A couple from Loughborough spent New Year's Eve on a beach in Lanzarote and still returned home in time to welcome 2024 with their family. Jayne Harrison-Bond, 52, and her husband Ian, 53, took advantage of her only day off over the festive period to fly to the Canary Island for a whirlwind eight-hour trip.
The community nurse booked the £75 return flights from East Midlands Airport just three days in advance. The couple departed at 5.45am and landed at 10.15am, before taking a €1.40 bus to Playa Honda beach. They enjoyed tapas and drinks, with beers costing €4 each at a beachside bar and a further meal at Goliath Terraza setting them back €11 each.
After a few hours of relaxation, they took a €10 taxi back to Lanzarote Airport for their 6.05pm return flight, arriving home just before midnight. The entire trip cost under £100 per person, including flights, transport, food and drink. They marked the new year with a glass of Buck's fizz with their adult children, with Jayne back at work at 8am the next day.
Jayne, who has previously made similar day trips to Alicante and Malaga, said the spontaneous adventure was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Despite colleagues expressing surprise at travelling so far for a day out, she described it as straightforward and said she would recommend it to anyone.
