Extreme day trips involve flying to another country and back within 24 hours, often picking early morning flights out and evening return flights to maximise exploring time in the city. While extreme day trips have been around for ages, they have gained recent popularity, but are they worth it?
Extreme day trips are gaining traction due to inefficient UK public transport and availability of low-cost flights. In the UK, public transport can be very costly and time-consuming, meaning extreme day trips are a more efficient way to explore the world. The most popular destinations have a short flight time and cheap flights with examples being Ireland, Spain and France. There are dedicated websites and Facebook groups where people share the itinerary and prices of trips they have done; one Facebook group has nearly a quarter of a million members.
There are several reasons why extreme day trips appeal to people, firstly it allows you to travel with minimal luggage and saves the cost of staying in a hotel. It’s also very convenient when you have limited time off work and encourages you to explore places you may not have considered before. Some top tips people recommend are planning ahead to save time when you get there, check the airport is close to the city and go to smaller cities or larger ones you’ve been already. This allows you to make the most of your time and ensures you get the full experience of the area, but some people argue that this is still not enough time…
A common criticism is that a few hours is not enough to really explore and get a feel for a place, whilst this may be true for some places, for smaller cities or if you are returning to a place, a few hours may be enough. However, extreme day trips may contribute to overcrowding and overtourism without benefitting the country’s economy. Elements of trips that usually boost the local economy like accommodation, eating at restaurants, and shopping at local stores are often skipped with extreme day trips. Furthermore, transport to the airport, security and passport control add to costs and reduce time for the day trip. You also risk your flight being delayed and making the trip pointless due to the lack of time.
The main concern regarding extreme day trips is the environmental impact they have. Flying is the most polluting form of transport and responsible for 2.4% of global greenhouse gas emission and 8% of UK emissions alone. Flying is estimated to be the biggest source of UK emissions by 2040. While these short flights seem harmless, they are very polluting with a trip from Bristol to Madrid adding nearly a quarter of a tonne of CO2 emissions to a person’s carbon footprint which is similar to the average emissions of a petrol car in two months. Some people refute this by saying that taking a day trip rather than a weekend break is no different as the flights are the same, which is technically true. However, many people doing day trips are able to do many more a year than they would do for weekend breaks due to the cheaper cost of extreme day trips. Therefore, extreme day trips are causing an increase in flights taken and consequently more damage to the environment.
While extreme day trips can be a thrilling way to explore the world, the impact on the environment shouldn’t be ignored when deciding to take one.