Have you ever done an extreme day trip?

[Ahfiddlesticks]

Just that really.

I've seen a few things on insta recently and I'm considering making it a new year resolution - 6 extreme day trips next year.

I was particularly inspired by a couple who went on an extreme day trip skiing in Geneva - I love skiing but get put off by the cost for a family and I think a day trip for DH and I would work really well!

If you've done one, would you recommend?

Yes earlier this year for the first time. Myself & the kids (in their 20’s) went to Edinburgh from Dublin for the day. 6am flight out. At the airport at 4am. Only a handbag with me. I had pre booked somewhere for breakfast & dinner so we mooched around in between & had a lunch on the go in the middle of the day. Saw the sights, did some shopping then went to our dinner. From our dinner we went straight to the airport home. Were in our beds by midnight. Next day was Sunday so we just slept late & relaxed before work on Monday. It was brilliant

We’ve done Alicante and Belfast and lived both days x x

I did Alicante with a friend recently, it was 20 degrees and we sat sipping spritz in the sun overlooking the sea, walk around lovely paella for dinner. Was absolutely amazing and worth it. Flew out on a 7am flight with only our handbags. Flight back was at about 10pm. Cheaper than a daybin London.

My DS had to leave the country for one day (to get tax rebate) so flew to Iceland early one morning, spent the day and evening walking around and drinking (expensive!) beer. Got back to the airport for the late evening flight. Cost about £150 to get £6,000 back. I would have gone with him but I had to work..

I don't like flying but I did a day trip to Bruges by coach. It involved waiting in a layby to be collected at 5.30 in the morning which felt really dodgy! We had a wonderful time.

I did one to Palma last Feb half term.

we landed at 10 ish local time, 15 minutes on bus into town. Wander round, nice lunch, bit more wandering. Went to beach bar and had a drink then sat on beach. Left for the airport about 6.30pm.

It was 20 ish and bright blue skies so lovely weather. It was a long day - we were out 3.30am until about 11.30pm.

flights were about £40 each. Trick is finding a place with workable flight times both in and out that also isn’t too far from the centre of town / things to do.

it was fun but knackering, not sure if we would do it again, certainly wouldn’t do it regularly. We were lucky in that the weather fairies and the airlines fairies were both shining on us and no issues.

Not extreme as such but a very long day - an organised trip to Paris for the day.

A friend was visiting from the US and it was all the time we had to spare. Eurostar from Waterloo, met on arrival in Paris, then guided tour which included Le Louvre, Eiffel Tower, river cruise, bit of free time to wander.

It was Golden Tours, similar to this but ours didn't include Notre Dame

Day Trip To Paris From London with Eurostar Golden Tours

yes i have done several and they are fab as long as you choose somewhere from your local airport, has a short flight time and you plan your day. I flew from my local airport, Cardiff at around 6am and then returned on as late a flight that day as i could get usually around 9pm.I went to Venice, Rome, Vienna and all were fantastic.

Flying anywhere for one day is environmentally not something I personally can square, but I don't really judge anyone else doing it. We try to fly only once (well, twice!) every 2 or 3 years - have done 5 return trips since 2010.

Could definitely do Paris / Edinburgh / Brussels as day trips though from our home in the East Midlands. However once you're there you might as well stay over at least one night, surely?!

No as don’t believe in the impact on the already damaged environment

You have to live close enough to an airport to do early flights unless you are happy to pay for a hotel nearby as trains anywhere further than 1hr away usually won't get in in time for the early ones.

Agree with others that it sounds OK if you just want to do one thing but potentially very expensive and stressful if something goes wrong. I also don't think you have time to fully appreciate a place in a few hours. Personally I feel hugely guilty if I fly anywhere, given the effects of over tourism on the planet, and have to make it very worthwhile.

I do struggle with the ethics of it. Some idiot posted a reel on instagram the other day about a day trip to NYC from London. Clearly designed to generate clicks and likes and nothing else.

I love a holiday and a European city break especially but we do need to be more mindful of how often we take flights.

DH and I did it once when the football team we support unexpectedly got into the Europa comp, so a bit of a once in a lifetime experience. The club put a special day trip on for one of the away games including flight out very early and return flight after the game finished. It was a really good experience but I remember being exhausted as it worked out that we had been awake for something like 28hr straight by the time we got home. Don’t think I’d do it under other circumstances

Not abroad. Did one in the UK the once, it was a friend's 40th and did a six hour round trip with kids.

Part of my plan for 2026. I want to go more places even if that’s in my own.

Yes.

London- Copenhagen. Home for bed
Lindon- gdansk. Home by 7pm
London to Norway - Home that night
London to Madrid- home that night
Norfolk to Scotland and back in a day
Norfolk to Wales and back in a day

Just remembered I did do a day in Bruges when I was younger, but we got the overnight ferry to Zeebrugge and then a bus to Bruges. It was two nights travelling whilst sleeping, and a day out in Bruges. I remember finding it rushed and feeling tired after, and wishing we'd had a couple of nights in Belgium.

My day trip wont be any different than me going for a week. Except I dont.

Sounds way too exhausting for me! I'm pretty much useless for anything on the day of travel so I wouldn't get any enjoyment out of it.

But I did once go to Stockholm for the day, but we went by overnight ferry so slept for the journey there, nice buffet breakfast on the ferry then the day in Stockholm, then overnight ferry back. That wasn't too bad (for me, OH developed a fever on the ferry and had a pretty horrid time but struggled through for the sake of the rest of us)

My kids and I did Paris in a day as I really wanted to see the Olympic rings in the Eiffel tower!

Flight 6am and home 10pm.

Watching with interest as me and a friend are planning doing this this year. There is a Facebook group we've joined called Extreme Day Trips (London Airports) which has some very useful info

Saw one online who did a day trip to America, went around Central Park etc.

You have to pick your destination. So a city not too far imo eg Paris, Brussels, Palma, Barcelona, Milan. I did Paris a while back, first flight out, last back. Milan has 2 airports so your might have to fly into 1 and put from the other or factor in an overnight stay. As someone said it's not going to save the planet but the rich are burning it anyway.

I couldn't justify flying anywhere for a day trip and would probably find the whole thing totally exhausting. Why on Earth would I want to arrive at an airport at the crack of dawn, hang around for a couple of hours, then arrive back at night, having hung around another airport?? I don't think you'd see much in a day and as for flying somewhere to visit a spa - words fail me!

Security queues are very long. Its also a long walk to gates. One hour is never enough time.