It was such a great holiday in Spanish Santa Susanna. And yet those fond memories now seem to be snowing under for Willy (54) from Geldrop. Her bus trip back to the Netherlands has turned into a nightmare with several stops after a breakdown, a toilet that no longer runs and poor communication from travel organization Solmar from Maarheeze.
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Willy tells her story Friday evening around eight o’clock. At that moment, she and her fellow passengers are on the bus for exactly 24 hours. “It was a fantastic holiday, together with my sister. It was her first time going to Spain by bus.” But the trouble started shortly after departure. “I immediately had the idea that the bus didn’t sound very good.”
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“We were suddenly driving at 20 kilometers per hour over the hard shoulder.”
Not a strange observation, it turns out later. “Just before midnight we were suddenly driving along the hard shoulder at 20 kilometers per hour. We eventually stopped there, because something turned out to be broken. But the driver was unable or unwilling to say what exactly was going on. to be told that we could safely go outside to smoke a cigarette, while all that traffic is definitely racing by.”
It soon became clear that the defect would not simply be remedied. “Then we got the option to walk back to the last gas station with the other bus driver. But that was an hour away. Along the highway!”
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Finally, the bus was led by the police to a parking lot, where a mechanic repaired the damage. After standing still for about six hours, the journey could be continued. But the bad luck wasn’t over yet.
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“The toilet didn’t flush anymore.”
“This afternoon we stood still for a few hours because something was broken,” Willy says. And getting some fresh air outside was not a nice alternative either. “It was sweltering hot in there.”
The temperature was also a problem last night. “Then apparently the air conditioning had to keep running at full capacity. My 70-year-old sister now suffers terribly from her legs, because that cold air has been blowing against it for hours. And so more people are complaining.”
To make matters worse, the toilet was also not working properly. “It didn’t flush anymore. And the door jams so much that I had to wake someone up last night to help me.”
The end of the journey is now in sight and Willy expects to be at its destination in the course of Friday evening. Until then, it’s just a matter of time. “But I have to say that the atmosphere in the bus is still okay. Everyone accepts it. It also makes little sense to get angry together.”
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“The holiday was fantastic, but this is a big downer.”
Although the story still gets a tail if it’s up to her. “I think Solmar should do something about this.” Not least because of the bad feeling that is now taking over. “I wish my sister the world. And the holiday was fantastic, but this is a big downer. At least no more Solmar for me.”
Omroep Brabant has tried to reach Solmar, but the travel organization indicates that it will only respond again on Monday morning.
Another passenger on the bus shared her experience on Facebook. Other angry and disappointed travelers also reacted under the message.
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