A savvy traveller has proven that a day trip to Italy can be cheaper than a day out in London. Rhys Kelly, an 18-year-old university student from Nottingham, secured flights to Milan for just £20 and spent a whirlwind 11 hours exploring the Italian city, all for a total of £115.
Cheaper than London
London is notoriously expensive, especially when factoring in food, shopping, and sightseeing. Rather than splashing out on a day in the capital, Rhys opted for a bargain flight to Milan. He told creatorzine.com: "This is the day trip you don't want to miss out on. If you're in uni, you can do this during the week – that's when it's going to be the cheapest because you've got time to spare. Milan is a very small city, so 24 hours is enough time."
The adventure
Rhys booked his flights via Skyscanner, departing from London Heathrow early in the morning and returning the same evening. After landing at Malpensa Airport, he and his friends took a train into the city centre and rented e-bikes through Dott bikes for just €5 (£4.32) to explore the sights.
"The highlight of the trip was definitely cycling around on Dott bikes as we got to see the majority of the city all within a small frame of time," Rhys said. "We had around 11 hours to explore as we had to travel back to the airport for our flight."
Landmarks and cuisine
During the day, Rhys and his friends visited iconic landmarks including the stunning Duomo Cathedral. They also sampled local cuisine, with pizza costing just €9 (£7.78), which Rhys described as "probably the best valued thing there." They also enjoyed pasta, ice cream, and a smoothie, and browsed high-end boutiques like Prada, Stüssy, and Supreme.
Cost breakdown
- Flights: £20
- Travel insurance: £7
- Train: €15 (around £12.97)
- Dott bike pass: €5 (around £4.32)
- Pasta: €16 (around £13.84)
- Smoothie: €6 (around £5.19)
- Fanta: €2 (around £1.73)
- Chocolate bar: €3 (around £2.59)
- Pizza: €9 (around £7.78)
- Ice cream: €4 (around £3.46)
- Supreme shopping: €50-60 (around £43-51)
While his total didn't include some shopping purchases, Rhys was pleased with his expenditure and believes travellers could manage it for even less. He explained: "I spent money in Supreme, which you don't have to do. So realistically, if you wanted to go as cheaply as possible, you could get a day trip for £60."
