We flew to Dublin for the day for just £36 – it was cheaper than a train to London

• The couple, from Liverpool, have blasted UK train ticket prices as ‘scandalous’ 
• READ MORE: UK’s trains cost an eye-watering third more than travelling by plane

A couple have revealed how they flew to Dublin on a £36 return flight instead of going on a day trip to London as the train tickets were ‘scandalous’. 

Jill, 51, and Keith McCormack, 57, from Liverpool, were planning to spend the day in the British capital – but were astonished to find a return ticket from their home in Liverpool would cost £101. 

The rail tickets were the cheapest option that they could find, even with the discount applied from their ‘Two Together’ railcard, which reduces the original ticket cost by 30 per cent when two named adults travel together.

It was at that moment the couple made the alternative decision to book a ‘mad’ trip to Ireland for a fraction of the price in April. 

The pair flew to Dublin for a 10 hour trip – costing them only £36 each by booking early flights through Ryanair. 

Jill and Keith McCormack flew to Dublin for a 10 hour trip after discovering that a return ticket from their home in Liverpool to London would cost £101

They travelled from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to the Irish capital on a 6.30am flight and arrived in the city centre by 9.30am.

The couple managed to cram in a hearty breakfast and lunch before exploring the city – taking walks around the castle and a drink and dance at the well-known Temple Bar, before arriving home just in time for a cup of tea.

Jill and Keith – who work in psychotherapy and IT, respectively – have been taking Fridays off over recent months to spend more time together, including going for walks and days out.

They had London on their itinerary to enjoy an exciting day out, but were quickly discouraged from booking train tickets due to the shocking costs.    

Jill, from Merseyside, said: ‘We have fun day Friday. We do different things. We do things in Liverpool or go to the beach. Or we’ll go for lunch and have wine.’

Explaining the decision to embark on the whirlwind trip, Jill said: ‘We were looking for a weekend away. We wanted to go for London for the day, but it was ridiculously expensive.

‘We’ve got a couple rail card and looked at the price of day trip and it came out at £101 return from Liverpool. It was ridiculous – the trains are scandalous.

‘It was a £36 return for Dublin and a half an hour flight – it was a no brainer. The flights were cheap. It sounds a bit mad but we went for it.’

The couple managed to cram in a hearty breakfast and lunch before exploring the city – taking walks around the castle and a drink and dance at the Temple Bar

The pair are planning on going back to Dublin in September after Jill spotted return flights on Ryanair for £9.99 each

The pair flew out first thing on a Friday morning and were in the town centre by 9.30am, where they found a café for a spot of breakfast.

They then took a stroll around the parks and spent a couple of hours in Dublin art gallery, before heading to the castle.

Jill recounted: ‘We walked down the river. We then still had enough time to go to Temple Bar for a few hours for a dance and a few Guinness’s. It was like having a night out in the day.’

The couple finished their adventures in the city at 8pm to catch their 10.30pm flight home – managing to get tucked up in bed by midnight with a cup of tea. 

Jill said: ‘It was long but a great day. It was really weird getting on a plane with just a handbag. We did two days in one day.’ 

Recounting the experience, Jill said: ‘We then still had enough time to go to Temple Bar for a few hours for a dance and a few Guinness’s – it was like having a night out in the day’

The couple only spent around £100 on drinks and food while in Dublin – but are happy to not ‘scrimp’ these days.

They are even planning on going back to Dublin in September after Jill spotted return flights for £9.99 each.

The couple are so dumbfounded by train travel costs that they are taking their car on their planned trip to York to beat the ‘scandalous’ prices.

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