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?

Back in the day I used to do the old booze cruise day trip to Calais 🙈😂

Depends on the city. Nice is 2 hours from MCR and a 30 mins bus ride from the airport. Geneva is straight onto a train or bus. Pick a destination with a good link. Standing on the banks of the Seine at 10am or overlooking the med in brilliant sunshine when 3 hours ago you were in the cold/dark is a great feeling.

I've been following those groups too and plan to do a couple this year. I am 10 minutes from an airport and I've never arrived sooner than an hour before my flight as I always just take hand luggage. There are live updates on the security queue but tbh it's never been more than 5 minutes. Will depend on the airport I guess.

God I dont know if I would have the energy. I hate airports. I might try it once next year and see what its like

Right?! I don't fly at all, I'm lucky I family abroad and can afford trains. I don't judge people who fly for a holiday once or twice a year but do find this extreme day trip trend a bit sickening.

I feel your pain. Packed in with seemingly insane people both at the airport and onboard. Keep the flight as short as possible and try for a less popular destination whichever that is
If we lived in Europe or had a great service to Europe I would use trains

I have done a couple of day trips to lapland, long days but survivable.

We used to do day trips to Morocco in the olden days!

You are doing London wrong :) but I have done day trips before. I’m off to Paris for the day on 24th Jan.

To me it just seems like a massive ’fuck you’ to future generations. It’s really sad people don’t understand or take the consequences of irreversible climate breakdown seriously. We ought to be trying to reduce the amount of carbon pollution we are putting into the atmosphere from flying, not doing day trips by plane!

I couldn't. I have a group of friends who are planning a few of these in the new year, and I've had to sort of phase myself out of the group chat. It's been weird to realise that they really don't consider the impact on the climate in the same way I do, despite being educated professionals in 'caring' jobs, fully able to access and reflect on current climate science. It's not as if anyone actually needs a day in Barcelona or Copenhagen, it's just become a thing because it's possible and there for the taking. Given that flying is just about the most carbon-intensive thing we as individuals can choose to do in real time, extreme day trips feel like souped-up, gratuitous acts of wilfulness.

@LilyCanna "To me it just seems like a massive ’fuck you’ to future generations." we cross-posted, but you put it more succinctly than me.

I’ve done Paris and Amsterdam this way - the shortest flight possible seems like the way to make it in any way decent. It’s fun!

No not yet but follow the Facebook page with 1000s of people who do! I’ve never found one cheap enough on days I could do yet.

I also did Pisa and Florence from Bournemouth, a long day but well worth it.

DD1 has spent the last two years doing this.
she was working shift work so happily had the time.
can’t count the number of places she’s been to. She has used it as a guide to where she’d like to spend more time.
so if she loves the place she has been back their for longer stays.

im so pleased for her that she has done this because now she’s about to start a more ‘sensible’ job in terms of her longer career so won’t be as free to travel.

Great when you’re in your early twenties, in my fifties I’d be dead on the floor by the time the plane landed at my destination and looking for a place to nap 😝

Yes, parkrun tourist to Jersey from a local airport. Left about 6.30 am , running at 9.00. Lunch on the beach, stroll with ice cream, back home by about 8.00

I agree yet I see people who are influential taking planes to eg S.America for a rainforest prize or denying climate change or colluding with fossil fuel companies. Your favourite music act is flying by private jet. Let the 'little people' worry about the planet seems to be the mantra

Sums it up perfectly.

I'd add that it's the height of our superficial, consumerist, greedy society where we don't have time to leisurely enjoy anything. Everything is rushed and squeezed in, and then people are surprised when they're exhausted and burnt out.

did day trip to Lapland Finland - was amazing!!

did day trip to Lapland Finland - was amazing!!

Maybe for a very short flight, Amsterdam, Dublin, Belfast.(and even then, our last trip to Amsterdam, queues for non EU passport control, were so long that the wait was far longer than the flight).

If I am flying for two hours or more, I won't go for less than a week away.

So much time taken getting to and from the airport, parking, waiting around, queuing for security, passport control, etc. Then for some destinations, time from the airport to the destination.

I used to be scared flying to, so just not worth the stress at that time. (cured now!😀).

Why is it worse for the environment to fly there and back in a day than to stay for a week? Is it the assumption they'll be doing many more day trips than longer trips?

Quite, but more 'wrongs' don't make a right. I'm not 'little people' and neither is anyone else. Our flights are just as shit as those 'influential' people's flights. Our climate denial, when making decisions which we know are detrimental to the planet, is as rank as theirs. Our sense of entitlement, and appreciation of convenience is as problematic.

I'm not usually one to cry 'hypocrisy' as I've yet to see it used in the climate debate for any other reason than to excuse a 'climate-poor' decision, e.g "Yes, I'm flying on an extreme day-trip, but look at you, whinging about it on your s m a r t p h o n e which contains rare earth metals -what do you say to that, eh!?" Yet the truth is that we all know the basic science; we all live lives which, by necessity, require us to generate some waste, whether carbon or other environmental pollutants; it could be argued that it is incumbent on us, as parents and stewards of the planet, to make decisions which carry the least risk of harm and impact wherever we can, and not knowingly and deliberately fly (pun intended) in the face of what we know to be true.

Hm. I think that's partly it; extreme day-trippers often talk in multiples and 'collect' EDTs. Travellers committing to a week or two away are at least likely to run out of leave at some point.

I think it's the idea that it's not necessary. As in, why would one knowingly do something as 'top-flight' impactful as an EDT, knowing it'll cause harm not only in your own, personal, sphere, but to pleople in places who have done you no harm? Sure, I get that it's not for me to police what is 'necessary' for the next person, but this is where individualism sails close to the wind, and harm to others is a considerable factor.

A great deal of business travel has been rendered obsolete through the possibility of meeting in online spaces; we don't need to fly as much anymore. The flying we do is largely discretionary; we do it because we want to, individuals make decisions which reflect their priorities.