A CORNISH woman flew over 1,300 miles to Spain and back to the UK to pick her new car – as it was cheaper than getting a train.

Mum-of-four Kristina Coulson from Lansallos, near Fowey, needed to collect her new motor near Crewe after she was hit by a drunk driver last month.

However, the 43-year-old was left shocked when she found out the price of a ticket from Cornwall to Cheshire would cost up to £200 per person just for the one-way journey.

She said a Facebook group documenting people's extreme day trips inspired her to look further afield and, after some research online, the support worker found it was cheaper for her and husband Dan to fly from Newquay to Malaga and back to Manchester for a sum of just £108.

Together they packed their bags and caught the flight to the south of Spain, where they spent the day before flying back and spending the night in a hotel near the car before driving home.

In total, they spent £54 on flights each and £45 for a hotel, amounting to a total cost of £153.

Kristina Coulson and husband Dan flew from Newquay to Malaga and Malaga to Manchester as it is a cheaper alternative than getting the train to pick up Skoda Yeti from Crewe Car Sales in Crewe. A grandma has flown to Malaga to pick her new car in Manchester - as it is a cheaper alternative than getting the train. After being hit by a drunk driver later last year Kristina Coulson’s life took a spin. Trying to find an affordable car, the mum-of-four looked for cheaper alternatives up country where she spotted a car that would meet her requirements. But as she lives in Cornwall, Kristina wanted to make sure she would take the cheapest route up to the car sale garage in Crewe.
Kristina Coulson and husband Dan flew from Newquay to Malaga. Picture: Anita Maric / SWNS

“A bit of good came from something bad,” said Kristina, who was hit by a drunk driver on December 12 in Devon.

“Thankfully, everything was on time and it was just lovely and easy.

“On a flight you are guaranteed a seat, you don't have to stand up for hours on the train, and it is quicker. I once stood up for nearly seven hours although I paid for a seat I couldn’t actually sit down on.

”Although Kristina didn’t suffer any injuries from the crash, she said it has ‘made things difficult’.“It caused a lot of aggravation that didn’t need to be caused,” she added.

“Luckily I was checked over and nothing was broken and I went home several hours later.

“Having been hit by a drunk driver I'm not in a position to buy what I wanted but for now the car I’m getting is enough. So I got a Skoda Yeti in Crewe.

“On Facebook everyone is getting return flights for 30 pounds so it seemed like a no-brainer to do it that way. The cheapest place to go to and from was Malaga.”

Despite the extra miles, Kristina said the detour was worth it and she would “absolutely do it again”.

“It is a bit of an out there idea – I haven't heard anyone doing it just to pick up a car,” she added.

“That said, I had an amazing time this trip. We would love to go back for a couple of nights or so just to have a bit more free time to explore a little bit more

“It was quite a little adventure. We had a couple of beers, food and we just enjoyed being on the sun for a bit, so it was positive fun which has come from a few weeks of nightmares and phone calls.”