With summer coming, many vacationers pack a suitcase or two for a week's holiday in the sun. However, some savvy British people have noticed that Europe is at our gateway and that they can take advantage of cheap flights to explore the city and return home in time for bed on the same day.
With trends dubbed, extreme day trips, or EDTs, are emerging as an innovative new way to explore your destination. Fans said that an international adventure in a day will offer all the fun of a longer holiday, at all costs, without the hassle of a hotel, check bag or complicated itinerary. This trend has been extremely popular, with over 300,000 travelers joining Facebook groups to share their experiences.
Among them is Deborah Jackson, 49, who first stumbled on the EDT Facebook group last summer. She loved the experience and set herself the challenge of visiting 50 cities by her 50th birthday on December 5th.
Deborah explained to the Express the old town, the walled cityand a quaint place became her favorite place: “It started with going to Lucca on a day trip to Pisa. So I wasn't expecting it. I knew it would be clean, but when my son and I walked from the modern part of Lucca through the wall itself and into the old town, it felt like they were going back in time.
“I'm not a history buff, but I was imagining what life was like to be there centuries ago. This was just before Christmas and it was more special as there was a small Christmas market in one of the country squares than the big international ones that many tourists flocked to.
“We were among the locals who enjoyed traditional delicacies (we bought half a kilometres of sun-dried tomatoes that we had still managed to get over almost seven months later!) But even without the market, we were just wandering on the streets and lanes, seeing lots of fascinating boutiques and having hot chocolates sitting outside outside the warm winter sun.
Deborah has also named cities like Bergamo in Italy and Gdansk in Poland some of her biggest choices. However, her absolute favorite was Oslo, where she explored in just 7.5 hours.
“It just happened to be a sunny day and it might have something to do with why I fell in love with Oslo,” Deborah explained. “The fjord was so calm, the sun was shining, and it felt just quiet and calm.
“The fjord was the heart of most of what we did, and we could walk to the top of the opera house and take in the views, from which we could see what turned out to be the highlight of my son's day across the harbor.
“We chose to eat at the street food market, and then we drove a streetcar in Ekeberg's Sculpture Park on a hill inspired by Munch in Edbyrd to draw a 'scream'.
They then returned the tram to the city centre, where they roamed the harbor before heading to the Munch Museum. Deborah originally planned to do a boat trip in the fjord and another museum, but on this occasion, time did not allow it. As a result, Oslo has acquired a place on Deborah's city growth list to revisit.
Deborah explained that he is currently only booking three EDTSs due to price increases over the next few months of the summer, but “However, this changes because it's possible to find last minute bargains.
She visits Bucharest Thermas Spa, goes to San Marino, and plans a short flight to Cork, Ireland, returning to the day (a feat not yet managed by other members of the Facebook group). When she begins in earnest again in September, she said she wants to concentrate in cities in the country she has not yet visited first.
Deborah explained that while she loves the holidays, she dislikes “planning all year round and waiting for one big trip.”
The 49-year-old shares some of her main tips for those thinking about squirting with her EDT. This includes confirming that you are selecting the airport closest to your destination. This is a fact that catches many people.
