A single mother flew to Paris for just 11 hours to celebrate her birthday with her two children and claims it was cheaper than taking them to a theme park in the UK.
Stefanie Curran, 40, from Torquay, Devon, took her two sons Brody, 11, and Romeo, seven, to France for a day because she didn’t have enough money for a week’s getaway.
They only spent £55 each on return flights, and the family spent the day sightseeing, eating cake and shopping.
The single mum estimates she saved £100 compared to a day trip to a British theme park, such as a £500 overnight trip to Legoland, but admits she could have cut costs even further.
Stefanie, director of a social enterprise, said: “I wanted to do something for my birthday but I didn’t have enough for a full-fledged holiday.
Brody, 11 (right) and Romeo, 7 (left), smile in Paris to celebrate their mother’s big 40th birthday.
Brody’s goal for the trip was to eat a croissant and he enjoyed eating the snack.
Brody, 11 years old, photographed at the Eiffel Tower. His mother spent £55 each on return flights and the family enjoyed a day of sightseeing.
“So I started looking for ideas and realized we could go to Paris and back in one day.
“We didn’t do it as cheap as we could, but it was definitely cheaper than taking the kids to a water park or some of the attractions in the UK that are exorbitant. So I think we did pretty well for the price.”
Stefanie flew from Bristol Airport at 7.15am and arrived in Paris at 9.30am, before taking a taxi directly to the Eiffel Tower, which cost her €73.
The family traveled around the city on the Tootbus tour bus for a combined price of 83 euros.
She said: ‘The bus saved our legs from getting tired and allowed us to see many of the main sights.
‘You can get on and off wherever you want, which worked really well for us.
“My oldest son’s only goal during the trip was to eat a croissant and he wanted the most expensive croissant in Paris, so we were able to stop along the way and do it.”
The Tootbus also allowed Stefanie to visit her favorite store, Le Creuset, and see the Champs-Elysées.
Stefanie Curran, 40, took her two sons Brody, 11, and Romeo, seven, to France after not having enough money for a week-long getaway.
Stefanie flew from Bristol Airport at 7.15am in April and arrived in Paris at 9.30am, before taking a taxi directly to the Eiffel Tower, which cost €73.
The family feasted on avocado and sun-dried tomatoes on toast before ending up at the Eiffel Tower.
The Tootbus also allowed Stefanie to visit her favorite store, French luxury kitchen store Le Creuset, as well as see the Champs-Elysees.
The two children looked cheerful as they were photographed next to an ice cream cone with a chocolate treat.
They enjoyed avocado and sun-dried tomatoes on toast before finishing at the Eiffel Tower.
Stefanie and her children took a €57 taxi back to the airport for their 8.10pm flight and returned to the UK at 8.25pm.
Stefanie says the trip was an affordable substitute to a day at home, even including the additional shopping and travel expenses.
She said: ‘Even our local water park costs £95 a day including parking. “It costs £500 for Legoland with one night’s accommodation.”
Stefanie felt lucky that the day everything went as planned and without delays.
The single mum said: ‘I had to really warn my kids that this could be a complete disaster because if you’re a couple of hours late you’ll miss half the day.
‘My eldest son is autistic and my youngest son would have been bored if there had been any delays, so I brought a whole bag of toys which broke everything up a bit.
“It’s a short stop tour so we had to decide not to go on any of the attractions due to queue time, but it was a really good way to experience traveling with the kids.
Stefanie Curran, 40, and her two sons, Brody, 11, and Romeo, 7, in Paris
Romeo, 7 years old, enjoying the views of Paris from an open-top bus. The family traveled around the city on the Tootbus tour bus for a combined price of €83.
“I felt really good because I survived taking my kids to another country in one day – it was a proud moment for a single mother.”
Stefanie says anyone planning a similar trip should wear comfortable shoes and pack as much as they can “without making their bag too heavy.”
She said: ‘It was a really fun adventure. We hope to do another one in the summer, ideally in Alicante.”
The total cost of the trip, including expenses, was estimated at £400.