For less than a day out in London, a frugal woman travelled to Milan for 14 hours for £50 for return tickets. Because train tickets in the UK are getting more and more expensive, Dagmara Kedzierska took the astute decision.
The 30-year-old’s ticket alone to take a train from her Manchester home to the city would have cost more than £100. Instead, for half the price, the business owner took a flight to Milan Bergamo. She arrived in the Italian city at 10:50 a.m. and began her day by getting a coffee and a freshly made croissant for breakfast.
After seeing the stunning Lake Como and enjoying a pizza and Aperol spritz while watching the world go by, Dagmara boarded a £6 train to Varenna. From there, she took the £2 Metro to Milan to view the iconic Duomo Cathedral.
Following her exploration of the neighbourhood, she took the Metro back to the station, where she paid £11 for a train to Malpensa airport, where her flight home was scheduled to depart at one in the morning.
“The day trips abroad are way more appealing, as they usually work out cheaper than staying in the UK,” Dagmara remarked. “With flights, transport, food and beverages included, my trip to Milan came out to less than £200.”
Since I live in Manchester, where the weather hasn’t been terrific lately, the weather elsewhere is also probably going to be nicer than it is here. “Even a single day spent abroad puts me in the mood for vacation.”
She has also taken whistlestop trips abroad before and enjoys using her yearly leave to travel to as many different nations as she can. “I’ve taken a few one-day trips overseas, and it allows me to return to work the following day without taking a break,” Dagmara continues.
One of the many advantages of a jet-setting day trip to Milan is authentic Italian cuisine. The city is reasonably priced despite its upscale appearance (as long as you plan and stick to your timetable).
“It is totally doable to go to Milan on a budget and still have a fantastic time,” remarked travel writer Nele van Hout.
In Milan, there are plenty of free activities available. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele offers free window shopping, and Castello Sforzesco is partially free to view. A great delight is even just strolling around and taking in the architecture.
It makes sense that you would choose a foreign vacation over travelling anywhere near to home, especially considering that trains in the UK are among the most expensive in all of Europe and that delays and cancellations are now frequently encountered.
As senior news editor Alice Murphy of Metro.co.uk explains, “Holiday-let owners across the UK are reporting a notable fall in bookings this year after a boom during the pandemic, with many blaming poor weather and prices resulting from the cost of living crisis…,” the rising expense of staycations is forcing many people to look elsewhere when planning their vacations.
Vacationers are becoming more frugal, delaying booking and cutting back to get the most for their money, according to travel experts.
