A teacher flew to France and enjoyed a full day's worth of food, drink, and sightseeing that worked out cheaper than a 'day out in the UK'.Claire Howard, from Birmingham, told how she flew to Beauvais, France, for an international holiday that cost little more than going to 'the cinema and lunch in a shopping centre' in the UK.Explaining how she pulled it off, the 48-year-old revealed she spotted return Ryanair flights on Skyscanner for just £27 and booked them a month in advance.'I've been to Paris a few times and didn't want to travel in from Beauvais as Paris is really pricey and busy,' Claire said.'I just wanted to see what was actually in Beauvais itself for a relaxing day of wandering, eating and drinking.'The early morning flight left Birmingham at around 7.30 am, with the return journey departing at 11pm.Her husband dropped her off at the airport, and she took a £1.80 bus to Beauvais that took 15 minutes.In total, the whole excursion - including flights, buses, dinner and wine - cost around £70, as Claire added: 'I don't want to pay £50 to go to the cinema and lunch here in a shopping centre when I can go and experience so much more abroad for a very reasonable price.' A teacher flew to France and enjoyed a full day's worth of food, drink and sightseeing that worked out cheaper than a 'day out in the UK'Breaking down her costs, Claire said she spent the morning at the city's weekly Saturday market while enjoying coffee and a pain au chocolat that set her back £4.Then she relaxed with a drink in the town square while listening to live music before taking a £10 Uber to Plan d'Eau du Canada, a popular lakeside spot.Lunch was an £8 French picnic of supermarket baguette, cheese and a small bottle of wine while reading and sunbathing by the water.Her itinerary also included visits to Beauvais Cathedral and the nearby Musée de l'Oise, both of which offered free entry.The day ended with a Pad Thai dinner at a local Thai restaurant costing around £10 before she headed back to the airport for her evening flight home.She also bagged an £8 bracelet to help her remember the day, for a grand total of £70, as Claire added: 'I'd say it could probably be done even cheaper.'It's exciting to go to a different country just for lunch or to explore for a day. I just saw on Skyscanner that return flights were only £27, so I went for it. 'It's just a different feeling abroad. It makes it feel much more like an adventure than just going somewhere at home.' The avid traveller added she has become hooked on cheap day trips abroad after discovering bargain flights from Birmingham Airport.She flies to a different city nearly once a month, meaning Claire has visited Bergamo in Italy, Malaga in Spain, Valletta in Malta, Poznan in Poland and Porto in Portugal just this year. 'I do stay over in some places depending on flight times, but it wasn't necessary for this trip as the flight times fit and I could still have an evening meal and a full day,' Claire continued. 'There's no point in staying over to get a flight home the next morning as it's a waste of accommodation money.' Claire Howard, from Birmingham, told how she flew to Beauvais, France, for an international holiday that cost little more than going to 'the cinema and lunch in a shopping centre' in the UK The avid traveller added she has become hooked on cheap day trips abroad after discovering bargain flights from Birmingham AirportAsked about her future travel plans, Claire said she's already bagged return flights to Poland and Berlin in August for £70.Claire said: 'I'm just led by what is possible and affordable. I can't take time off at all in term time, but I have Tuesdays off, so I do like to make use of them.'I just love the way you can do and see so much in the same time that you might waste a day at home just watching Netflix and doomscrolling.'I usually find the best prices four to six weeks in advance.'My husband doesn't like short trips, so he's not jealous.'