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You are here: Home / Trips / Frankfurt Weekend / TRIP REPORT: A Change of Scenery – Welcome back to the UK

TRIP REPORT: A Change of Scenery – Welcome back to the UK

04/11/2020 by Kevincm

Welcome back to the UK… or “What’s Social Distancing and a Mask?”
A Change of Scenery

Frankfurt Trip Report header

In this adventure

  • Well, 2020 is turning out to be a fine year for travel…
  • Travel preparations
  • Off to Birmingham Airport
  • LH959 Birmingham to Frankfurt-am-Main International
  • Entering Germany
  • Frankfurt Airport XXL Tour
  • Into Frankfurt
  • Hotel: Mercure Hotel City Messe, Frankfurt
  • Exploring Frankfurt in these odd times
  • Back to FRA
  • LH954 Frankfurt to Birmingham
  • Welcome back to the UK
  • A welcome change

I exited the aircraft and followed the signs to immigration – and boy was there plenty of signs on the way “welcoming” you to the United Kingdom.

a group of airplanes at an airport
Bye, Bye A320neo.

a group of people walking in a hallway

Eventually, the immigration line splits appeared and I took the escalator down to the UK Border …. Where social distancing was not being practised.

a sign in a building

a blue sign on a white wall

people in a building with a sign and people walking

a sign in a hallway

At all

people in a large airport
What is this hot mess?

Sigh. Signs you’re back in the UK

I tried the automated machines, but they booted me straight away. I, therefore, waited in line for a UK border agent. I was seen to and questioned if I had completed a tracing form. I showed my screen to the agent and they happily let me back in the country.

With that – I headed to baggage claim. For a daytime flight, there seemed to be a lot of people collecting luggage. As well as the barest possible distancing.

people standing in a line at an airport

Eventually, the rucksack spat out of the belt after 10 minutes of waiting. I made my exit from customs, and back into the United Kingdom. 

a sign on the door of a building

With me now ground-side, I decided that the best option to get home would be train and bus. I, therefore, headed outside – as the AirRail link was out of commission, with it being replaced by a bus. 

a sign in a store

a sign on the floor
People were following this sign indoors…

Woo.

people walking in a hallway with large windows
To the public area

 

people walking on a sidewalk with people walking on a sidewalk

a bus on the street

A short wait and a semi packed bus later, I was at Birmingham International Station. I went to a vending machine to get a train ticket – although I hate how many ticketing options you can have between the Airport and City Centre. If there’s one fare anomaly that needs sorting out, this is one of them.

a screen with a white and blue text
Yes.. at least 10 different options between Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street.

 I ponied up for a Anytime  single back to Birmingham and headed down to the platform. Interestingly, a local train decided to pull out at that moment I arrived, leaving a Transport for Wales Class 158 which was going next.

I hopped on the train, which had around six people on it. For four carriages. 

a train at a train station

a bus with seats and a sign on the wall

Eventually, the train pulled out for the 10-minute ride tp Birmingham New Street.

a building with a sign on the wall
Bye International

a red sign on a wall

a fenced in area with airplanes on the runway
Bye Birmingham AIrport. See you soon.

Of course, we were held at signal outside the station… because this is Birmingham New Street. 

a door with a person in the back
The space in between

a sign on a wall a train with seats on the side

After getting off the train, I made my way to the bus for the final part of the ride home. Yes, I could have taken a taxi or an Uber… but I could not be bothered. 

A bus showed up straight away. That was the good news. The bad news? People were still treating wearing masks as optional.

a man walking in a large building

A sharp change of what I had seen in the past two days.

a bus with a yellow and red handle

The bus made its merry way around the city, before exiting it. I got off at my usual stop, headed up the usual road, made a turn into the flats, and finally – to my front door. 

a red door with a backpack in front of it

Monday came and my good mood lasted exactly two hours before the grimace returned. 

But that of course, is another story.


Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond – Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, with in-depth coverage, unique research as well as the humour and madness as I only know how to deliver.

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