A group of mums travelled to Marseille for 72 hours after bagging return flights for £17 – and dashed home in time for work.<br /><br />Anne-Marie Moss, 45, jetted off with her mum pals - Jill, 50, Elisabeth, 50, and old school friend Rachel, 45 - on May 14, 2023.<br /><br />The friends soaked up the sun and spent their three-day break cruising around the coastline, eating at a circus-themed restaurant and on a Segway tour of the city.<br /><br />They spent £97 each for their hotel for two nights, £20 for parking and used £108 spending money for all the activities and food.<br /><br />The mates had three full days in the French city before arriving back in Manchester on May 17 at midnight - getting back in time for work and school runs the next day.<br /><br />For Anne-Marie this is her ninth cheap getaway in two years – and the friends are already planning to return.<br /><br />Anne-Marie, a receptionist at a mental health hospital, from Accrington, Greater Manchester, said: "We went on a cruise visiting the Calanques on the Marseille coastline.<br /><br />"We ate at a fantastic circus-themed restaurant.<br /><br />"We went on an open deck bus tour and on a Segway tour of Marseille which had some scary moments driving through the busy streets of France.<br /><br />"We visited the beautiful Notre Dame and the cathedral.<br /><br />"The weather was really nice."<br /><br />Anne-Marie has been snapping up cheap flights for quick getaways since December 2021 - after taking a trip with her daughter, Trinity, 20, and her friends to Kraków, Poland for just £16.<br /><br />Since the mum has visited Poland six times - always securing a cheap return flight - as well short breaks in Romania and Palma, Spain.<br /><br />Anne-Marie has been expanding her travel group as she goes - with more of her mum and school friends joining in.<br /><br />She said: "I originally went away with Rachel, an old school friend, last year and since then our 'holiday group' has expanded with others wanting to join us on our trips.<br /><br />As long as you're nice and up for an adventure come along.<br /><br />“You’ve got to be up for things.<br /><br />“We don’t relax by the pool.”<br /><br />This time around the friends decided to try a new destination - Marseille, France - packing in as much adventure as possible.<br /><br />Anne-Marie said: "We loved the boat trip visiting the Calanques National Park, the waters were crystal clear.<br /><br />"The Segway tour was the funniest and most enjoyable part, neither me or Jill had ever been on a Segway and decided to do a three-hour tour around Marseille.<br /><br />"We got to visit a lot of the beautiful sites, riding around the ports and it was such a laugh.<br /><br />"We had a couple of scary moments as the pathways got quite narrow and steep, but we absolutely loved it.<br /><br />"Rachel and Elisabeth went on a three-hour bike ride around the coast and covered 18 miles and they both really enjoyed that."<br /><br />After missing out on a kayaking trip that was cancelled because of stormy seas the pals are already looking to go back.
