How to Save Your Travel Plans When Everything Goes Wrong.

We all love to plan an adventure. Sometimes, though, the adventure begins before the trip even starts, and not always in a good way! If you’re planning a multi-city train journey across Europe, let me share a recent experience and some practical lessons I learned the hard way, so you don’t have to.

The Dream Plan (and Why It Fell Apart)

My trip was inspired by Simon Wilson on YouTube, who made me want to experience a classic sleeper train. After researching, I built a beautiful itinerary around the ÖBB Nightjet from Amsterdam to Innsbruck:

✅ Eurostar from London to Amsterdam

✅ A day exploring Amsterdam, including the Anne Frank walking tour and a canal cruise

✅ Sleeper train to Innsbruck

✅ A day and night in Innsbruck

✅ An onward trip to Vienna

✅ A flight back home

Everything was booked. Hotels, activities, trains and almost everything was non-refundable. Sounds perfect, right?

Except 48 hours before departure, I got an email. “Due to strike action, your train has been cancelled.”

No plan B. No backup. And hundreds of pounds at stake.

Problem-Solving Under Pressure: What I Learned

Here’s what you can do if your dream itinerary goes wrong:

✅ Act Fast — but Don’t Panic

Check the cancellation email carefully. Use online translators if needed. Take 10 minutes to list all the options before making snap decisions.

✅ List Your Priorities

I realised I wanted the sleeper train experience most of all — not just to reach Innsbruck, but to enjoy the journey itself. That shaped my decisions. Know what parts of your trip matter most to you.

✅ Research Alternative Routes Creatively

At first I looked for a replacement train from Amsterdam, but nothing was direct or comfortable. I tried flights (too expensive), car rental (ridiculously priced), even alternative departure cities (Rotterdam, Brussels). No luck.

✅ Be Flexible with Your Destinations

Finally, I found another Nightjet from Hamburg to Innsbruck — perfect, if I could just get to Hamburg. I rearranged my Eurostar to a later date, cancelled my Amsterdam plans, and booked a cheap flight from London to Hamburg instead. Crisis averted!

👉 Lesson: Don’t get stuck on your original route if another city can keep your core plan alive.

✅ Prepare for Last-Minute Costs

Unexpected changes often cost money. I paid for a flight to Hamburg to rescue the plan. It hurt but saved the rest of the trip. Always have an emergency fund for exactly this scenario. It has also birthed a weekend away in Amsterdam next month as we have to use the Eurostar booking.

✅ Learn to Let Go

Losing the Anne Frank tour in Amsterdam was disappointing but I have rescheduled it for next time. Sometimes, you have to let go of part of the plan to keep the rest alive.

Key Takeaways to Save Your Trip

✔ Always have a Plan B — even if it’s just a list of backup routes

✔ Book flexible or refundable options where possible

✔ Prioritise what really matters to you (the journey vs. the destination)

✔ Set aside emergency funds

✔ Stay calm, use translation tools, and check alternatives before deciding

What started as a disaster turned into one of the best adventures of my life — all thanks to being willing to pivot instead of panic.

If you ever find yourself staring at a cancellation email 48 hours before your trip, remember: flexibility, creativity, and a cool head can turn even a travel nightmare into a story you’ll love to tell.