In all, he had a 12-hour break in the sun before heading off to the capital. Instagram/Joethesailor A rail passenger found it was cheaper flying from Newcastle to London via Spain than buying a direct train ticket.

Joe Furness, 21, a trainee shipping officer, spent 24 hours on the journey rather than three, but enjoyed a stopover in Menorca.

Mr Furness was faced with paying £78.50 for the rail ticket from Newcastle.

But, instead, he found a last-minute fare costing £15.99 from Newcastle to Menorca, and then £10.99 to London Gatwick.

With the money he saved, Mr Furness hired a Fiat 500 for £7.50 and drove around the island, visited the beach and enjoyed a £4 cocktail.

In all, he had a 12-hour break in the sun before heading off to the capital.

Mr Furness said he took the trip “to show just how ridiculous the UK train fares are”.

In an Instragram post, he wrote: “I can have a night on a Spanish island, hire a car, have a cocktail on the beach, fly back to London and still have £40 left over.

“Or I could have sat on a train. What would you have rather done?”

Back in April, thrifty traveller Tom Church managed to book a plane from London to Newcastle for just £67 – around half the price for a last-minute train ticket.