Mum goes goes to Ibiza and parties until 5am for £81—and gets back in time for school run
Watch: 'I went on a 24-hour birthday trip to Ibiza - and was back in time to do the school run'
A mum has revealed how she went on a 24-hour birthday trip to Ibiza and was back in time to do the school run.
Michelle Tocchini and her friend Tanya McElligott, both 38, from Hertford, Hertfordshire, jetted off for a midweek night out earlier this month.
They dropped their kids off at school on October 17 before catching a Ryanair flight from Stansted that afternoon.
Having landed on the White Isle at 7pm the duo partied until 5am in celebration of Michelle's birthday.
The following day they sunbathed until their 5pm flight on October 18 and arrived home at around 11:30pm.
And both Tocchini, a beautician, and McElligott, a hairdresser, were both up and ready to take their children to class again on October 19.
Flights and accommodation cost them just £81 each - £48 return Ryanair flights and £33 for a hotel, including breakfast.
"Our time was so limited, without much childcare, so it worked really well," Tocchini, a single mum-of-two, says about the micro-break.
"It was just like going to London for a big night out, but we would have spent more money there without even leaving the UK.
"I do like doing things spontaneously but my hands are often tied because of my children," she continues.
"It was amazing and I'd definitely recommend parents give it a go - we're already planning our next trip to Amsterdam!"
Read more: Is booking cheap flights for a day out abroad insanity or genius? (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
Tocchini and McElligott didn't believe they would be able to go away to celebrate Michelle's 38th birthday because they struggled to find childcare for more than a couple of days.
But after being inspired by reading a story about a similar 24-hour trip, they checked out the flights and a week later they were on a plane.
The friends travelled in one set of clothes with just a handbag each, which contained their outfits for their night out.
"I didn't even bring shampoo or washing stuff," Tocchini adds. "I just brought a toothbrush and some trainers, my evening outfit, and underwear for the next day."
Read more: How to get a row of seats to yourself on a plane, according to experts (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
After doing the morning school run the duo caught a cheap bus to the airport and arrived in Ibiza after a two-and-a-half-hour flight.
Tocchini's parents picked her sons, 11 and 7, up from school and they stayed with their grandparents overnight while their mum was away.
"We stayed out late because we knew we weren't leaving until the evening, so we had the whole next day to relax by the pool," Tocchini continues.
"Our hotel also served unlimited breakfast until 11:30am which was great."
Read more: Budget friendly holidays (Yahoo Life UK)
The friends sunbathed until 5pm before heading back to the airport.
Tocchini arrived home at 11.30pm, when her children were asleep, and was up early the next morning to drop off the children before heading back in to work as normal.
The mum-of-two says the trip was a total triumph for single mum Michelle as she was able to enjoy her dream birthday celebration abroad in a childcare and budget-friendly way.
The trip was such a success the friends are already planning their next getaway, this time aiming to complete the whole trip in one day.
"I'm definitely going to do more of these, it works really well being a parent and not being able to leave the kids for long," Tocchini adds.
"They [my children] thought it was cool too. When I told my eldest son I was going for a night in Ibiza he high-fived me and said 'you only live once!'."
Additional reporting SWNS.
