Teenager flies from Sheffield to Essex via Berlin to save cash

A teenage blogger travelled home from Sheffield to Essex via Berlin – and says the trip was cheaper than taking the train via London.

Jordon Cox, who blogs for MoneySavingExpert.com as "Coupon Kid", says the trip took him 13 hours - as opposed to about three and a half by train – but saved him an appreciable £7.72.

His mini mini-break included a visit to the Brandenburg Gate, a tour of government buildings, a currywurst sausage for lunch and all transport to and from airports for a total of £44.07.

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Cox was heading home to Shenfield in Essex after buying a cheap single train ticket to take him up to Sheffield. The cheapest price he could find for the return journey was £47 - and with a sandwich on the train plus a bus to his home, it would have totalled £51.79.

Instead, he took the train and bus to East Midlands Airport, flew to Berlin, travelled into the city and back again by train, flew to Stansted and got the bus to his home - travelling an extra 1,017 miles in total.

Cox admits in his blog post that "even by my usual standards", the trip was an "extreme way of saving money". He adds that "flying is not very environmentally friendly and I won't do this every time".

But he says Berlin was a city he had always wanted to visit and his eccentric route afforded him a "'free' mini holiday".

His blog post certainly highlights the comparative expense of train travel in the UK.The 18-year-old quotes some prices for other alternatives to UK rail journeys, correct on 15 January:

• London to Bristol. Ryanair flights via Dublin: £14; South West train: £41
• London to Manchester. Ryanair flights via Milan: £33; Virgin train: £101
• Bristol to Newcastle. Ryanair flights via Dublin: £14; Cross Country train: £74