Phillip Kizun found himself having to improvise on Friday as he tried to get from London to Dublin, typically a routine trip.

After finding out that his flight from Heathrow Airport had been canceled, Mr. Kizun, 58, took a train to Wales and then a ferry from the coastal town of Holyhead to the Irish capital. He met several European and American travelers who were doing the same.

“It was an absolute real ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles,’” Mr. Kizun said, minutes after arriving in Dublin for a work trip, referring to the 1987 Steve Martin-John Candy comedy.

Mr. Kizun, 58, of Chester County, Pa., was among the thousands of anguished travelers who found themselves stranded on Friday, after a fire at an energy substation near Heathrow caused a power outage that closed the airport for the better part of a day. Some Heathrow-bound flights turned around in midair, while many others did not take off, leaving confused and anxious passengers wondering when they might finally get where they were going.

The New York Times asked readers to share their stories. Some, like Mr. Kizun, found alternative routes. Others remained in a state of limbo. A few simply gave up.

Some planes that were already in the air turned around. That was the case for the one carrying Jeannie LaChance, who was traveling to London from Los Angeles with her sister and 2-year-old niece. About four hours into the flight, the pilot let the passengers know that there was a possible fire at Heathrow and that they would have to return.

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