Embrace the Extreme: Day Tripping Goes Global
Move over traditional week-long vacations. A growing trend among travel enthusiasts involves what’s being dubbed “extreme day trips”—rapid getaways that see individuals jetting across continents for a mere 24-hour holiday.
Monica Stott: Pioneer of the One-Day Escape
Monica Stott, 37, from Wrexham, Wales, is a fervent advocate of these ultra-short breaks. Her adventures have included whirlwind visits to cities like Milan, Lisbon, and even Reykjavik, Iceland.
The full-time travel blogger and mother of three shared with the BBC: “Research suggests that the most memorable holiday moments often occur within the first day or two. Reflecting on my own trips, I’ve found this to be true. Many highlights happen upon arrival.”
This influencer, behind the popular “The Travel Hack” blog and Instagram account, typically arrives in time for breakfast and fills her day with activities before returning home the same night. “It’s a hectic, packed, and exhilarating day,” she describes.
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Despite the intensity, she noted on her blog, “From my experiences with extreme day trips thus far, I genuinely feel like I’ve enjoyed a brief escape.”
Luka Chijutomi-Ghosh: Pushing the Boundaries of Short Travel
Student Luka Chijutomi-Ghosh, 18, from Cardiff, takes this concept even further. One example is his Christmas Eve spent exploring Prague at night for just 12 hours, arriving at 9 pm on December 24th and departing at 9 am on Christmas Day. Shortly after, he undertook an ambitious journey, visiting Paris, Luxembourg, Brussels, and Amsterdam all within a single day.
He explains his rationale: “I consider the cost of a student night out, sometimes reaching £60 or £70. If I can find a return flight for under £20 and experience a completely new city instead, it seems like a worthwhile trade.”
A Growing Community of Day Trip Devotees
Stott and Chijutomi-Ghosh are not alone in their pursuit of 24-hour adventures. Facebook groups dedicated to extreme day trips have attracted hundreds of thousands of members who exchange stories and tips about their lightning-fast journeys.
Monica Stott (pictured), 37, of Wrexham, Wales, enjoys taking these kinds of one-day trips abroad, which have seen her travel to Milan, Lisbon and Reykjavik in Iceland
The full-time travel blogger and mother-of-three (pictured) told the BBC : ‘There’s research suggesting that most of your best holiday memories are made in the first one or two days. When I thought about it, I agreed’
Student Luka Chijutomi-Ghosh (pictured), 18, of Cardiff, takes day trips that are even more extreme. He once spent Christmas Eve walking around Prague at night for just 12 hours
The Inspiration Behind the Trend
Stott’s inspiration for extreme day trips arose from her work travels to Ireland, where client meetings sometimes lasted only an hour.
Being there for just a day, she realized that extending her stay by a few hours could transform a business trip into a fulfilling one-day vacation.
She then discovered online communities where fellow travelers shared their own one-day exploits, and she has been enthusiastic about this style of travel ever since.
She views it as an ideal option for those who feel constrained by time or budget for longer holidays.
Chijutomi-Ghosh’s passion for 24-hour travel ignited with his Christmas trip to Prague, Czech Republic. Spotting a flight for only £15, he booked it impulsively, later realizing it only allowed for a 12-hour overnight visit.
He embraced the limited time, and the experience revealed to him that even as little as six hours could be sufficient to feel like he had meaningfully explored a new city.
Subsequently, the student embarked on his impressive four-country tour of Paris, Luxembourg, Brussels, and Amsterdam, challenging himself to see how many nations he could visit in a single train journey.
He argues that for UK day trips, travel time within the country can be comparable to international travel, making it more appealing to maximize that travel time by exploring further afield.
Ms Stott first got the idea to take extreme day trips after travelling to Ireland for sometimes mere hour-long meetings with clients for work. Pictured: Her extreme day trip to Reykjavik
She then joined one of the Facebook groups where fellow travellers were relating tales of their own one-day adventures – and since then, the blogger has been hooked. Pictured: Her extreme day trip to Iceland
The blogger said: ‘You can keep going, keep walking, keep sightseeing and keep trying new food, even when you’re low on energy, because you know you’ll be going home and sleeping in your own bed that night!’
Maximizing Your One-Day Adventure
In a comprehensive blog post introducing extreme day trips to her “The Travel Hack” blog readers, Stott explained: “In an ideal scenario, we would have numerous spare weekends and ample funds for extended city breaks across Europe.”
“However, reality differs. While more time would be desirable, waiting for ‘more time’ might mean waiting indefinitely. Isn’t it preferable to experience a glimpse of a city rather than never experiencing it at all?” she posed.
She emphasizes the surprising amount that can be achieved in a single day: “You can maintain momentum—walking, sightseeing, and trying new foods—even when energy levels dip, knowing you’ll be sleeping in your own bed that night!”
“That point where you’d typically tire and retreat to your hotel, something keeps you going!”
Environmental Considerations of Rapid Travel
However, with air travel contributing to 2.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and 8% in Britain, extreme day trips, involving significant air miles within a short timeframe, face criticism for their environmental impact.
Stott acknowledges this as a notable drawback but contends that many proponents of these trips opt for them due to budget or time limitations for longer vacations, especially given the high cost of public transport in the UK.
She argues, “It’s unfair to judge one person’s holiday as more valid than another’s simply because of its duration.”
Chijutomi-Ghosh suggests that flights would operate regardless of his participation: “The seat will be occupied by someone else.”
Good options for extreme day trips include Alicante, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Oslo, Geneva and Reykjavik, Ms Stott said
Ms Stott advised that holidaymakers do not try to go anywhere more than a two-hour flight away – otherwise it will likely feel too much travel in a single day. Pictured: Her extreme day trip to Bergamo, Italy
Ms Stott explained: ‘In an ideal world, we’d have countless free weekends and endless pots of money to take four- to five-night city breaks across Europe. But this isn’t an ideal world and that’s just not the way it goes!’. Pictured: Her extreme day trip to Reykjavik
He also points out that extreme day trips aren’t exclusively reliant on air travel, citing his four-country journey completed entirely by train.
Tips for Planning Your Own Extreme Day Trip
Blogger Stott offers practical advice for those considering their own one-day holidays.
Choosing Your Destination
She recommends limiting flight duration to a maximum of two hours to avoid excessive travel time within a single day.
Ideal Starting Points
Dublin, Belfast, and Cork are suggested as excellent starting destinations due to no time difference, short and often inexpensive flights, and frequent flight schedules.
Other Recommended Destinations
- Alicante
- Paris
- Amsterdam
- Brussels
- Barcelona
- Copenhagen
- Oslo
- Geneva
- Reykjavik
Managing Pre-Travel Nerves
She also advises travelers to minimize pre-holiday anxiety to conserve energy: “Many individuals become overly excited or anxious at the airport, which can be draining.”
“Treating it as routine travel, like boarding a train or bus, can prevent unnecessary energy expenditure due to pre-holiday stress.”