Student travel Europe on day trips cheaper than the train from London to Bristol

A thrifty student explored Europe on a budget, with day trips costing less than a train ticket from London to Bristol. Ellie Whiten, 22, has embarked on nine day trips abroad since October 2023, describing her adventures as a budget-friendly ‘taster course of Europe’.

She ticked off Italy, Edinburgh, Belfast, Switzerland, Venice and the Netherlands – all for a single day, spending less than £100 each time. The University of Surrey student believes visiting a city for a day is a great way to see if it’s worth investing in a longer trip.

Her top tips include packing a lunch and opting for an all-inclusive activity like a red bus tour, the Express reports. She managed to visit Edinburgh twice for £40, Pisa, Italy for £50, Geneva, Switzerland for £60, Belfast for £45, Venice for £45, Rome for £45 of pounds and most recently Amsterdam for £70.

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Ellie, from Sussex, left for Amsterdam on April 9 for a 14-hour day trip to capture the stunning tulip fields, which only bloom for eight weeks a year. The idea for the trip came when her mother, Coral, 54, saw photos of Danish tulips and said she had always wanted to see them in real life.

Ellie said: “I had seen lots of photos of tulips and it looked beautiful. We do a lot of walking and thought we’d do a more spectacular walk than usual. I booked the flights in February; it was £38 to go from Gatwick to Amsterdam and £45 for the return journey.

She continued; “I got a ticket to Keukenhof which cost £31 and included return transport from the airport. We got off the plane and found the bus outside, it took 20 minutes to get there and we literally had all day.”

She mentioned that managing to keep costs down, her main meal for the day was a £4.99 meal deal she had picked up at Gatwick Airport. Ellie believes that a day trip provides more than enough time to visit a particular destination.

She expressed, “It’s kind of a vacation, but it’s not—it’s a long day. We have found that we set realistic expectations and never run out of time. It doesn’t seem like much, but if I’m getting a flight from 6am and 9pm, that’s a lot of time.”

Through these day trips, Ellie manages to enjoy “the best of Europe” without breaking the bank. She said: “To go somewhere for a day, you can almost try it and if you don’t like it, it’s a day and if you do, you can go back. It’s cheaper than going for three days and not having fun. .”

“Everyone goes on vacation for different reasons, but I’m not a beach bum. In one day, you can see the main sights and attractions of a vacation. Except for Rome, I’d love to go. there, because I feel like there’s a lot more to see.”

Trips Ellie has been on so far include:

June 2023 – Pisa, Italy, £50.

July 2023 – Edinburgh, Scotland, £40.

August 2023 Belfast, Northern Ireland, £45.

September 2023 Geneva, Switzerland £60.

October 2023 Venice, Italy £45.

November 2023 Rome, Italy £45.

December 2023 Edinburgh, Scotland £40.

April 2024 Amsterdam, Netherlands, £70.

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