Monthly Travel Challenge 2025 (Year of Travel)
Good old Ryan Air
For a Cheap Long Weekend Getaway, You're in The Right Spot!
Think you can travel to a new country every month for under £275? That’s exactly what I’m doing in 2025. No luxury, no frills—just smart planning, epic experiences, and an ever-growing photo collection.
Backstory: I love adventure but hate flying. I didn’t get on a plane until I was 32, and when I finally flew, my fear only got worse. In 2024, I was supposed to fly to Perpignan but backed out last minute, and ended up spending £180 on a 27-hour journey covering 925 miles by car, coach, ferry, and train. That brutal trip made me realise I needed to conquer my fear of flying, needles to say I did get on the plane back after the hardship of that journey!
The £275 Monthly Travel Challenge
Born with a budget mindset (where heating is ‘cheating’ and a £3.50 pint feels expensive), I wanted to try get incredible travel that doesn’t cost a fortune. That’s how the £275 Monthly Travel Challenge was born—12 trips, 12 months, and only a backpack.
Challenge Rules and How I Do It
Budget: Flights + Accommodation = Max £275 (although summer might really push this over)
Stay: Airbnb (smart location, close to landmarks)
Timing: Fly Fridays-Mondays (or adjust to avoid peak prices)
Strategy:
Use Skyscanner → Search ‘Everywhere’ for cheapest flights
Compare Airbnb locations using the map feature
Book in advance to lock in low fares
I'm also pretty lucky that I am not dictated to by school holidays and can book Fridays or Mondays or even a day either side of that to get three days away at the best price. There’s only two times in the year I need to be mindful of going away due to responsibilities at work.
Picking Locations
So other than looking for the cheapest flights that month all everywhere setting in sky scanner I am trying to consider what photos I can take there for that experience and if possible (and this is a bonus) if it ties in with a bigger photography project I have started working on.
Another part of the challenge I am trying my very best to stick to is a different country even month so that I get a very enriched experience. Some people may consider this cheating but I may travel to Wales and Scotland too as an option.
Here are my top £275 challenge destinations—if the deals align:
🇫🇷 France – Capturing Parisian streets
🇪🇸 Spain – Tapas, history & Mediterranean warmth
🇩🇪 Germany – Where old meets new (Berlin)
🏴 Scotland – Celtic landscapes & castles
🇲🇦 Morocco – Bustling markets & desert photography
🇵🇹 Portugal – Lisbon’s colours and old-fashioned trams
🇵🇱 Poland – World War II history and rolling hills and forests
