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.

the effect on the environment is almost non existent compared to having children, yet no one whines about that.

Exactly. According to the Guardian, the carbon impact of having even one child is equivalent to 36 round trips to New York each year, so a few trips a year to Europe don't even scratch the surface in comparison.

Want to fight climate change? Have fewer children | Carbon footprints | The Guardian

Then you've got half of MN using tumble dryers during dry weather after washing clothes after one use, using cleaning products by the gallon, living on imported fruit and animal protein by the tonne, living in large houses where each child has their own bedroom with a double bed and if anyone asks for suggestions for nice holidays, it's always Vietnam, Costa Rica or somewhere else at the other side of the world and they're not getting the train there are they?

I’ve done a few of these. I feel like some cities are much more suitable than others. I also think the things you lose between an EDT and a weekend break are the downtime moments. The extended lunches, dinner, stopping for a drink and watching the world go by. You need to research better and plan but they can be just as valuable as a weekend trip, minus the expensive hotel stay.

I do a couple a year and love them. I do it for around £100 the day all in. If I stayed overnight this would easily double in accommodation costs (solo female traveller - I’m not risking a cheap hostel!) For a week away I need to pay extra for baggage etc as well.

It gives me an overview of a place without spending too much money.

I don’t have children so no, I don’t feel guilty about it.

And if someone uses Ryanair?

I am fortunate to live close to an international airport, and use public transport to get there.

I try to stick to places who's airports are a fairly short bus ride to the destination.

I haven't really thought about it in terms of places to avoid - I am more likely to think about places I want to visit - and it will take me some time to get to the end of the ones I currently fancy 😆

They may well be wrong. Google isn't infallible.

Fly as much as you want

Huh? Ryanair is an airline so the jourmey would have the same carbon footprint as using any other airline to get to the destination. I said it was fine by eurostar because it's a train not a plane, so has a much smaller carbon footprint.

Yes and no

Emissions for the return flight are the same, whether you go for a day or two weeks

But I see people boast of taking an EDT once per month, so overall they're flying more

I think it might be a fun thing to do, but the environmental impact would trouble me

Good on them for having fun!

Do people genuinely live their lives like this?

We just flew to Italy a few days ago. We loved it.

I love that for you! I’m taking six whole flights this year. Greta Thunberg strike me down!

I love that for you! I’m taking six whole flights this year. Greta Thunberg strike me down!

I agree - I wouldn’t remember what I had done! Even just one night away would be easier and more relaxing.

my friend has done a few and loved it

for myself I know I would not enjoy it as I would find it exhausting, if the thing to do 20 years ago I am sure I would have loved it

I'm happy she was forced to take a flight back when she was deported. She must have hated it

We don’t all live close enough to the south east for Eurostar to be an option

Very funny indeed! She lectures us all from her ivory tower

I would have to get a flight to get to the eurostar 😂

😂😂😂😂 I do my commute on electric buses that proudly boast about 0 carbon emissions. Does that cancel out my flights?

Live their lives like what? With some sort of thought and consideration for their carbon footprint and their environmental impact? Of course some people do, not sure why you think they wouldn't. It's not a straight choice between 10 return flights a year, and traveling by horse and cart and never going more than 5 miles from home. You can reduce your environmental impact and still have fun.

I don't have children or own a car, and I'm vegetarian and eat a reasonable number of vegan meals each week. I do go on holiday abroad, and if it's atall feasible to do it by train I do. I do travel by plane sometimes, by have reduced how often - to maybe one every two or three years rather than 2 or 3 times a year. I'm not by any means perfect, and I'm not saying anyone else has to be either, but multiple extreme day trips by plane a year just seems environmentally irresponsible.

Exactly like that. Worrying themselves silly over such inconsequential things.

Yes me too.

easier to just fly direct to final destination ✈️