Mum flew kids to Italy 'to eat some pizza' as it was cheaper than a UK day trip

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Roxanne Balciunas flew her kids out to Pisa in Italy (Image: Kennedy News/ Roxanne Balciunas)
Roxanne Balciunas flew her kids out to Pisa in Italy (Image: Kennedy News/ Roxanne Balciunas)

A mum flew her kids to Italy for a day trip 'to eat some pizza', claiming it was cheaper than a family outing in London.

Roxanne Balciunas regularly embarks on 'one day' trips abroad by herself and most recently opted to take her kids, Cherry, six, and Tayo, 14, for a quick 24-hour adventure in Italy. After picking up her children from school, they headed straight to Manchester Airport for a bite before catching a 7pm Ryanair flight to Pisa, costing just £39 each.

They landed at 10pm, checked into a £150 hotel for the night, and spent the next day exploring the city before flying home at 6pm. Roxanne said the family only spent £50 on the 24-hour trip and enjoyed pizza, gelatos, and even had money left for souvenirs.

The Sheffield mum shared a video of their whirlwind trip on TikTok and Facebook with the caption: '24 hours in Pisa to eat some pizza'. While in Italy, the mum-of-two said they visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa Cathedral and the Opera del Duomo Museum in the 33-degree heat, all of which were free to explore.

Mum flew kids to Italy 'to eat some pizza' as it was cheaper than a UK day trip eiqrkitriqrdinvRoxanne decided to take her kids with her on the holiday (Kennedy News/ Roxanne Balciunas)
Mum flew kids to Italy 'to eat some pizza' as it was cheaper than a UK day tripThey had a whistle-stop tour around the Italian city (Kennedy News/ Roxanne Balciunas)

Roxanne, a hospitality worker, shared that everything in Pisa was within walking distance, including the airport. This meant they didn't have to spend any money on public transport during their trip. She believes that 24 hours is enough time to explore most cities. The family has already enjoyed day trips to Amsterdam and Belgium, with Copenhagen and Ireland next on their list.

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Roxanne often takes her children on budget-friendly day trips to Europe. She said: "It's a cheaper alternative to a day out at home. If we were to go to a theme park it would cost a couple of hundred for the day with food, travel and the tickets. It was definitely cheaper than a trip to London for sure."

The total cost of their Pisa trip was around £39 each for return flights and £118 in total. They spent £150 on a hotel for the night and only £50 on food and souvenirs. They visited several attractions, including the leaning tower of Pisa, the cathedral, and the Opera del Duomo Museum, all for free. They also enjoyed local pizza, which Roxanne's son declared was the best he'd ever eaten.

Roxanne said that on a typical Saturday, her family usually doesn't have any plans. She claimed that the trip was an excellent way to limit her children's screen time and that both Cherry and Tayo had a blast during their 24-hour Italian adventure on June 23.

"On a Saturday at home we wouldn't normally be doing a lot. The main reason for this trip was to try and get the kids off their phones and iPad. We've done these kinds of day trips before. We've been to Amsterdam before and Belgium for the day too and I'm taking Tayo to Copenhagen for the Christmas markets in November. Ireland is one of the next trips on the list too," Roxanne added.

"It's just cheaper and I think in some cities, 24-hours is enough to see everything. The kids loved it and were really excited. The kids love seeing the leaning tower of Pisa and took lots of photos."

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Sophie Watson

Ryanair, Italy, Pizza, Manchester Airport

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