For the record (from longer article in
The Mirror.
Newcastle to Birmingham by rail
Distance: 200 miles, 400-mile round trip
Cost of one return train fare: £105
Newcastle to Malaga
Distance: 1,350 miles, 2,700-mile round trip
Cost of outbound flight: £9.99
Cost of return flight: £9.99
Total cost: £19.98
Birmingham to Malaga
Distance: 1,100 miles, 2,200-mile round trip
Cost of outbound flight: £36.99
Cost of return flight: £18.30
Price of flights: £55.29
Cost of return rail ticket between Newcastle and Birmingham: £105
Cost of BOTH return flights, between Newcastle and Malaga and Birmingham and Malaga: £75.27
The flights for both girls cost £29.73 less than one return fail fare .
Good luck to them - excellent marketing by the airlines helping to fill seats in what must be just about the quietest week of the year between England and the Spanish resorts. I was travelling on the days they were travelling, on Cross Country. Families with children travelling home at the very tail of the Christmas break ready for school on Monday, lots of football fans out on the Saturday evening too, so unlikely to be too many good advance advance rail fares on offer.
Had they met in York and the traveller from Newcastle been prepared to travel on TransPennine Express, th e saving would have been down to £13.33 - again a flexible walk up ticket. And I wonder what it cost the friends to get to and from their airports in the
UK▸ (or for that matter what it would have cost the to get to New Street and Newcastle Central). I think we're being fed a selective story and I suspect they really wanted to go to Spain all along for a party weekend, and noticed the train fare issue when they looked at joining up in Bimingham before flying!
Lucy added: "Everything is cheaper out there, lots of things that add up in the UK, like the transport to get from the airport into the city is just one euro eighty, about £1.50.
"It works out a lot cheaper when you go out for a drink too. The law in Granada is they have to bring you tapas when you order drinks.
"They start off quite basic but by the time you are on your third drink they start to bring out prawns and things.
"It's only about two euros for a bottle of beer which is a lot cheaper than over here and by the time you have had a few drinks and the tapas you are stuffed for the price of one cocktail in London.
"We had a lovely time."
