– We were standing with packed bags in the hall. Just when we were actually supposed to get a ride to the airport, the strike broke out, says Christian Bigler.
At first they thought of going to Umeå Airport to get to Switzerland.
But before they even left, they received an SMS that the flight from Stockholm to Zurich was canceled.
– We really stood there, he says.
Not visited the family in three years
Due to the pandemic, Christian Bigler and his family have not visited the family in Switzerland for more than three years.
Now it looked like the trip would be postponed once again.
– Of course we were very disappointed, says Christian Bigler.
They started looking at other modes of transport such as trains or air travel with other airlines, but without success.
– The only alternative was a road trip, he says.
At first, they wondered if they really wanted to drive the 2,500-kilometer stretch. But still decided to accept the challenge.
The distance was shortened slightly by booking the ferry between Gothenburg and Kiel.
Long days and a lot of screen time for the kids
It took several days for Christian, his wife Anna and children Frode (10) and Vera (12) to drive to their home village of Dürrenroth in Switzerland.
– It was long days and of course a bit boring for them. But with the help of a screen and other entertainment options, it went well, says Christian.
They were most tagged to meet their cousins.
– It helped that they were excited to do something fun, says Christian Bigler.
The family never drives such long distances by car.
– They now realized how far north you actually live when you live in Umeå, he says.
In the clip above, you hear Christian Bigler talk about the car journey and how it felt to drive around with the Swedish-registered car in his home village in Switzerland.