A resourceful couple from the Midlands managed to soak up some winter sun on a Spanish island on New Year's Eve, all while spending less than £100 per person and returning home in time for the midnight celebrations.
The Spontaneous Getaway Plan
Jayne Harrison-Bond, a 52-year-old community nurse from Loughborough, Leicestershire, found herself with just one day free over the festive period due to a hectic work schedule. That day was December 31. After seeing a suggestion in a Facebook group, she and her 53-year-old husband Ian, a welder, decided on a whim to book a day trip to Lanzarote.
They secured return flights from East Midlands Airport for just £75 each only three days before departure. The early bird flight left at 5.45am, requiring a pre-dawn start, but the promise of winter sun made it worthwhile.
A Whirlwind Three Hours of Sunshine
After touching down in Lanzarote at 10.15am, the experienced day-trippers caught a local bus for €1.40 each and were on Playa Honda beach by 10.35am. Their goal was simple: to maximise their precious rest time.
The couple spent around three hours relaxing on the beach before enjoying a meal at a nearby restaurant. They indulged in tapas, drinks, and later a pizza and a chicken caesar salad at Goliath Terraza, with their total food and drink spend coming to approximately €11 per person.
A €10 taxi ride returned them to Lanzarote Airport for their 6.05pm flight home. With the entire excursion – covering flights, transport, meals, and drinks – costing under £100 per person, it was an affordable slice of luxury.
Home for a Bucks Fizz at Midnight
The timing was impeccable. Jayne and Ian arrived back in the UK with enough time to raise a glass of Buck's fizz with their two adult children at home as the clock struck twelve.
"It was lovely, a spur of the moment thing, really," Jayne remarked. "I was the only person at work on New Year's Day with a sun tan, so I'll take that." Despite the whirlwind nature of the trip, she was back at work by 8am the next morning, feeling refreshed rather than exhausted.
Colleagues were astonished by the ambitious day out, but for Jayne, who has taken similar spontaneous trips to Alicante and Malaga, it was a straightforward and highly recommended experience. "The object of the day was just to utilise some rest time," she said, proving that a memorable holiday doesn't always require lengthy planning or a hefty budget.
