G’day Folks! Well, I’ve been step by step taking you through my 2025 overseas adventures and my last few blogs on that trip were about my amazing time spent in Jamaica. Well, Jamaica would be my last stop in the Americas and it was now time to shift continents and land masses completely as I flew to Europe!

When I originally booked my flights I was flying to Gatwick from Kingston and then transferring to Wizz Air with an afternoon flight to Athens getting in in the late evening. However, when Wizz Air decided not to run their Athens afternoon flight I was moved onto the morning flight, which was problematic as I would still be over the Atlantic Ocean at that stage. This was the first of two such cancellations over last year’s trip, with Philippine Airlines pulling a similar thing on me and then my first flight actually leaving before my second flight – however THAT was on the same booking! Whereas this one was two separate bookings.

I was able to move to a flight the day after for Wizz Air, meaning I had to rebook accommodation in Athens to remove the first night and find accommodation at Gatwick Airport. Thankfully the Bloc Hotel at Gatwick is in the terminal and was super close to immigration which would work out well for me, even if it was one of the more expensive sleeps of 2025 at $165USD. Not too bad I guess for a basic airport hotel.

But the journey started at Norman Manley International Airport, Jamaica. It was an overnight flight to Gatwick, but I arrived mid-afternoon giving myself plenty of time to check in as I like to do. Not a great airport to have a few hours to kill really, although it’s not too small (lots of walking when it was time to head to the gate) but there were barely any flights, with around four or five international flights out for the rest of the day.

The airport had a few souvenir shops, ad maybe three to five eateries. Honestly, I have never had Burger King take so long! Firstly there were limited options only two places open in the food court (I think there was small café or two elsewhere in the terminal) and it was 20-30 minutes to order and then again similar to get the order with only minimal staff.

Anyways, as long as I have a table I can do editing which is how I spent the three hours before heading to the gate. Here there weren’t nearly enough seats for all the people taking the Boeing 777 to London – by the way this flight was British Airways, Premium Economy. Boarding started promptly and needed to as it took a long time.

I booked the seat with Qantas Frequent Flyer points. I booked it as part of a four-flight booking so I don’t know exactly how many it was, but I have written down in my notes 51,000 which doesn’t seem quite right to me, I thought it was around 71,000. I can’t find that flight on Qantas FF when I looked it up, all options were 2 – 4 flights for the same leg.

Anyways, we boarded and I swapped seats with someone who wanted to sit with their family, and settled in. It would be a bit of a wait, we pushed back and moved to the runway but had to return to the gate due to someone who wasn’t well. Once that was settled – not sure if they got off the full flight or were deemed ok to travel, there was some other delay that I didn’t quite understand, probably an air traffic control issue. The Atlantic skies are pretty busy I guess! Finally we took off around 2 hours late.

I didn’t sleep much, although I found my first and only Premium Economy experience to be decent. I could turn my legs and slot them between the seat and the side of the plane which gave me an ok position for the journey. It was an absolutely full flight which touched down around 1pm London time in Gatwick.

All automated at passport check, I was through quickly and it didn’t take too long to find the Bloc Hotel inside the terminal building. The entrance/security was next to the entrance of the hotel, downstairs was check in, and there were a few eating options. I even got a discount for staying at the Bloc Hotel at Weatherspoons which was 100 metres or so away so that’s what I did. With an early morning flight, and having slept very little the previous night, I went to bed at some ridiculously early time.

I had to be up before 4am anyways because I had a 710am flight, so by this stage I could read the time on my phone and clock but my body couldn’t relate it to how it felt! Gatwick was crazy busy that morning, some of the restaurants had time limits. I grabbed a quick breakfast and mulled around the terminal waiting for the gate to appear on the screens. When it did there was a delay.

In the end it was only a short one, less than an hour. Wizz Air, with all the extras and a seat in the first row, cost 130 pounds or $270AUD to Athens, which is pretty decent as it’s the second longest flight I think you can do to Europe (outside Istanbul). Seats are pretty basic, but that’s budget air travel for you and actually inter-Europe most of the flights are run by budget airlines.

Athens arrived, well we did at Athens, and getting into the city wasn’t too difficult after you make sure you’re on the right, packed, train. But it took a long time, nearly an hour (I went a little past the very centre). The trains are every 30 – 35 minutes so they are not super frequent.

Finally I turned up to my hostel… yes a HOSTEL – didn’t even realise it when a booked. I had a single room and I think all in all it was a decent option but I didn’t enjoy sharing a bathroom, otherwise though, it was decent value and a decent location, less than 10 minutes to the metro. It was called Athens Hawks Urban and well, I felt like the oldest person there in terms of visitors and staff, but I didn’t mind it at a little over 70 Euro per night!

Anyways, I was down safely after a long, long journey. London was six hours ahead of Kingston, and Athens was two or three ahead of London, but somehow I adjusted quick enough to be ready to see Greece’s most famous sight, the Acropolis, the next day! But that’s another blog!

Thanks for reading today! Take care wherever you are in the world and… May the Journey Never End!