Am I being unreasonable to think extreme day trips are excessive?

[SonnyHoney]

For instance, London Luton to Venice.
How can anyone enjoy leaving their house at 2 a.m. to fly out ridiculously early, spend a few hours somewhere walking around exhausted, and then fly back the same day?
It feels like people are just trying to collect places these days, rather than visiting somewhere because it's somewhere they've aways wanted to go.

Why would it be excessive for people who choose to do it? Why does it matter to you?

The environmental impact of choices like this are shared, so each person is entitled to have a view.

Yes individual context is important.
10k car miles + x flights + high non-travel consumption is different to
No car miles + 3 return flights + low non-travel consumption

There used to be more discussion about individual and comparative carbon footprints, this can be useful for assessing own usage.

It wouldn't be for me, I don't enjoy airports/flying so it would ruin the enjoyment of the day.

Plus for environmental reasons I try not to fly when there's a practical way of getting where I want to go by ferry/train/coach (though I do fly when I have to).

Individual usage means nothing when corporations keep on polluting the planet

You don't care that it's appalling environmentally and massively increases your carbon footprint?

IMO it's not a problem if you're doing it on eurostar

It does when there's lots of people doing it, you're not the only person doing this and it all adds up.

This. I get so fed up with the argument of "well the plane is going anyway"

A few destinations work well, usually smaller cities with direct flights from your nearest airport, and excellent public transport.
Dublin was great, I flew from LCY at 0620, was in the city centre for breakfast where I found a lovely Irish cafe, explored the National Museum of Ireland, stopped for coffee, went on a walking tour exploring the city's history which was fantastic, had dinner in a pub in temple bar (not the temple bar), and listened to some street performers, then got coach back to the airport and was tucked up in bed with some Barry's tea by 2200.

Would do again.

You understand that carbon emissions from flying are far higher than travelling by train, even for a journey of the same distance, yes? Which form of transport has the smallest carbon footprint? | Our World in Data

From an environmental point of view, it's a disastrous trend. I honestly think some people have just decided that the climate is fucked anyway so who cares? It's not rich westerners who will bear the worst brunt though. I find it disgusting.

Not as damaging as having child or two.

I do it and love it.
Id rather do that than have kids.

Wow, I’ve never met anyone else who has done this! I did, nearly 30 years ago. A local holiday company was running one and I asked for that as my 18th birthday present, so my mum and I went. Pyramids, Sphinx, a camel ride, the museum then home.

Cairo is the longest day trip I’ve done from the UK, but have done many others to France, Belgium, Germany, Italy etc. Paris for lunch is nice on the Eurostar. Also managed Moscow from St Petersburg which is four hours each way on the high speed train so a long day but well worth it.

I don’t post photos on social media so definitely not doing it for clout. I don’t claim to have “done a place” - although most of the places I’ve been this way are also places I’ve spent longer in as well - but it’s nice to do something different for a day, see a museum, eat some interesting food, get some sun or shop at a Christmas market etc. And no need to pay for a cat sitter.

I don’t drive and don’t have children, so I’m saving carbon there.

I mean the flight is still going to run whether I’m on it or not for a day trip.

I used to do day trips by train from London I wasn’t able to leave my Mother to go on holiday but could just about do a day trip have done York Hull Liverpool Chester Stoke on Trent Cadbury World Birmingham the Black Country Museum and the Isle of Wight all from London it really felt like a mini break. Don’t think I would have the confidence to go abroad. Sadly I am restricted to very local days out now.

I seem to remember that back in the nineties it was briefly possible to take a day trip by air to Timbuktu.

There are more tourists everywhere than ever before. People have always taken photos of themselves with famous monuments. When there were fewer tourists, this was less of an issue.

You sound terribly snobby. Only the "right" kind.of.people should travel, and the "right" people are people like me.

It can be cheaper than a night out in edinburgh

I did it years ago to Paris. First fight out and sat by Pont Neuf by 9.30am. Lovely crisp autumn day and I wandered about looking in shops, eating patisserie, bought fromage and had a great day. Last flight back. Yes I was tired the next day but I did it. Recently flew to Geneva. 90 mins flight, 5ins through passport control. I was going onwards but made me think that a day trip is possible. Also Nice and Milan and Northern Europe

Had a discussion on a recent trip with a holiday companion who worked in the aircraft industry selling planes. I asked about the climate issue and he told me it's boomtime at the moment for private jets and especially helicopters (not 2 seat ones). He deals with high net worth individuals and they want better planes. Net Jets the private hire company has 4.5k planes on its books. Airlines aren't cancelling orders.

I think what I just can't understand is how it's even enjoyable:

Gate usually closes 45 mins before the flight at my local airport, and you definitely need to allow 20 minutes for security in case you get pulled over and 15 minutes to walk through the airport (might need to get the little internal airport train). So that's an hour twenty minimum. Passport control on the other end now usually takes 20 minutes even if you manage to overtake most of the queue. And then transport into the town or city usually takes 0.5-1hr.

So that's 2hrs 10 plus time to get to the airport (an hour for me plus parking time so say 1 HR 15, but it's got to be at least 30 minutes for almost everyone including walking to the station/parking) so that's 2 hrs 40, plus flight time. Even the south of France is a 2 hour flight. So then you're talking 9+ hours of travel for whF, say a 8 or 9 hour day.

There's no way I would choose to do that in the UK except if there was a family emergency, so I certainly wouldn't do it for fun.

There used to be special day trips with the Holocaust society for school children, I organised for two lower sixth formers to go from a college I worked at once.

Someone’s jealous! I like my trips to be short and plentiful - doesn’t suit everyone but for me a packed itinerary on a time crunch is great fun and you’d be amazed by how much you can see/do if you plan well. If you’ve got unlimited annual leave, funds for lengthy hotel stays, pet sitting etc then that’s lovely but I (and many people) certainly don’t.

Recent horrors include..

• Frequent day trips to London (we’re in Ireland)
• Day trip to Amsterdam
• 3 nights in New York
• 3 days in South of France
• 10 days in Australia

I often get the ‘aren’t you exhausted, surely it’s a waste travelling all that way for such a short amount of time’ type comments but my answers are a) you can sleep when you’re dead! If I want to relax I can easily do that at home and b) no, I’ve never felt that it’s a waste and am grateful for the variety of places and people I get to see.

Yes, that’s what I was referring to. ISTR it was a charter, and as you say lots of different schools. Our two won the chance to go from lots who were interested in the college and had to do a presentation about it.

Yep, me too. I’d rather be busy!