team.
Greek Air Traffic Control had other ideas.
All flights were grounded for most of the day on one of the busiest travel days of the year, with thousands of people trying to get home after the Christmas break. You know things are bad when one of the only options being suggested is a Qatar Airways flight from Athens to London… via Doha.
Thankfully, at Sunvil we live and breathe alternative ways of travelling. Through our Europe by train (and no-fly) programmes, we’re well-versed in creating itineraries that don’t rely on a single mode of transport. So instead of panicking, I jumped on a ferry from Greece to Italy, and today I’ll be heading north by train and FlixBus.
Standing at the gate when the cancellation came through was a stark reminder of how stressful travel disruption can be. So many understandably emotional passengers demanding answers, and airline staff doing their best but unable to offer reassurance because they simply didn’t have the information themselves.
And it reinforced something I see time and time again: the value of booking with a good travel agent or tour operator.
Within minutes of my flight being cancelled, the Sunvil team had a plan. No stress. No guesswork. Clear instructions, a ferry booked, onward travel organised. Just calm, experienced problem-solving.
Hopefully Greece has got its worst disruption out of the way early, and we can all look forward to a smoother travel year ahead. But it’s always worth remembering, when that DIY booking looks “a bit cheaper”… who’s going to step in if things go wrong?
Here’s to a great 2026 — and many more journeys by train.
