To go abroad for one day?

@Teacherbee85 you may be in the group already but there is Extreme Day Trips from Scotland on FB with lots of suggestions and reports from people who have done it.

DD and I used to go to Paris by Eurostar for the day but gave it up as it was just too tiring..

It does sound fun - why not?

Personally I enjoy spending the night and waking up somewhere different, but I can totally see the appeal, especially if it’s somewhere you can go by train rather than a flight.

I also personally could go to ibiza for a day, I wouldn't come back! I would be gutted not to get a few days relaxing in the sun. So personally it would need to be a city break if I was considering it again.

I have been to France and Ireland on day trips. Both involved driving and ferry at night though, arriving in time for breakfast.

As well as fewer flights, this is another disadvantage in starting from Scotland or Northern England, the flight each way is around an hour longer than if you start in London.

I know you might be thinking about a day at a beach club OP, but you might be better looking at a day in the Nordic Countries for the shorter flight?

I wouldn't. I'd save my flights for times when I had longer to enjoy the visit.

If the choice is between doing a short trip and a long trip, then obviously the long trip is just as bad environmentally as the short trip. But if the choice is between multiple short trips or one long trip (as it's likely to be for most people with limited time and funds) then it's a very different story.

@Teacherbee85 having seen your flights, I do think if you're planning there and back in a day you would be better to pick shorter flights. I wouldn't fancy being in the air longer than I was on the ground.

Did it myself one Christmas to Brussels as got super cheap day return with Eurostar. Although got held up in France for an hour on the train which lessened the time in Brussels, it was so much fun-and packed in so much. It IS a bit of a fever dream though, even looking back on it now. And coming home late the same day all felt a bit surreal (in a good way) but highly recommend it! Do it!!

edit: got the first train out which I THINK was about 5:30/6:00 and the last train back that night. After more delays, got home at something like 1am, but because it was such a fab day, exhaustion didn’t really hit if I’m honest.

I done it, Paris for a day.

It was exciting and fun but absolutely exhausting.

Don't think I'd bother again, much nicer to stay in a hotel to relax at the end of the day... and that way you get a whole proper evening too.

I think we flew at 5am and flew home at around 5pm... we were literally falling asleep in the taxi to the airport going home 😂

I’ve done this as a day trip to Paris (I live quite near St Pancras). Not sure if I would venture father afield though and there are often delays - especially with the last plane of the day.

We’ve done it a fair bit when I used to fly ( I don’t anymore) but we are SE so likely much easier .

Go for it! I'm in Paris for the day today- I did have something I needed to pick up here, but done now and now I am having a lovely lunch

I travel once a fortnight for work. If the flights are on time, then it’s a breeze.

However, they are frequently delayed or cancelled. As long as you accept that there is a probability you won’t get the time you were planning, then go for it!

Go for it!! Personally I'd rather find a cheap hotel/hostel for one night. People who are saying it's not environmentally friendly - it's not making a difference if them flights are already scheduled regardless of you getting on them; not like your getting on your own personal plane. And if you are, don't 🤣

I'm a smoker, I do this often and bag cheap cigarettes in duty free. Win win!
Yes it's tiring but I'm in my 50s, menopausal and pretty knackered generally, and I manage it.
I'm in London so easy for me to get to a few airports. The places I arrive at, it's usually 15-20 mins to the city centre. Although one thing to be wary of is passport control. If you go somewhere popular at peak time, you could get stuck in a long queue now we can't use the EU gates anymore.

I live in Brussels so we do this a lot. Though in our case there are loads of places you can get to in under 2 hours from home by car or by train. We often pop to NL for lunch or shopping. Germany for xmas markets. Lille is lovely. Don't really bother with Paris, though i have to go there for work.

GHG emissions from the Internet dwarf that from global air traffic, and what do we do with that? Sexting, funny cat videos and arguing with strangers on Internet forums.

If you want to save the planet then go offline and go abroad for the day - but it's not really about saving the planet, it's about keeping us plebs in our place (both literally and metaphorically).

Maybe when I was younger I could get on board with this, but these days I couldn't be arsed with dealing with airports for the sake of only one day.

This. I used to love airports when I was younger but hate them now. Not sure if they've got worse or I've just got older and grumpier.

Have you been to the US and seen what they are driving, even in cities like Chicago? Have you researched ommissions globally?
Us doing our home recycling and limiting our flying is going to do nothing.
OP I do day trips around the UK, so it's no different. You get the vibe of a place and then can decide to do longer. Flying from Liverpool, it's cheaper to get a cheap hotel and do an overnight, so research it and if you can make it work, then go for it. It's one if the things thar makes me keep my fitness up, at nearly 60, I don't want to stop travelling. I also think that the more travel, the less shite you buy and don't have meat eating pets etc.

I went to Paris for the day last month and going to Brussels for the day next week. God bless the Eurostar flash sale!

I have a hobby where people do this quite a bit and I get infuriated. The environmental impact really cannot be justified for such a short trip (the plane is flying anyway argument is nonsense as it is just a result of many individual decisions, which can be changed). The huge amount of similar business travel frustrates me equally.