Cheap flights, costly choices: How extreme day trips are fuelling overtourism and climate damage

Rob Perkins is a writer at activist travel company Responsible Travel.

‘Extreme day trips’ are the latest fad, gaining momentum on social media.

The trend involves hopping on a budget flight for a day of sightseeing in Europe, packing in as much as possible like an overstuffed cabin bag. 

Enthusiasts tout these ultra mini breaks as a way to see the world while supposedly saving time and money, and a growing community of travellers regularly share their exploits to inspire others.

But extreme day trips are extremely bad news. They carry a steep environmental burden, with flying one of the largest and fastest-growing contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. And they contribute to the overtourism crisis afflicting so many European destinations.

Much like cruise liner day trips, flying visits focus on tourist hotspots: sites that saturate social media and lie within easiest reach - you can only get so far in a few hours, after all. It means extreme day trips are about as irresponsible as tourism gets.

Social media, cheap flights and short-sighted tour operators all share the blame for this deeply problematic trend. But budget doesn’t have to mean bad. 

Rather than taking a dozen day trips into Europe across the course of a year, it’s much more relaxing and rewarding to slow things down with just a couple of longer breaks. You’ll see more, because you’ll have the time to get beyond the obvious tourist hotspots, and your holiday will do more good for the place you visit.

Joining the back of the queue

If you’re only spending 16 hours or so in a city, you’ll never be able to get more than skin deep into its culture. And if your focus is rushing around to tick off as many of the famous landmarks as possible, your trip will carry very little benefit to local people. All you’re really doing is adding to the crowds.  

“This kind of holiday is like a fairground ride rather than a natural experience,” says Fiona Smart, who, with husband Gareth, runs Mas Pelegri, a countryside hotel in Spain’s Catalonia region. 

“Instead, we should be promoting trips that look after both the tourist and the people who live in a destination.” 

Cheap flights are costing the Earth

At the heart of this new craze is an old problem – cheap flights that allow someone to hop across to Europe for the price of a meal. Advocates of extreme day trips could make the argument that the plane is going anyway, but the more people want to book these flights, the more flights the airlines will lay on to meet the demand.

One of the world’s largest tourism groups offers a day trip to Finnish Lapland. Families who have been up since the crack of dawn can have a rapid meet-and-greet with Father Christmas, while other attractions include a (probably very short) husky sled ride through a snow-laden forest.

“The Santa Claus Village is over-advertised, and the whole experience is inauthentic,” says Riitta Kulkas, founder of Skafur-Tour, who organises longer winter activity holidays in Finnish Lapland.

Wherever you live in Europe, there are places to enjoy without needing to board a flight. From vineyards to beach resorts, stately homes to botanical gardens, national parks to city and culture breaks, a day trip doesn’t have to be extreme. 

Travelling responsibly on a budget

Going on holiday for one day does mean that you save on your accommodation, but while that might make some extreme day trips seem cheap, does the overall experience offer much value? Probably not if you’re rushing around, constantly watching the clock, and only reaching the busiest sites.

Travelling responsibly doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank. You can have a budget trip that doesn’t lead to overtourism or create a huge carbon footprint in just a few hectic hours.

In expensive destinations like Lapland, organised small group tours, led by local guides, help spread the costs of travel across several people. Using public transport and travelling outside of peak season are other reliable ways to cut the cost of a holiday.

Booking with a local tour operator can also keep the cost of your holiday down. It comes with the bonus of your trip being organised by someone who knows the area well and can offer great tips on how to get a more rounded take on your destination. 

“Extreme day trips to places like Alicante don’t allow people to see the real Spain,” says Fiona Smart. “This country has so many amazing areas where you can have a unique experience, but you need to take your time.”

Time is on your side

Saving time is another motivation many list for taking extreme day trips. But are you really saving time, or are you actually wasting it? 

Multiple day trips mean considerably more time in transit - the repeat airport runs, flights, transfers, and even the time it takes to navigate a new place.

“If someone’s idea of fun is waking up at 4am, spending the day half-asleep and packed like sardines into crowded tourist spots, then grabbing a rushed, overpriced plate of soggy spaghetti in a tourist trap, then this sounds like a perfect plan!” says Giovanna Consonni of Stile Italiano Tours.

The future of travel needs to involve staying longer and flying less, and the extreme day trip fad sends entirely the wrong message.