Absent-minded tourists reunited with missing luggage

Three absent-minded Italian tourists who booked into a B&B in Dublin and subsequently forgot where it was have been reunited with their luggage after four days.

The three men booked into the B&B in north Dublin on Sunday, but lost their bearings and forgot where the building was located.

They spent a number of days sleeping in their hired car before heading to Kilkenny in an attempt to make the most of their holiday.

The Tourist Victim Support Office eventually traced the B&B and reunited the tourists with their missing luggage today.

All the three men could remember was that the hotel they had booked into had a green door, was on a main street and beside a school.

After three days hunting for their baggage – which included airline tickets and a passport – Irish police were contacted by the Dublin B&B owner who had the bags.

One of the men, Andreas, said he and his two friends had been so hungry on their arrival in Dublin that they had gone straight out for a meal after dropping off their bags at a B&B.

They had not pre-booked accommodation and did not make any note of the address or name of the B&B.

When they went back to find their hotel they realised they had no idea where it was, and made five trips trying to retrace their journey to the restaurant.

“In Dublin it is all similar,” Andreas said.

The group slept in their hire car for two nights before contacting the Gardaí.

Officers from the Tourist Victim Support Office contacted the Italian embassy and the men’s travel agent to arrange for them to travel back home tomorrow as planned.

After appeals were broadcast in the media, a B&B owner got in touch with the Gardaí to say the bags had been found, and the men were contacted with the news.

“The next time I come back in Ireland and I take a B&B I will write the name, address, phone number, surname, all,” Andreas said.

The men were making arrangements to travel back to Dublin to collect their belongings this afternoon.

Bernard Lavelle, of the Victim Support Office, said he had never dealt with an incident like it before.

“We tried all kinds of things,” he said. “We trawled through the entire Yellow Pages and were in touch with Dublin Tourism, the Italian Embassy and the travel agent.

“Normally we deal with tourists who are victims of crime so this quite out of the ordinary.

“We are are absolutely delighted we could help them.”