Websites I used after flights grounded due to volcano

IF one thing was learnt from the chaos caused by the volcano in Iceland, it's that our travel plans are balanced on a delicate knife edge.

As the skies above Europe closed down and flights were grounded, millions of people saw their trip overseas crumble, with most people having to find their own way home.

Whilst I tried to offer some advice and travel news updates through This French Life, I thought it might be worthwhile bringing together some of the websites and Twitter accounts I constantly refreshed, as well as a few of the observations I made.

Government bodies and UK/EU agencies
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (@britishabroad)
The government department with responsibility for British travellers overseas, the F&O website and Twitter feed eventually provided some valuable information such as a list of ferry ports in northern Europe.

NATS
The UK air traffic authority provided updates every few hours, and its website was being watched by so many that it ended up stripping it down to one page so it would load, it was the site to keep an eye on.

Met Office (@metoffice)
It was the job of the Met Office to track the volcanic cloud and how weather patterns were affecting it, their ash cloud maps predicting its reach were used to determine which airports closed down or remained open.

EuroControl (@eurocontrol)
The European organisation overseeing safety in the air provided constant updates through its Twitter stream, and detailed information in press releases and .pdf documents on a regular basis.

Civil Aviation Authority
The UK's aviation regulator was not as quick off the mark as the other bodies, but it had the final say on opening airports in the UK which required it to talk to many different organisations before a decision on safety could be made.

Cross Channel ferry operators
What started as a rush of people turned in to a flood with travellers stood on the quay side in the middle of the night waiting for ferries across the Channel.

The Foreign Office recommended people head to the ports, and whilst Calais proved popular, the ports in the western Channel offered people the chance to get home as well.

Eventually those ferry companies who wouldn't normally take foot passengers realised they would have to, although some got around the early restrictions on Norfolkline crossings by turning up with second-hand bikes having booked as cyclists, it's disappointing they even had to do this.

Channel ferry websites:
SeaFrance, P&O Ferries, LD Lines, Norfolkline, Brittany Ferries, Condor Ferries.

Rail services
Not helped by a rail strike by SNCF staff, many people took to the tracks from around Europe to head to the Channel or Paris.

Infolignes
This is the official SNCF website providing details of train delays and rail provision over the coming 24 hours.

Voyages-SNCF
To book a ticket on the French rail service you need to go through the Voyages-SNCF website, and whilst full of annoying advertising, keeping your request pretty simple should ensure you get what you want.

Eurotunnel
If people were lucky enough to have rented, bought or shared a car then Eurotunnel was able to operate more trains and seemed to have the capacity to take on many passengers.

Eurostar (@little_break)
Tickets on the rail service were soon snapped up and considering so many people were most probably in Paris, and many decided to head there, it shouldn't be a surprise.

If you were not able to get a rail ticket from Paris, and decided to head to the ports instead, the Foreign and Commonwealth office provided a useful page on travel to Calais from the capital.

Road travel
It is quite a drive across France to the Channel, especially as the rush for hire cars saw prices rise steeply, but it was possible to travel by coach as well.

Hertz Transfer Deck
This was a new one to me but Hertz offer cheaper rates if you take foreign vehicles on one-way rentals back to their country of origin.

FrogBus (@frogbus)
I helped to raise awareness of special buses being operated by FrogBus from Barcelona heading up through France to Calais and many people were able to get back home and see their families.

Eurolines
The European bus service was able to operate more buses and operated services directly from Spain through France to Calais. And fast services from Dover in to London were also laid on.

RoadSharing (@roadsharing)
The popularity of car sharing websites rocketed during the period and the RoadSharing website was busy with offers and appeals from people.

Social networks
Facebook and Twitter were busy with people passing on information and advice with communities such as Stranded in Europe and When Volcanoes Erupt providing online information sharing, while Twitter hashtags such as #ashtag and #getmehome enabled people to connect.

And you, what websites did you use to help get yourself or others home safely?