We took day trip from Manchester Airport to Pisa in Italy because it was cheaper than going to London

Savvy best friends flew to Pisa for a pizza and got back in time for work the next day - for less than the cost of a trip to London.

Morgan Bold, 27, spotted budget flights to and from Pisa, Italy, and decided to try an 'extreme day trip' so they would only need to use a single day of annual leave. She and best friend Jess Wooder, 26, booked day return flights and jetted off at 6am from Manchester Airport on April 24.

They had a full day of shopping, sightseeing and enjoying Italian cuisine and say it was less than the cost of a trip to the capital. Morgan, from Maghull, Liverpool, said the whole day set her back just £170 - including flights, airport parking, food and activities.

The social media manager said: "We went to another country and it was probably cheaper than us going from Liverpool to London. Trains to London Euston there and back are around £100 and that's without the expensive food and drinks.

"It's so easy to do as well - you don't need to check a bag, you just go straight through security and you're on the plane. I only took one day off work - I was back the next day!"

The women drove from Liverpool and parked at Manchester Airport, where they flew from. Morgan and Jess, a customer service manager from Melling, Liverpool, arrived in Pisa at 9am and used Google Maps to find their way to Pisa's centre.

They sat in the sunshine by the Leaning Tower of Pisa to take some fun touristy photos before doing a free tour of the cathedral nearby. They enjoyed a pizza and Aperol Spritz in the afternoon before wandering around the local markets and shops. They flew home at 6pm and were in bed by 11pm - ready to be back at work the next day.

Morgan said: "The food was the best bit, being able to have a pizza while looking at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The food prices were so reasonable even right by the tower.

"It was a surreal experience knowing you were going back the same night. We loved it so much we're going to do a day trip to Christmas markets in December - we're thinking Krakow or Prague. I just love exploring."

Manchester to Pisa day trip cost

• Flights: £101 each
• Airport parking: £28.50 each
• Food and drink: £41 each