Cheapflights.co.uk looks at destinations from London airports that are cheaper than your (one way) Saturday night cab ride.
We all know that a night on the town can get expensive in London; whether it’s a meal at a top restaurant, an evening of cocktails or dancing until dawn at one of the city’s premium clubs. But however good the night, there is always one cost that is likely to shock, preceded by the words “where to guv’nor?”: the dreaded black cab ride home after the tube and trains have finished for the day.
Cheapflights.co.uk looks at some of those stings in the tail of a London night out and where, if you hop a plane instead, you could travel for the same price.
The Shard to East Dulwich – 4 miles vs Oslo (Norway) – return!
After dining at one of the restaurants within Europe’s tallest skyscraper, the short retreat back to the leafy ‘village’ of East Dulwich is just four miles, but can add up to the princely sum of £22.
Although not much in the grand scheme of international air travel, a mere £21 can secure a ticket 636 miles away to ‘The Tiger City’: Oslo, from London Stansted and back! Though there’s much to be explored within the 1,000-year-old capital city, beyond the city limits, the promise of lush forests and picturesque lakes draws in all holidaymakers in the summer months.
Piccadilly Circus to Richmond – 9.2 miles vs Fes (Morocco) – return!
The District Line has stopped for the evening after one too many cocktails in Soho and so the black cab beckons. With a distance of just over nine miles it is immediately clear the price is not going to be pretty. £38 clocked on the meter and that fear is confirmed.
Bag a return journey to a completely different continent for a few quid less! Flights to Fes from Stansted (around 1,260 miles one way) take you away to the warmer climes of Morocco, where temperatures average highs of over 30 degrees in the summer months. Return tickets start from just £35.
Brixton to Bounds Green – 11.7 miles vs Belgrade (Serbia) – return!
Trading in the North London life for the nightlife of Brixton, it is time for a quick venture through the night markets, perhaps followed by a visit to the O2 Academy. Despite the shocking drink prices inside the venue, the worst is yet to come – the cab ride home will strip you of any remaining funds to the tune of £50!
Brixton may be for the mavericks and home to a fair share of hipsters but take the £50 and compare at Cheapflights.co.uk, and a 1,060 mile return trip to Belgrade from Luton could be on the cards. Recognised as one of the most up-and-coming cities in Europe, Belgrade’s Savamala district puts London’s hipsters to shame.
Shoreditch to Heathrow – 19.6 miles vs Istanbul (Turkey) – return!
Last night in London before a holiday: time to head to the clubs of Shoreditch before a horribly early flight from Heathrow. After all, you only live once right? Hopefully the destination that you’re headed to has its share of bargains because a taxi ride is going to cost in the region of £80!
Instead, straddle two continents in the city of Istanbul from Gatwick, around 1,540 miles away, for just £77 return. Fortunately the city is a bargain hunter’s paradise with the Grand Bazaar the ideal place to test out those haggling skills.
And, for those considering getting a cab to Heathrow from Central London (Charing Cross) it’s worth noting that with an average cost per mile of £3.40 it’s more than 3,000% more expensive than the £0.11 cost per mile of a flight from the airport to Berlin Tegel, the cheapest route from the airport!
“Talk about sky-high taxi fares! It’s pretty astounding that a one-way cab ride in London can work out more expensive than return flights to Istanbul; or that the cost of a cab to Heathrow is over 3,000% more expensive per mile than a flight to Berlin!” said Oonagh Shiel, travel expert at Cheapflights.co.uk.
She added: “While this research is a bit of fun, it does highlight some of the flight bargains that are out there and the importance of comparing prices whether you’re travelling to Brixton or Barcelona!”
For more information on travel deals and advice visit www.Cheapflights.co.uk.
-Ends-
Notes to Editors:
Pricing analysis based cab estimates based on travel at midnight using www.worldtaximeter.com with flight prices from Cheapflights.co.uk.
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Nick Wheywell / Stuart Fyfe / Sakhita Sharma / Kevan Barber
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About Cheapflights.co.uk, a part of the Momondo Group: “Let’s Open our World.”
Momondo Group is an online travel media and technology company that is driven by the belief that an open world is a better world. The group now serves travel search and inspiration to over 17.5 million visitors a month – plus 7 million travel newsletter subscribers – via its Cheapflights (http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/) and momondo (www.momondo.com) brands.
Skygate began the sourcing of complex air-travel data in 1992, whilst Cheapflights pioneered the online comparison of flight deals for users in 1996 and momondo launched meta-search in the Nordic countries from 2006.
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