Amanda has travelled all across Europe on one-day budget trips.
16:53, 27 Jan 2026Updated 17:36, 27 Jan 2026
Amanda setting off for Tenerife on a solo trip.
A jet-setting single mum has revealed she spent 30 hours in Tenerife for less than the cost of a night out in the capital.
Amanda Smith confessed she has always suffered from itchy feet having worked on cruise ships in her youth. And the 43-year-old clinical support worker has not changed her ways, taking any and every opportunity to travel abroad.
The Wishaw woman spoke to Edinburgh Live about several one day trips she has made from Edinburgh Airport as she looks to create memories with her friends and family. Amanda said she grew tired of wasting money on throwaway gifts at Christmas and birthdays and has instead started treating her loved ones to short breaks away from home.
Over the past two years she has travelled to Copenhagen for an afternoon lunch with friends as well as to Berlin overnight and Poznan with her daughter for a trip to the zoo. But she did not stop there, travelling twice to Tenerife, once with her son, and most recently on a solo 30-hour vacation.
“I love to travel, I worked on cruise ships when I was younger and have been to over 90 countries,” she said. “I’m a single parent with two kids so it is all about travelling as much as we can but always on a budget.
Amanda with her daughter Aarla before taking off at Edinburgh Airport.
“There is nothing better than going on a holiday and having worked on cruise ships, I know you can fit a lot into just one day. Two years ago my friend was grieving the loss of her mum and I said why don’t we go out for lunch to cheer her up.
“I suggested Copenhagen and she asked if I was off my head. I talked her round and another pal came with us.
“We left at 7.30am and got in at 10am. Our return flight was at 5pm, it cost us just £60 per person for the flights.
“We used the on-site parking and Edinburgh Airport Lounge to relax before taking off. We then got a train right into the city centre, took some pictures, did a wee tour and had our lunch.
Aarla was treated to a day full of activities in Poland on a budget.
“We were all back home by 7pm the same day. It was amazing.”
At Christmas she spent just £27 on return flights to Poznan to take her mum out for lunch.
“I decided rather than spending my money on stuff people don’t need, I’d spend it on flights and creating memories together,” she added. “I get a real dopamine hit out of comparing the cost of a trip to a day out at home or a day shopping.
“For Christmas I took my mum to Poznan. We spent £27 on flights, £20 on a beautiful lunch with cocktails and we even came back with delicious £6 Polish chocolates.
“Last year I also travelled to Berlin for the night. Flights were £20 and the hotel was just £40.”
Amanda and Aarla went to the zoo as well as a water park.
But what has been most important for Amanda is letting her children see the world, even if it is just a snapshot of an exotic destination.
“I took my wee girl (Aarla, eight) to Poznan for a short trip.,” she said. “The holiday which included flights, a ticket to the zoo and a day at the water park cost us £43.
“We stay close to Time Capsule at Coatbridge but it is quite expensive and isn’t the greatest day out. So when I asked my son (Klayton, 14) if he wanted a trip to a water park we looked into Siam Park in Tenerife.
Amanda took Klayton overnight to Tenerife for a water park trip and to create memories together.
“We flew to Tenerife for £55, an overnight hotel was £40 and tickets including a meal at Siam Park was £70. We spent the whole day there and had real quality time together.
“The age difference between my two kids can make travelling difficult, if one has to go to the toilet, we all have to. Aarla cannot always get on the big flumes either, so it is great to be able to treat them individually with tailored trips on a budget.”
Amanda said her her budget travelling affords her the opportunity to relax. Last Saturday (Jan 24), she travelled by herself to Tenerife for what she said was cheaper than a night out in Edinburgh.
“I asked my kids if they wanted to come but they were due a stay at their dads,” she said. “No shifts had come up yet so I just decided to go for it and head back to Tenerife.
Amanda and Klayton spent £70 for tickets to Siam Park which included their lunch.
“My friends all think why would you want to sit on a flight for over four hours? But I find it relaxing, I can’t sit still at home for some reason, I’m 100mph, but on the plane I sit and watch movies.
“I was told I was crazy but I managed to get a £48 return flight leaving on Saturday and coming back on Sunday. I got my hotel for £55 bed and breakfast and a taxi cost me €18 to the beach.
“I love cold water swimming as it’s good for the mind and the soul. Being at the beach alone without kids meant I could relax and get some me time.
“Always keen to save money, I decided to walk to my hotel but I ended up taking my life in my hands. The route was by a really busy road and it took me 90 minutes to get there.
Amanda has also embarked on budget solo trips from Edinburgh Airport.
“The accommodation wasn’t the nicest, the bath was the size of a bidet but it was fine. I dumped my stuff and did some shopping, grabbing a handbag and a top for €19 before going back and having a soak.
“I sat in my bed and watched Netflix which is something I never do at home and it was lovely. The next morning the breakfast was made up of fresh pancakes, bread and pastries.
“I discovered there was a bus to the beach for €1.45 – which saved me the arduous 90 minute walk. I had another swim, some lunch for €6 and then grabbed an airport bus for €2.50.
Amanda enjoying the Tenerife sun on her 30-hour trip.
“Even though I only spent 30 hours in Tenerife, it felt like three weeks. My head was clear for the first time in ages.
“All in all I spent around £120 for two days in Tenerife. It would be way more expensive to go into Edinburgh for a night when you include travel, food, hotel and a couple of drinks.”