Has anyone done a “extreme day trip”?

[inkyspells]

Well mines not a extreme day trip but will be 47 hours (2 nights ) in gran canaria
The one I’m looking at arrives at 5pm Monday and leaves 4pm Wednesday.
Do you think this is worth it ?
Hotel is 30 mins away
Will have to leave at say 1.30pm on the Wednesday

Have done several and have a few more lined up. What you are doing is not an EDT tho’ EDT you come back the same day , or at least within 24 hours.
Alicante/Valencia/Lisbon/Malaga etc give you warm days and sunshine in the winter, Northern European fab culture in one day.

We did it once last summer in mainland Spain. Wanted to check out a place that we fancied a longer holiday in. Got there for midday ish, left the next day at 3pm. It was great and we've since been back for a longer stay. Wouldnt do it for longer than a 2 hour flight.

I agree, I really hate this trend, it's such a step backwards in environmental responsibility.

It's too far. 4-5 hour flight assuming no delays. Passport control and all that as well.
I'd do it for a flight of 2 hours or less (maybe). And in terms of the environment, it would count as a holiday for me and part of the number of flights I take per year.

Not a day trip, but I once flew to Australia, attended a funeral, had a nap at a friends house and flew straight home.

I wouldn’t bother going to the Canaries for less than 3 nights because the flight is 4 hours, plus you have to add the airport/travel time each side, and it’s not worth it. I’d do a city in Central Europe though

I’ve done Vienna there and back as a day trip

I've been to Gran Canaria and it wouldn't appeal to me for a day trip. There's not really any sightseeing as such and it's a long way for a bit of sun. I also agree with the above poster about the environment, of which, there seems to be no consideration for with this plan. No, I'm not sold on this idea. Is it a current trend or something?

I this the trend took off because you can often go cities abroad for the day much cheaper than you can go to a UK city.

Completely agree. I think it's the sort of thing future generations will look back on like how we look back at ads about smoking being good for you, or brushing your teeth with radioactive toothpaste.

I've done mini trips to Paris and Amsterdam, both on the train, and it's fun.

Not good for a quick peek of the sun, but then if everyone flies unnecessarily for a few more years maybe it'll be nice and hot in the UK in February soon.

Do it! Lovely sunset dinner, a whole day of pool and sun and beach and dinners out, and sunrise walk and lunch out in the sun the next day. Excellent!

I went to Nice for a day with my daughter in 2024. First flight out from Gatwick (I live nearby) and last flight back. Nice is wonderful, lovely cafes, people, shops and a beautiful marina with fancy yachts to admire. I’d highly recommend it.

We also went to Lille for the day just before Xmas. That was lovely too, lots of interesting boutiques and relaxed cafes and the Xmas market was on, which was very different and interesting.

Honestly I wouldn’t. I went to Gran Canaria recently and even though I flew from an airport less than an hour away, it was 12 hours travelling each way with driving to airport, parking, doing the airport thing, 4.5 hour flight, getting a transfer to the hotel. Left home at 10am, got to hotel at 9.30pm. And there weren’t any delays. And if you’re going for the weather, especially at this time of year it might not be brilliant (it wasn’t great when I went in October). I’d do somewhere closer like Barcelona, more time there and more to do so if the weather doesn’t play ball you won’t just be sat in a hotel wondering why the fuck you bothered.

Oh and I went for 5 nights and even that didn’t really feel long enough to justify that amount of travelling.

Not quite the same but we have done 4/5 hours drive to visit dc1 at university and then gone back the same day. With our 4 younger dc. Tiring but worth it to see my boy.

We went to the ballet and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen for the day. Up at 3 for a 6am flight, got back into the house pretty much 24 hours later. It was surprising the number of people who were there for the day and also on the flights.
It would have to be something pretty special for me to do it again, though. I like my sleep!

I’ve done this before to Paris on the Eurostar which was only a 2 hour journey from London so very doable. We left early morning and got back late the same day. I personally wouldn’t do it if a flight was involved due to all the waiting around in airports, arriving couple hours earlier for security checks etc.

For several years I commuted from San Francisco to Washington DC, Monday to Friday usually. Sometimes- too frequently- I’d get home after midnight on Friday night and leave on first flight Sunday morning. Only twice got home and had to turn around next morning. 2418 flight miles each way. I do not miss that!

Flew to Barcelona. Got on one of this hop on hop off buses, had an amazing lunch, nice warm day, flew home. Got the shits from (most likely) the airport sandwich I bought on way home. Never again.

Yes, I returned to a place I used to live and work in Italy more than 30 years later. Loved it then, loved it now. So grateful as a mature adult to see the kindness life had shown me then by letting me be there.

I sleep on the plane both ways. Its fine for a day.

I've done two to a couple of cities about 2 hours flight, one in summer and one for Christmas markets and lights.

I've booked to see the solar eclipse in Mallorca in August, I'll also have a nice lunch and beach/sea swim first.

I hope to do a few each year from now on as I'm going to be working 4 days a week so will have a day off of my choosing each week which is the best way to get cheaper flights at the right times, if you’re not near London the choice is a lot less. Scandinavia, Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Poland are mainly what I'm looking at. Possibly also Paris and Brussels.

Doing one in july me and DD to Luxembourg to see jamiroquai !! Probably going to work out cheaper than seeing them here

I regularly go away to places like this for 2-3 days but not with the timings you’re suggesting. It’s always a very early flight out 5/6am so I can get there and enjoy the whole day and then leaving later afternoon/early evening on the last day. You need better flight times.

Years ago living in Copenhagen I went to London on a day trip.

I was called to substitute a lecture at a university department.
Because of duties first thing next day in my own departement I couldn't stay over.
Left Copenhagen Airport at 8 am and returned from London Heathrow at 9 pm.
I manage the lecture, a visit to British Museum, to have lunch with a friend, a trip to Foyle's and an cathedral evensong.

I see no reason to do this on a private basis.

We're supposed to be moving away from this surely?