How To Have Awesome Extreme Day Trips

Last Updated on: 3rd August 2026, 04:04 pm

We all have such busy lives nowadays, and trying to fit in a trip somewhere can be almost impossible. Finances are also a problem for many of us, and we cannot afford a few days away somewhere. This is where extreme day trips will be a perfect alternative trip for you. Thanks to budget airlines, high-speed rail links and excellent transport connections across Europe, it’s now easier than ever to leave the UK in the early hours of the morning, spend the day exploring a completely different country, and return home before bedtime. You do not need to stay overnight if you don’t want to, and you do not need to use any school days or annual leave.

What Are Extreme Day Trips?

An extreme day trip is not for the weak. It is all about getting the earliest possible flight or train out of the UK. Then the latest flight back in the evening. Whilst taking an early flight is a great way to start the day, it often means sleeping in an airport (as we have done many times). You can even sleep on the floor of St Pancras Station to get an early Eurostar, again as we have done before. Getting an early start can be rough, but when you think that you will be on the ground of your destination by 8 or 9 am, it is well worth the trip. An extreme day trip is a great way to celebrate a birthday day out, or tick off another destination on your bucket list.

How To Find Extreme Day Trips

They are not advertised as extreme days out, and you do need to go looking for them. Personally, I use Skyscanner to find cheap flights. Choosing the right place to visit is very important for your day out. You need to do some research about your trip. This is how I do it.

• Look for a flight with great flight times that suit your day out. Sometimes flights might leave after midnight, like when we flew to Bergamo in Milan. We flew after midnight, arrived at Bergamo at about 2.30 am and had a couple of hours’ sleep on the airport floor before we headed to Lake Como to watch the sun rise. On other trips, you arrive at an airport and head straight to your destination.
• Check the airport connections. This is important because some airports say they are in a city, like London Stansted, which is an hour by train north of London. Milan has 3 airports, and none are actually in the city. So you might get a cheap flight, but spend 2 hours getting to the city. That is 4 hours out of your extreme day that are wasted. Also check the cost of transfers, whether there is a metro, bus or private transfer. Check if buses take cards or cash.
• If your extreme day trip does include an overnight at the airport coming home, then you might want to check out the price of hotels.
• Book well in advance to get the cheapest possible flight prices. Take a trip in a weekday instead of the weekend and try to avoid school holidays for the lower prices.

Don’t Make Too Many Plans For Your Extreme Trips

Although it is tempting to fit everything in, sometimes it can be too much! Do your research and choose one or two things to see and do. Visit a famous landmark, or wander around the old town (I love a good old town in Germany). If you see more things, then thats a bonus. But you do not want the day out to become a mission and overload yourself. You will do home disappointed that you didn’t see some things. But if you pick a couple of things, then it is a bonus if you see more and that makes you feel fab.

Always Eat Like A Local

We went to Milan because Tilly wanted Pizza for her birthday. So we chose a pizzeria that was out of the main tourist area, where a pizza was 3 euros 50, and we ate there. But in Belgium, go for a waffle. Have tapas in Barcelona and fresh pastries in Paris. Food is often one of the quickest ways to experience a country’s culture, even if you’re only there for a few hours. We recently went to Malmo for a few days and did a food tour where we tried different local foods, and it cost the same money than a meal in a restaurant, yet we tried so many different things. If you are on a strict budget, like we usually are. You can always buy local food from the supermarket and eat on the go. This is cheaper and saves you time when you have a lot of things to see and do.

Time Management Is Crucial

This is one part of extreme day trips that I hate. I feel like I am always clock watching, but you really do need to keep to some sort of schedule to be able to return to the airport at the right time to go home. You need to leave time for Security, passport control and unbearable European queues at the airport. It has been well publicised that planes left without half of the passengers because people were stuck in queues. Set some alarms on your phone, in case time runs away whilst you are on your trip. Otherwise, a budget-friendly day trip can quickly turn into an expensive overnight trip.

Have A Budget In Mind

We always have a budget of 50 euros a day when we travel, but on an extreme day trip, we allow more of a budget for when we arrive at the destination. The budgeting for your extreme day trip starts from the moment you book flights. Book early and get them cheaper; this means more money to spend when you get there. Remember to add the cost of public transport to your budget and food. Of course, going to a cheap destination like somewhere in Eastern Europe can help with your budget.

Remain Somewhat Flexible And Always Have A Plan B

There are times when things do not go to plan, so it is always good to have a plan B. It makes me feel more comfortable knowing that if I get into a situation on a trip, I can get out of it. If the airport transport doesn’t turn up, then have the details of an alternative company to call. If the restaurant you want to go to, is closed, then have another one as a backup. It is all part of your trip, and you need to embrace the unexpected moments because they are the stories that you will tell people for years to come. We have often found the best places when we get lost in a city.