Short-haul flights are very polluting but that doesn't stop these bargain hunters.
ADVERTISEMENTHave you ever considered taking a flight hundreds of miles away – and returning the same day?
If so, you'll be in the company of nearly 240,000 people, all members of Extreme Day Trips. Facebook group.
Many of us have limited time and budget, but we still want to travel. Some people have now decided to go to the extreme – literally.
While some day-trippers have managed to travel as far as New York and Abu Dhabi and back in a day, the majority tend to stick to European hubs. While visiting a place for less than 24 hours isn't a relaxing way to experience the world, sometimes it's the only way to do it.
Euronews Travel spoke to the founder and several members of the UK-based Facebook group to find out what motivates them on these extreme day trips.
Why do people decide to take such short trips?
“I would say it's extreme in that, the way rail travel in the UK works, it's cheaper to go overseas to, say, Billund for Legoland, than to go in Windsor (home of Britain's Legoland)”, Nat Bocking, a film technician from Suffolk explains.
Train prices in the UK are often unaffordable for many and although train travel is significantly better for the environment, the fact remains that flights abroad can be much cheaper than a train ticket.
For people with budget constraints, flying can often be the only way to see new places and take a break from everyday life, while expanding the definition of what “extreme” means.
“Before I joined the group, I thought these flights were cheaper than train tickets… When I saw Ryanair offering flights for 1p each way, I asked myself: 'What am I doing? have to lose? “, explains Nat.
Michael Cracknell, the group's founder, took his first extreme day trip in 2002, traveling to and from Swiss in one day.
20 years later, in 2022, he launched the Facebook page to share his travels and since then it has gained popularity.
Her most extreme trip so far has been to Athens, about a four-hour flight from the UK.
Despite the exhausting day, Michael says the trip, accompanied by his 80-year-old father and two brothers, was worth it.
“We had enough time there to do the Acropolis, the national gardens and the national palace. We also had a delicious three-course meal at a restaurant, Diogenes, on the slopes of the Acropolis. We arrived downtown at 11:30 a.m. and had to leave downtown at 7 p.m.,” he said, “(It was) plenty of time to explore and have a great day, which we definitely did. “
Like many members of the group, Michael likes to think about his budget before planning a trip.
ADVERTISEMENT“The whole day (in Athens) was also cheaper than a return train ticket from London to Edinburgh – £149 each (€179) for the Athens trip compared to £189 (€227) for the train ticket alone train to Edinburgh.
Although Michael admits these trips are not for the faint of heart, he believes everyone should give it a try, if they can.
“As long as you can sleep on a plane, it’s not so bad!” Yes, the days are long, but you get to see amazing places and experience amazing things.
Budget tends to be an important aspect of these trips for many group members.
Kari Brown is a longtime member of Michael's band and travel influencer, with over 6,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel. Kari on traveling.
ADVERTISEMENTAs an influencer, she says, budget is a major consideration.
“I want people to be able to copy what we do, so spending £1,000 (€1,200) on a single trip is not feasible,” she explains. “I have a list of interesting trips I want to do now, including doing everything for less than £50 (€60)… and traveling to Italy for pizza at the price of a takeaway.
His most extreme trip yet?
“We spent eight hours on a night bus from London to Disneyland Paris, spent the day there, then another eight hours on the way back.”
ADVERTISEMENTKari has embraced her extreme travels, however, and says the potential exhaustion is worth it.
“You have to be prepared to be on the move for 18 to 24 hours. I often leave home at 4 a.m. to catch the first flight, spend the day visiting a new city, then catch the last flight back, and it's early the next morning when I get home “, she said.
Dizzy Clarke is a teacher and only travels at weekends and during school holidays.
“I have a rule: if flights are cheaper than the train to London, then I take a flight,” she says. “For me it's about £30 return (€36) for a train to London, so that's my benchmark. »
ADVERTISEMENTBudget isn't Dizzy's only consideration, however. For her, it's also a way to learn more about herself.
“Travel for me as a single woman approaching fifty was a rediscovery of myself and to remind me that I am a woman capable of traveling alone and of the need for just 12 hours without having to speak or be responsible for someone else. “, Dizzy told Euronews Travel.
