It’s now cheaper for Brits to fly to European holiday hotspots than take domestic train trips – and the savings don’t stop at the airport. One thrifty traveller reveals her top tips for this latest travel trend
The UK is one of the most expensive places in Europe to travel by train, with London recently crowned the most expensive city in the world to travel by public transport. In fact it’s so expensive that thrifty travellers like Marsha Doran are opting to go on extreme day trips abroad.
Marsha, who lives in Bristol, spent £110 on an extreme day trip to Faro in Portugal compared to a recent day out in London, which set her back £250. And while her flight to the sunny city was just £30, her train ticket to our rainy capital set her back £90. It comes as a new analysis from travel resale platform Transfer Travel reveals it’s now cheaper for Brits to fly to European holiday hotspots than take domestic train trips.
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And the savings don’t stop at the airport – something that Marsha has also discovered on her travels. “I came across a Facebook page called Extreme Day Trips from Bristol Airport and started reading about other people’s amazing day trips abroad,” Marsha tells The Mirror. “I’d never really thought about it before but when you compare the price of flying abroad for the day to a day trip in the UK it seems so much more cost effective – plus there’s the adventure element!
While the extreme day-tripping travel trend is nothing new, it’s one that is continuing to take off – and when you compare the price of a cheap flight from the UK to the cost of a train ticket, it’s not difficult to see why. Not only was Marsha’s whole trip cheaper than a day out in London, it turned out to be pretty quick too as she and her husband Charlie boarded a bus from the airport to Faro – a journey which only took them 15 minutes. From there they went to a local cafe to get their bearings and enjoyed two lattes and two cakes costing just over €5 (£4.19).
After refuelling they couldn’t wait to explore the city. Marsha adds: “I’d already booked a segway tour which cost £37 – It was so much fun and it turned out to be just the two of us. We saw the gardens at Palácio de Estói, Faro Cathedral, learned all about the history of the city and worked out where it was worth going back to later that day. After the tour we went back to the Old Town and sat outside and had a lovely alfresco lunch with a bottle of wine – even though it was December it was around 16 degrees in the sun.”
They also made a special trip to Vila Adentro – a restaurant with hidden tunnels dating back to the 11th century and were given a private tour of the tunnels by the friendly owner. At no point did Marsha feel like they were rushing or trying to cram everything in.
“You can do more than you realise in just one day abroad,” she says. “It was the perfect day which we finished off by watching the sunset from a rooftop bar while sipping on cocktails – and we were back in our own bed by 11:15pm. We worked out that we spent £110 each and we didn’t skimp or scrape on anything.”
Just a few weeks before her Portugal day trip, Marsha went on a day trip from Bristol to London which left a much bigger hole in her pocket. “The train from Bristol Parkway to London was £90 and I had to go at 5:50am to get it that cheap, otherwise it would have been £150,” she scoffs. “I did have a great day out treating myself to all the things I really wanted to do like breakfast at The Ivy and a show, but when I added it all up I spent £250.
“When you compare that to my day trip to Portugal you can see why extreme day trips are so popular – with the right planning they can be so much cheaper and feel so much more adventurous. I’ve already booked my next extreme day trip to Geneva and I can’t wait.”
Marsha’s top tips for your first extreme day trip:
- If you’re nervous, start by booking a trip not too far away – maybe try a UK city like Edinburgh
- Check the airport has good connections to the nearest city
- Other popular destinations for day trips include Malaga, Alicante, Amsterdam – but it will also depend which UK airport you’re flying from
- Do your research in advance to get the most out of your day – there are apps for free walking city tours
- You only need one and a half hours to get through security if you don’t have luggage to check in
Laura Carden-Lovell, Head of Operations at Transfer Travel, explains: “With rail fares continuing to rise, it’s eye-opening to see how many UK travellers could actually save money by looking abroad this summer. We’re seeing more people realise they can swap a weekend in Edinburgh or Cornwall for a holiday in Barcelona or Greece – often at a lower total cost.”
“We found deals from Bristol to Barcelona return flights are available for £150 – a full £200 cheaper than train tickets from Bristol to Glasgow. London to Crete flights listed for £10 less than standard rail fare from London to Edinburgh and Manchester to Antalya, Turkey flights available for over £100 less than train tickets from Manchester to Newquay.”
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