Trip to Benidorm - for same as London rail fare

A TRAVEL influencer says she flew to sunny Benidorm for a one-night trip which was cheaper than getting a train to London.

- BENEDICT THOMPSON

Carole Rees, from Rhondda, spent £200 on the quick visit to the Spanish coastal resort, with her flights costing just £35. A return train ticket from Cardiff to London can be up to £170.

The 45-year-old said: “I took a 6am flight from Bristol Airport to Alicante, and stayed in a full-board hotel in Benidorm overnight.”

She added: “You can do the trip much cheaper by not staying overnight but I think it was worth every penny. I had the most amazing 24 hours there.

“If I went for a night out back home or took a day trip to London I would have spent a lot more - plus you get to soak up the sun!”

The extreme day-tripping travel trend, which usually involves flying abroad and back home within a day, is getting more popular - and when you compare the price of a cheap flight from the UK to the cost of a train ticket, it’s easy to see why.

Not only was Carole’s trip cheaper than a day out to London, it turned out to be pretty convenient as she boarded a 45-minute shuttle bus transfer from Alicante Airport to her hotel in Benidorm.