“I just wanted to do something for myself these last few years. Energy-wise, if you go with the flow, you can stop and rest, etc. I generally don't have an agenda so I know my limits.
Do extreme day trippers take into account the climate impact of flights?
There is no doubt that flying causes far more damage to the environment than trains and is one of the worst forms of transportation for people. broadcastsalongside the cars. Globally, the aviation industry is estimated to be responsible for around 3-4% of CO2 emissions and has contributed significantly to global warming in recent decades.
ADVERTISEMENTMany people in the Facebook group are aware of this and are doing their best to help offset their own carbon footprint every time they travel by plane.
“Every time I fly, I donate to a local charity that plants trees,” Michael says.
Kari explains: “On some flights you can add a carbon offset donation or plant a tree. I like the plant a tree option.
Nat prefers to offset his flights based on each airline's offer at the time of booking.
ADVERTISEMENT“It's like £1 (€1.20) on Ryanair,” he tells Euronews Travel – although the price of compensatory flights can vary widely and cost much more, depending on where you're flying from. plane.
For Dizzy, flight compensation is not the most important consideration – even though she lives a low-carbon life most of the time.
“My lifestyle outside of these trips is low impact. I camp for five weeks every summer and I don't take long-haul flights, stay in hotels, etc. “, she explains. “Overall, the price is a motivator and, above all, the experiences and memories with friends, alone or with my family.”
What advice do extreme trippers give to people wanting to try it?
While the idea of an extreme day trip may seem out of reach for most of us, group members say it's a lot simpler than it seems.
ADVERTISEMENTHaving made these trips for over two decades, it's fair to say that Michael is something of an authority on the best way to go about it.
“Research what you want to do in advance and come up with a simple schedule,” he advises. “Once you gain the confidence, you can try things that are more advanced, more complex and more remote.”
“Always have a backup plan. It's important to go with the flow and accept that you can't control everything.
Even though these trips are supposed to be completed within 24 hours, problems such as flight delays and diversions can – and do – arise. This could mean an unexpected night in a hotel.
ADVERTISEMENTHis best advice for facing the worst situations? “Grab some basic toiletries!”
Dizzy agrees to bring toiletries, as well as a portable charger and a spare top or t-shirt in case plans fail.
As a thrifter travelershe says it's important to keep finances at the forefront of any plan.
“(Book) at the beginning of the month when you get paid and make it a priority then. Stick to a budget. Bring Tupperware with snacks in case you're running late…and an empty water bottle” to fill up for free, she says.
ADVERTISEMENTAs well as being budget conscious, Dizzy also has a very practical attitude to the wild world of extreme day trips.
“Flight delays are a reality. A positive mental attitude is required,” she advises. “There should be no stress, so don’t plan too much or overwork yourself. Know the geography of your destination.
Nat takes a rather different approach to his extreme day trips and seems rather more laid back in his attitude towards his travels.
“Don’t think about the destination, just find a flight and a time you can afford and book it now – then figure out what there is to see there,” he says.
ADVERTISEMENTFor Nat, “travel is adventure.”
“As a result, I now do most of my extreme day trips alone. Go where the cheapest flight is. Don't plan your time too much, just go with the flow. Enjoy it for what it is, don't worry if you don't visit “must see” destinations, he recommends.
Kari advises taking different approaches to extreme day trips, depending on where you want to go – and says apps are a lifesaver for her.
She recommends Skyscanner “if I know where I want to go but not what day, and I want to see which one is cheapest.”
ADVERTISEMENTKari will use the Extreme Day Trip app – not affiliated with the Facebook group – “if I know what day I want to travel, but it doesn't matter where, and if I just want to try a new place.”
She also likes to use the Visit A City app “to find things to do in this city.”
But the most important thing for Kari to remember? Keep an open mind.
“You have to be a little flexible,” she says. “When we went to Switzerland, we planned to climb the Matterhorn, but Zermatt was closed due to a flash flood (while we were in the air) and we went to Grindelwald instead.
ADVERTISEMENTThe stressful experience didn't deter her – and it probably wouldn't deter the bravest extreme traveler either.
“I don't think there's anywhere I wouldn't go or try,” Kari says, reflecting the attitude of many in the group, who have no plans to stop these extreme excursions. a day so soon.
