Thanks again, everyone, for all the great help and suggestions! Can't wait to meet everyone.

Well, woot, looks like you face having to put up with me, too! I called United and they had zero problems shifting my outbound trip into Amsterdam arriving 7/4. I need to make sure that I attend to an appropriate amount of job-hunting behavior during the course of my trip, but I'm thinking that the chances are about 99% that I won't pay the hotel for nothing -- that i'll actually show up.

When the itinerary e-mail came though, I thought they would delete all of my outbound from the ticket, but no. The "before" was

7/7 Seattle->London/LHR
7/8 LHR-->Dublin
7/15 Dublin-->LHR-->Seattle

The "After" is

7/3 Seattle->AMS
7/8 LHR-->Dublin
7/15 Dublin-->LHR-->Seattle

So they left that Heathrow-->Dublin hop on the ticket. Soooooo, where I initially figured I would just try to get a cheap flight from AMS to Dublin on the 6th or 7th, it now looks like it might not be a bad thing to just mosey to London and pick up the itinerary there.

Sooooo (whew, can I be more wordy??) one aspect of this is that if there's anyone heading back to England (pretty much any destination) on the eve of 6th or on the 7th and who thinks they can stand *another* tobacco-spittin' Amurrican passenger, give me a yell. I'd split the ferry and gas, of course, and it would be cool to see that new ferry if that's how it goes.

This could be very cool. I have committed to breaking my 2-month-long beer fast on this trip!

What time are you guys planning to leave Cambridge to head for Harwich?

I'm trying to get and idea of what sort of time I'll need to pick Tony up to get to the ferry in good time.
Autoroute estimates an hour and three quarters from central Cambridge - that seems a bit ott to me but I can't remember how long it took us last year.

It takes me about an hour, so I'd estimate 45 mins for Hugo and about an hour and a half for sensible people.

Rob

The AA route planner reckons 1hr 38mins.

Since I've only once beaten the AA route planner (M4, London to Bristol -- shaved 30 minutes off the estimated time), and it doesn't seem to underestimate, that's probably what I'll plan with.

Hey, thanks Henrick.

From the looks of things, I think it's likely that we'll be staying at the Crowne Plaza in Cambridge if that helps you planning.

Sure you can fit all five of us plus luggage in your car?

Hey, Jim, great to know you're coming, too!

Woo hoo! Yah, welcome aboard, Jim!

Tony,

Thanks for the Hotel details. It looks like I'll need to pick you guys up at about 8 o'clock on the Friday morning.

As for space in the car, there should be no problem getting 5 people plus luggage in one of these

Hey henrick

Any chance of crashing at yours again this year and i can play follow the leader across holland

Anyone from the northwest/manchester going? My week leading up to the meet is looking really hectic. But I have a feeling this year will be worth going. I might manage a day on Saturday if I fly out really early and come back dead late. We'll have to see.....

well if you can get friday off i could stop at manchester and then we go red eye express for the empeg boat leaving for the hook of holland

Hi Paul,

There should be crashing space if you need it.

excellent we shall see nearer the time if unless i am stopping further north to pick somebody up

Is that really your car??

Thanks for the offer, but the meeting I was going to be attending first thing has now moved to late-afternoon. I assume that's going to be too late for you. I think I'll have to leave it 'till next year....

Just fake your own death it is the only answer though after the meet you won't need much faking i wonder if the sunday morning treasure hunt will be more successful than the last one, probably not.

What time could you be in Manchester and what is the point of no return? I'm sat here really [censored]in frustrated, I wanted go all bloody year and some tit down in London decides this should be the day to have a meeting.

As for space in the car, there should be no problem getting 5 people plus luggage in one of these

/me wipes tea off the monitor again.

Thanks, I needed that this morning.

Well ideal planning would be i head for manchester and get there thursday night crash at yours if posible and then leave there early friday morning and head for ferry from harwich damn early friday morning aka the red eye express then we get the whole empeg meet and then come back sunday evening sailing i crash at yours again and then head north again.

You almost made it last year go for it this year it is worth it if only for Mrs robs cheesecake ( if you are fast enough to get a piece )

Hey this is europe we all drive cars this big

I've gotten 9 people in a Ford Fiesta once. Wasn't particularly comfortable as you can guess. There was nobody in the boot so could have got 10...

- Trevor

I've gotten 9 people in a Ford Fiesta once.

So were you a sad clown or a happy clown?

I'd say sad. It was really uncomfortable because it was a 3 door version and the front seat wouldn't lock into place. I was in the front passenger side, my then girlfriend was driving and there were 7 people in the back. 3 sitting on the seats, another 3 on top of them and the final person lying across everybodies lap
And in case anybody was wondering, we didn't go very far and it wasn't on public roads.

- Trevor

With nine people in a fiesta would it not be easier and genrally more fun and posibly faster just to carry the damn thing. I remeber when i was about 18 a friend had a tiny Mk1 fiesta and it was about four of us going around in it you'd be amased at the parking places you can put a car when you just pick one end up and dump it where you want it.

Thanks, Tony, Mark. I am looking forward to it, fingers crossed.

Airlines are bizarre (we knew this). What I had booked was one of my last United award tickets, first class. I expected difficulties, as they have downsized equipment a lot (like in this case from a 777 to a 767-ER on the leg to Amsterdam from O'Hare) and award seats are scarce, but as it turned out not only could I have a seat, but I could have my pick of any of the 10 in first.

So I looked on United to see if maybe that ORD-->AMS flight was empty and might there be some fire-sale ticket prices somebody else might be interested in, but a "cheapest" coach ticket was over $1500! It's going to be really interesting to see how full this plane is. I expect most of the folks taking those other 9 seats will be deadheading flight crew.

So, Tony, I expect Jenny is bringing the FAQ, right?

I just travelled a United 767 from IAD to LHR - crammed full ($600 offers to take a different flight). I think AMS is a less busy route though.

Rob

We should get mobile numbers swapped to meet up on the ferry, assuming everyone's taking the Friday morning HSS from Harwich.

Alternatively, you'll find me at the Blackjack table

Rob

>Alternatively, you'll find me at the Blackjack table

And I'll be the one with the honking BIG lens on my digital SLR..

Oh, it will, don't worry about that...

Not tried it with a Fiesta but I know somebody with a Smart car. We've picked it up a few times and turned it around or moved it just so he thinks he's going crazy

- Trevor