Siobhan and Stephen Walters ditched the cold winter weather here – as temperatures plunge to -7C – to spend just 12 hours in the sun Pisa, Italy and they saved money too
A couple flew to Italy to spend just 12 hours in the sunshine – because it was cheaper than a day out in London.
Siobhan Walters and husband Stephen caught a flight from Stansted Airport on Monday morning and flew back at 10.15pm local time that night, but managed to cram in plenty of sunbathing and sightseeing.
They realised a day trip in London would have cost three times as much so Siobhan, 56, and Stephen, 64, hopped on a Ryanair flight for Pisa – famed for its Leaning Tower – on a whim.
The return Ryanair flight cost £30 each and the couple took one small carry-on bag. In Pisa, the couple spent £80 in total. However, a return ticket for a one-and-a-half hour train journey from Essex into London usually costs the pair £40 each. Siobhan and Stephen, a vehicle inspector, suspect they would have spent around £300 if they’d visited the capital for the day instead.
Siobhan and Stephen were pleased to have saved money but were also able to enjoy the temperatures, threatening to hit 20C, in Pisa and winter sun at the same time. It was a brief reprieve from the cold snap here where the mercury is expected to plunge to -7C this weekend.
Speaking from her home in Little Canfield, Essex, Siobhan, a security worker, said: “I reckon if we’d gone to London then we would have spent around £300 between us.
“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. The last time we went into the capital for dinner, a burger and chips cost £25 each.”
But in Pisa, the couple spent the equivalent of £26 on a charcuterie board lunch and two drinks, £7 on hot drinks, £6 on two alcohol free beers, £12 on chocolate and £5 on souvenirs. The taxi from the airport to he heart of the city cost just £12.
Siobhan continued: “Pisa is on my list of places I’ve always wanted to go and my mission was to do it as cheap 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. We had a Fanta, Coke and sharing platter with seven different Italian meats and some bread.
“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. 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.”
