It is hard to imagine jetting abroad could possibly be less expensive than a few cans of baked beans. But that is exactly what British TikTok star and content creator Callum Ryan managed to do; flying all the way to Spain and back to buy a bottle of olive oil – for less than the cost of a bottle bought from his local store.
Once in Alicante, Callum found a bottle for just £2.19. But what really got the attention of his online fans was Callum’s flight costs – a total of £4.09 return.
This left Callum with change to spare, compared to forking out £7.38 for a bottle of olive oil in the Milton Keynes Tesco.
Yes, it’s still easy to find a plane leaving the UK in the very near future for a price that will, almost certainly, be less than you spend on your lunchbreak, or even at some restaurants. So here we go…
London to Milan, Italy for £14.97
The Duomo cathedral in Milan is one of the largest churches in the world and a popular visiting place for visitors to the city
After gazing at the spires and gargoyles of the mighty Duomo cathedral, take a genteel saunter around the polished boulevards, hidden gardens, network of canals and, of course, very desirable fashion boutiques for a weekend which should be punctuated regularly by the Milanese art of the ‘aperitivo’. This is best experienced in the famed Bar Basso where you can sip beautiful cocktails while nibbling, as the locals do, on an array of exquisite complimentary bar snacks at dusk.
Book it: Leaves London Stansted on March 1 for £14.97 with Ryanair
Cheaper than: A Chef’s Italian Chicken Salad, a pumpkin spice latte and a dark chocolate and almond butter cookie from Pret a Manger – £16.55
Manchester to Nantes, France for £14.99
At Les Machines de I’ile theme park in Nantes is a mechanical elephant ride built from wood and steel
Nantes is something of a living gallery; with the warehouses of this former shipbuilding hub having long ago been turned over to artists. Try riding the gargantuan mechanical elephant that strides around the Jules Verne-inspired Machines de I’ile theme park before indulging in local piscine pleasures such as oysters and zander fish.
Book it: Leaves Manchester on March 31 for £14.99 with Ryanair
Cheaper than: One original cheese and tomato pizza (delivery) from Dominos: £21:99
London to Poznan, Poland for £15.99
The cobbled streets and picturesque buildings in the old town of Poznan make it a good choice for a getaway
With its medieval market squares, elegant buildings and the glittering tombs inside the Golden Chapel, Poznan makes for an ideal eastern European city break destination that’s still pretty much tourist free in spring. Peek at Chopin’s piano at the Museum of Musical Instruments before exploring the marble labyrinth of the Imperial Palace then sampling some Polish vodka; try the bison grass flavour mixed with apple juice; it’s one of the city’s most popular cocktails.
With its medieval market squares, elegant buildings and the glittering tombs inside the Golden Chapel, Poznan makes for an ideal eastern European city break destination that’s still pretty much tourist free in spring. Peek at Chopin’s piano at the Museum of Musical Instruments before exploring the marble labyrinth of the Imperial Palace then sampling some Polish vodka; try the bison grass flavour mixed with apple juice; it’s one of the city’s most popular cocktails.
Book it: Leaving London Luton on February 26 for £15.99
Cheaper than: One chili steak ramen and an orange juice (eat in) at Wagamama: £19.30
Southend to Geneva for £14.99
Geneva, surrounded by the eponymous lake, is another spot holiday-makers can visit on the cheap
Filled with botanic gardens, graceful avenues and surrounded by the cobalt coloured eponymous lake, Geneva is a laid-back place for a weekend which you can effortlessly spend sipping the excellent (and rarely exported) range of natural Swiss wines, rummaging for a bargain at the Plainpalais flea market and taking a sauna, before jumping into the waters, at the Bains des Paquis, a bathhouse on the lake’s jetty.
Book it: Leaving London Southend on February 23 for £14.99 with easyjet
Cheaper than: One crispy chicken Buddha bowl (eat in) at Pizza Express: £16.85
Birmingham to Dublin for £15
Ha’penny Bridge in Dublin which spans the River Liffey. The city of Joyce and Guinness is a popular destination for Brits
Get your literary bearings in a city famed for its writers and poets at the James Joyce Tower, a seaside fort that was mentioned in Ulysses. Then, put down your Guinness for a while and try one of the city’s excellent whisky experiences at distillers like Roe & Co. Don’t forget to sate your passion for potatoes with a famed lamb boxty or a boxty pancake at Gallagher’s Boxty House in the Temple Bar.
Book it: Leaving Birmingham on March 7 for £15 with Ryanair
Cheaper than: 10-piece bargain bucket from KFC (collect) £19.99
London to Tirana, Albania for £14.99
This cable car boasts stunning views over the city of Tirana, Albania’s capital, from Mount Dajti
Albania’s capital is a city of immense energy. Keeping an eye on the 5,291-foot Dajti Mountain that watches over the 1920s Italianate villas, cobblestone streets, lively markets and cafe terraces, it’s a fantastic city to walk around with more than a few bizarre legacies from Communist times, none more strange than the huge concrete wigwam, designed to be the mausoleum for the former dictator Enver Hoxha. It’s now a buzzy tech start up centre with skateboarders flying down the exterior slopes.
Book it: Leaving London Luton on April 20 for £14.99 with Wizzair
Cheaper than: Whole chicken and side of spicy rice at Nandos (eat in): £19.70
