Friends meet up in Spain because it was cheaper than buying return train ticket

Mark Molloy 14 January 2017 • 3:13pm

It was cheaper for the friends to fly to Malaga Credit: Reuters

Buying a last-minute train ticket can be expensive, so two friends decided to fly to Spain for their meet-up instead to save some money.

University friends Lucy Walker and Zara Quli planned to meet up but were put off by the cost of a train ticket from Newcastle to Birmingham.

Ms Walker found out that a return ticket for the 400-mile round-trip between the UK cities would have cost £105, and so decided to research some other options.

Instead, she was able to book a return flight from Newcastle to Malaga for just £19.98 return. Her friend then booked a return flight from Birmingham to Spain for £55.29.

It can be cheaper to take a plane Credit: EPA

The two flights to the Costa del Sol cost them £75.27, with the pair spending two nights in a hostel and another in a hotel in Granada, according to metro.co.uk.

Ms Walker, a Nottingham University graduate, said it’s a “kick in the teeth” trying to buy last-minute train tickets in the UK because “they put such a big premium on it”, but enjoyed the alternative option of going abroad to hang out.