Two best friends from Birmingham travelled to France for lunch, spending just £75 and returning on the same day. Mel Evans, 44, and her work colleague and friend Joanne Howard, 46, managed to buy return flights from Birmingham for £48.
The pair woke up at 5am and headed to Birmingham International Airport shortly after. Travelling with Ryanair, their flight departed at 8.45am and arrived just over two hours later at Beauvais Airport, an international airport located 85 kilometres from the French capital.
A day of exploring Beauvais
After landing, the friends took an 85p bus into the town centre. Speaking to creatorzine.com, Chesterfield native Mel said: “We had seven hours to explore before we needed to get the bus back to the airport.
“The itinerary was to visit the cathedral and wander around the pretty streets and shops, look around the local markets and have some lunch and a drink. I love architecture and got lost looking at the cathedral, chateau and old houses.
“I was in my element. When we got there, we headed straight to the market and had a walk around. They had fish, meat, clothing, bags, purses and all sorts.”
Souvenirs, lunch and a coffee
Going into tourist mode, Mel and Joanne saw the city’s cathedral, where they snapped plenty of pictures. The Cathedral St Pierre of Beauvais is famous for its 19th century astronomical clock.
“There was a craft fair, so we bought a few souvenirs for £5. We then headed to the Oise museum, which looked like a château from the outside.
“It had beautiful grounds. We then headed for lunch in the main square. After lunch, we walked around the town some more, stopping in shops and churches.
“We had a £2.50 ice cream, and found a street with old buildings. Then we looked around a second market and headed back to the main square for a £2.15 coffee until it was time to head for the bus,” Mel recalled.
Return journey and future trips
With their two main meals and two drinks costing £38, the friends got the bus back to the airport and boarded their 10.50pm flight home. Landing back in the UK at 11pm, Mel was tucked up in bed by 12.30am.
Best friends for over a decade, Mel and Joanne have already been on four day trips abroad together to Milan, Bergamo, Alicante and Oslo. Despite the hecticness of their day, Mel noted that she’d do it all over again.
“At the end of the day, before flopping into bed, I felt very grateful I’d been able to travel. The next day is when I feel tired.
“I like that you can explore other countries in a day without having to book annual leave. You can explore the world one day at a time,” she said.
With Mel calling herself ‘the planner’ and Joanne ‘happy to go with the flow’, the only other notable expense from their day out was a £9.50 parking fee at Birmingham International train station.
Looking ahead to the future, Mel and Joanne have more day trips planned for the rest of the year, with locations France, Italy and Spain all on their travel radar. Mel explained: “We love day trips. It gives us something to look forward to, and we have a few more booked for this year.
“Friends and family think it’s great how we nip to France, Italy or Spain just for a day. My family call me Judith Chalmers because I’m always away. Day trips aren’t for everyone, as they are long days, but for how nice it feels to sit in a local cafe or park in another country makes it all worthwhile.
“I definitely recommend it to anyone. My biggest tip is to use a site such as Skyscanner to search for flights. Midweek tends to be cheaper than the weekend, and it’s best to book around 12 weeks in advance.”
