Brit buddies find it cheaper to meet up in Spain than buy return rail ticket

A couple of old university friends last week enjoyed an impromptu flying visit to Málaga for a catch up after discovering that it was cheaper to fly to Spain than book a return rail ticket from Newcastle to Birmingham…

Lucy Walker and Zara Quli hit upon the idea after discovering just how much a last-minute train ticket would cost, in what is a shocking – yet predictable – indictment of just how pricey rail travel has become in the UK.

According to Ms. Walker, the price of a return ticket for the 400-mile round trip between the northern city and Birmingham would have been £105. In looking at cheaper options, she found that a Newcastle-Málaga return flight was just £19.98, which prompted her to look at the Birmingham-Málaga route, too.

Lo and behold, that ticket was a mere £55.29 return, and so the friends duly booked the flights for a combined cost of £75.27, adding on two nights at an affordable hostel in the stunning city of Granada.

“Buying a last minute train ticket in the UK is a kick in the teeth because [the rail companies] put such a large premium on it,” said Nottingham University graduate Walker.

Instead, the enterprising pair got to enjoy one of southern Spain’s most glorious cities for a bargain price, while also highlighting that there are other options available to rain-sodden, cash-strapped and sun-starved Brits looking for a relaxing weekend break.

And with flight times to Málaga from nearly all four corners of the UK not much more than two hours each way, smart shoppers can be soaking up the sun on the Costa del Sol around about the time their alternative, expensive train option is pulling into the station at Swindon.

Something to think about…