Gill Martini-Pullen had searched high and low for a fun day out to treat her two kids without breaking the bank – and what she found was incredible
A mum went for an international lunchtime trip that was cheaper than a day out to Alton Towers. Gill Martini-Pullen, 49, looked for an affordable yet exciting day out for her two children but found theme park tickets like those for Alton Towers, priced at £68, too steep.
The Kent-based business support assistant grew tired of the usual local options and stumbled upon the idea of a one-day foreign trip. To her surprise, she managed to take her kids, aged 11 and 15, off to Bergamo, Italy, for a total cost of just £212 – and they were back home in the UK and tucked up in bed by night-time.
“The thought of being able to go to another country for the day was so exciting,” Gill said to Luxury Travel Daily. “A day trip to London or a theme park is very expensive, especially when you factor in travel costs, food and drink. I wanted to treat them to something fun and be back home for their bedtimes.”
The thrifty mum managed to get bargain flights with Ryanair for a mere £80 and parked at a nearby Premier Inn for only £12 to avoid hefty airport fees. They embarked on their Italian trip at 7.25am, after a modest £4 shuttle ride to the airport. She said: “We spent the day wandering around the pretty streets of Bergamo, stopping at a lovely restaurant for lunch.
“We looked in lots of cute shops, then walked most of the way back down to the lower town before catching the bus back to the airport. With time to spare, we crossed the road to the huge shopping centre for a little look.”
For their midday meal, they tucked into pizza and gnocchi, with Gill treating herself to an Aperol Spritz, all for £46, followed by cake and gelato for £10. They then spent £13 on traditional Italian pesto and pasta to whip up a dinner back home the following evening and grabbed a quick bite at McDonald’s in the airport for £11.
Their 9pm flight was delayed, but they didn’t let it dampen their spirits, and despite the hold-up, the children were tucked up in bed by 1am instead of the planned 11.30pm. Gill recommends considering a midweek trip to find the best bargains. She also suggests having a look at sites like Skyscanner.
A trip to Alton Towers can cost £204 for three ‘walk up price’ theme park tickets, according to their website – although it is far cheaper if done online. But the family would also have had to pay to travel back and forth, as well as get food, drink and petrol.
Gill added: “Doing extreme day trips is such a good way to get tasters of other countries. I’m looking at going to Paris next or to the Bucharest Thermal Spa with my girls.
“The kids loved being able to say they went to Italy for lunch rather than the usual theme park. And they can’t wait to do more.
“Their feet were hurting after 25,000 steps, but we had a great time.”