A savvy woman is sharing her tips and tricks to explore the world for less than a train ticket in the UK.
Natalie Barrett used to spend hours trawling through comparison websites in a bid to find the best deal for a few nights abroad.
But with the cost averaging up to £1,000 per person and needing to take a large amount of annual leave at work each time, the process became more stressful than enjoyable.
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The digital platform manager, 41, longed to break free from the routine Monday-Friday – and has now travelled to nine countries in the space of five months.
And it’s only cost her £800 overall.
“I loved the idea of being able to travel and experience a taste of a location in a day for relatively little money,” Natalie, from Leeds, told Luxury Travel Daily.
“To get the best deal, I look at what flights are coming up cheapest and if it’s a place I want to go to or haven’t been before.
“I can usually be flexible on dates, which really helps to find the bargains.
“I often travel midweek, as that is when the cheapest flights are; although my annual leave allowance is limited, so for future trips I’m trying to find some weekend dates.”
Natalie, who used to go abroad up to three times a year, usually travels with her boyfriend, her sons or to meet up with long distance friends – and sometimes solo.
According to LNER, the average train ticket from Leeds to Newton Abbot costs £390.60 for a standard class return.
But for the savvy mum, she’s forking out no more than £150 per person for a whole trip abroad; bar one single journey. (see breakdown below)
She said: “Each trip tends to be between one or two days, otherwise the costs start to rack up with accommodation and more meals, as well as sightseeing to factor in.
“I try and visit more than one country if staying longer than day, which works out better value than visiting each location on separate trips.
“My quality of life has improved so much, travel is definitely good for the mind.
“I get so much enjoyment out of the planning and being away, exploring new places and getting some sunshine.
“It helps physically too. I get backache from my desk job, so being on my feet walking more helps so much.
“And I never thought I’d be confident enough to travel with people I didn’t know well, or even on my own.
“But now I have, it has opened up so many more possibilities.”
So far, her favourite trip has been Prague, with Alicante a close second.
Now, she’s planning on going to Belfast, Romania, Monaco, Brussels and Milan – with included day trips to Lake Como, Verona and Bergamo – all for less than £500 all in.
Natalie, who posts her travels on Instagram, (@travelmorewithnat ), hopes to encourage others to take the leap and explore the world for a day, instead of forking out a fortune or sticking to UK soil.
She added: “I’ve been so lucky so far in that most trips have gone smoothly, with no major issues.
“That’s mostly down to the fact I do plan and research every trip beforehand, so I know the itinerary and timings, how to get around, etc.
“I have had a few flight delays, but luckily these have been on the return journey so I didn’t lose out on time at my destination.
“The main risk is a delayed or cancelled flight on the outbound journey, but it’s a risk you accept.
“If you want to start but don’t know how, just plan the day, know how to get from the airport to the city, what you want to do, pre-book things if necessary, and just go and enjoy it.
“Once you’ve done it once you’ll feel more confident and want to go again and again.
“In the UK, a day out in London would cost far more than any of these trips for me, with peak train tickets costing £250+ alone without sightseeing and food/drink costs.
“I’d love to see places like Devon and Cornwall, but the length of travel and price of accommodation especially there always puts me off when you’re not guaranteed good weather and places to stay cost several hundreds of pounds a night when I’ve looked.
“It’s far cheaper and faster to go abroad and you have much better chance of sunshine.
“I’ll usually take my own breakfast, snacks and even a packed lunch to save on costs, or get cheaper to-go food rather than have a sit down meal.
“When I’m not travelling I’ve really cut down on buying new clothes, nights out, takeaways etc.
“I would much rather save the money to spend on seeing new countries and the new experiences that brings.”
COST BREAKDOWN: Geneva & Montreux – £115 (incl parking, flights, train travel, food and drink)
Alicante – £72 (incl parking, flights, bus travel, food, drink and sightseeing)
Copenhagen & Malmo – £150 (incl parking, flights, train travel, food, drink and sightseeing)
Tirana & Struga – £103 (incl flights, hotel, bus, food and drink)
Prague – £110 (incl parking, flights, sightseeing, food and drink)
Dubrovnik & Mostar – £250 (incl parking, flights, hotel, sightseeing, food and drink)
TOTAL: £800
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