Initially I rued the day I agreed with my travel agent to transit Zürich from Canada on my way to Iceland as it meant an overnight stay – not really long enough to see much of Zürich – but it was a cheaper option than flying direct from North America. Did I mention that my round-the-world ticket only cost me AUD$4000? But the downside is many small flights.

Once I left Montréal, I flew via JFK airport in New York (on landing, I saw the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State in the distance. One day I’ll get to see you, New York) and soon I was on an overnight Swiss (great staff, great flight) to Switzerland. It was not full and I managed to sleep 4 hours of the 7 hour flight (!), even though I still had aching legs from all the walking I had done.

In keeping with my reading via e-books of authors from the country in which I am travelling, I wanted to read a Canadian author while in Canada, and on a whim chose a book by Lucy Maud Montgomery written in 1908 – Anne of Green Gables – now considered a children’s book but not at the time. I got lost in Montgomery’s vivid descriptions of the Canadian countryside and laughed out loud at some of Anne’s antics, and shed tears during sad events she experienced. What stood out for me was how much the nature of the country impacted the character, author, and reader. This was true of what little I experienced of Canada – only 10 short days – but the trees and flowers and what I heard of the snow season – and of course the weather – all made a big difference to the lives of the people. Reading that book was a wonderful acknowledgement to my stay in Eastern Canada. I finished the book on arriving in Switzerland.

My transit in Zürich was longer than 24 hours so I had two choices: 1) leave the airport, train into town, find somewhere to stay, brief look, then check-out and return the next morning. 2) stay in the airport and reduce my stress. On first impression, option 2 sounded better but there was drama involved there too.

I’d heard of and researched the transit hotel in the airport, and found it a convenient idea. But, there was a big but. I could not stay in the transit hotel until I had a boarding pass as the hotel is officially ‘air side’. I could not get a boarding pass until I checked in my luggage. I could not check in my luggage until the check-in desk opened, usually 3 hours before the flight. This meant I had to wander the airport for 21 hours.

I envisioned sleeping on an airport couch and going without a shower for two days; no problem, I’d done that in Bolivia and when it’s necessary … But I heard that the airport police don’t really like you to do that. I checked out where the police office was in case they would have to move me on during the night so I would sleep as far away from them as possible. I wandered around the airport, jet-lagged, pushing my two bright purple suitcases, wondering what to do.

The woman at the information desk told me that I could contact Icelandair direct as changing my flight to a day earlier was an option because I had arrived at the airport before their one-flight-a-day to Iceland. But as they only had one flight, they didn’t have a local representative – they, like many airlines, had outsourced their operations – so I had to make a phone call, either to Iceland or U.K. I had visions of stress-inducing luggage issues similar to what happened in Peru precisely for the same reason. I changed some money (about AUD$20) and walked up to the only telephone box in the airport to make the call, with fingers crossed.

I figured I’d try the Iceland number first, being Icelandair. I succeeded in dialing without realising I had to put 00 for international calls at the beginning of the phone number I’d been given. After a while, I got a ringing tone. A machine answered, in English, and told me I was in a queue, my phone call is important, and did I know that I can change flight details online? Wifi is an issue when you cannot login without a boarding pass, because you cannot check-in etc.

I waited and waited in the phone queue. Then the phone alarmed at me. I was running out of time for my inserted coins. I may have progressed in the queue because every now and then an Icelandic recorded voice cut in, but I wasn’t sure. I don’t speak Icelandic.

I’d used up my 5 Swiss francs (approx AUD$8) listening to an answering  machine. I tried the U.K. English number. It rang then was answered by a machine again. At least this time I knew when I progressed in the queue. Finally, with 30 seconds left on my coin, a woman answered in English. I explained my situation and could I change flights? She input my information into her computer and waited. There was silence on the end of the phone. My coin-time was counting down. I rummaged through my purse for more before it cut out, found another 5 Swiss franc coin and fed the machine. It gobbled up my money.  Three seconds later she told me I could change flights if I paid another AUD$600. I politely declined, thanked her, and hung up. I was surprised to get my change back – yay I could just afford a coffee – but I’d just spent AUD$20 listening to musak and recorded answering machines. Well, at least I knew that option was out.

While I sat at Starbucks I thought about what to do. I had visions of me living in the airport like Tom Hanks in that movie The Terminal, scraping together coins from somewhere in order to eat. It wasn’t that bad though.

The lady at the information desk had a small sigh as I approached her again. She informed me that there is a Radisson Hotel next door. I thought I would see what it cost to actually stay there as an option, a last resort. After pushing my bags through a subterranean mall I entered the swish confines of the hotel with my daggy travel clothes, looking every bit like a backpacker in a palace. The concierge was sympathetic but the cheapest she could do for me was AUD$300 for the night, no breakfast. I just about burst out laughing at my ridiculous situation.

I trudged back to the airport. Two hours later, with my exhaustion kicking in, I approached a different Swiss information desk to confirm when later on that night I could check-in and was told that I needed to take my bag to the check-in now. I did not know it had opened. I could check in! With trepidation and expecting that it would not work, I approached the check-in desk. Yes, no problem. I watched my purple suitcase disappear on the luggage travelator hoping that I would see it again tomorrow in Iceland.

Next, the security/passport control. I held my breath. She looked me over, bemused, and said, ‘this flight is not til tomorrow’. I said, ‘yes, but I was told I can go through anyway’. She hesitated then nodded. I was through! Now that I had a boarding pass I could access wifi, and now I had gone through to ‘air-side’ I only had my small carry-on to push around instead of two suitcases. I almost skipped through.

I was so happy wandering around inside the ‘air-side’, drooling over large amounts of Swiss chocolates which I promised to myself I would try when I was back in Zürich later next month, and tried to stay awake as long as possible before going to the transit hotel.

About 7 p.m. I entered the transit hotel. They have single bedrooms, double bedrooms, and family rooms available. The cheapest option is in a shared, mixed dormitory. I’d slept in dorms before but this was superlative level – comfortable couch-like bed, a blanket on the couch/bed, a towel, small lockable bedside table/locker, a wake-up call! It was expensive but, as I’d found out, most things are in Switzerland. I paid AUD$55 for use of a shared bathroom and my cubicle in the dorm. But it was cheaper than trying to find somewhere in town and getting to and from it.

Being summer, it was still light outside after I had my long, luxurious shower and, dressed appropriately for a shared dorm, went to bed. Fortunately, there was only one snorer the whole night and he was a few cubicles away. I had a wonderful, deep, restful sleep for about 13 hours and woke to find many people had left to catch their early flights. Mine wasn’t until 1 p.m. I had recovered from my jet-lag and felt fantastic without the stress of returning to the airport – I was already there.  I silently thanked my travel agent and Zürich Airport.

I thought it such a great idea and modern convenience to have something like a transit hotel for travellers.

My excitement grew as I lined up at the gate for my Icelandair flight. I was finally going to Iceland.