A couple flew from the UK to Pisa for 12 hours because it was cheaper than a day out in London.
Siobhan Walters and her husband swapped the cold British winter weather for some Italian sunshine after realising that a trip to London would cost them three times as much.
The 56-year-old and husband Stephen, 64, caught a Ryanair flight from Stansted Airport at 8.15am on Monday, February 3.
They flew back to the UK from Pisa – famed for its Leaning Tower – at 10.15pm that night.
The return flight cost £30/$37.31 each and the couple took one small carry-on bag.
In Pisa, the couple spent £80/$99.51 in total. A return ticket for a one-and-a-half hour train journey into London usually costs the pair £40/$49.75 each.
And they suspect they would have spent around £300/$373 if they’d visited the capital for the day instead.
‘I reckon if we’d gone to London then we would have spent around £300/$373 between us,’ Siobhan, from Little Canfield, near Great Dunmow, Essex said.
A couple flew to Pisa (above) for 12 hours because it was cheaper than a day out in London
Siobhan Walters and her husband, Stephen, swapped the UK for Pisa (above) after realising that a trip to London would cost them three times as much. The couple spent £80 in total in the Italian city
She added: ‘We used to live in Camden but moved because it was so expensive and we rarely go into London because of that. One drink costs £14/$17.41.
‘The last time we went into the capital for dinner, a burger and chips cost £25/$31.10 each.’
Security worker Siobhan and vehicle inspector Stephen caught a £12/$14.93 taxi to the centre of Pisa and spent 12 hours exploring the city.
They spent £26/$32.34 on a charcuterie board lunch and two drinks, £7/$8.71 on hot drinks, £6/$7.46 on two alcohol-free beers, £12/$14.93 on chocolate and £5/$6.22 on souvenirs.
Siobhan said: ‘Pisa is on my list of places I’ve always wanted to go and my mission was to do it as cheaply as possible.
‘We sat in the sun for a while and people-watched. It was so nice and warm.
‘We went to the tower of Pisa and took the typical tourist photos pretending to hold it up.
‘We went to the cathedral, which was free, and walked around the alleys and shops.
Siobhan says her mission was to visit the Italian city ‘as cheaply as possible’. LEFT: Stephen at the famous tower. RIGHT: Siobhan and Stephen in the city’s cathedral
‘If you’re willing to walk a bit off the beaten path there are some beautiful alleyways and authentic food and it’s good value for money.
‘Then we were back in time for our home comforts that night and we were absolutely shattered.’
Siobhan loved the short trip so much that she has more planned for the next two months, including Rome and Barcelona, as reported by What’s the Jam.
She added: ‘I’ve done 14-day trips to Europe including Lapland, Berlin and Gdansk.
‘You can be really clever with flights and go to Europe for the day.
‘It’s a great way of seeing Europe.’
Free attractions the couple could have visited in London to make a day out in the capital more affordable include – the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Maritime Museum, Richmond Park, Battersea Park, Kensington Gardens, the National Gallery, Tate Modern, the Wallace Collection and Westminster Cathedral.
For information on 101 free things to do in London visit: www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/budget-london/101-free-things-to-do-in-london.