Extreme Day Trips Abroad from the UK

One of 2024's biggest UK travel trends has been the rise of extreme day trips.

This social media challenge has spurred Brits to go as far and as big as possible, with the caveat of returning home within the day.

One of the hottest topics in the Facebook group that started it all is where the best places are for extreme day trips in Europe.

Extreme Day Trips In Europe: Where to Go?

If you're planning a spot of extreme day-tripping, you may be wondering how far you can push the boundaries.

Not to mention which cities will offer you the most bang for your buck when it comes to logistics, adventure and overall visual impact.

Based on flight times from London airports, here are some of the extreme day trip destinations Brits have been heading to.

I've arranged them from 'novice' right up to pushing the boundaries of what's possible. So, if you're feeling competitive, you may find something here to inspire you.

Extreme Day Tripping Level: Novice

Those of you planning your first-ever extreme day trips abroad from the UK can start gently with any of these cities, all reachable from London in around an hour and a half.

Cities Within 1 hour to 1 hour 35 minutes Flight Time of London

Rotterdam (55 minutes)
Rennes (1 hour 10 minutes)
Brussels (1 hour 10 minutes)
Luxembourg City (1 hour 15 minutes)
Dublin (1 hour 20 minutes)
Dusseldorf (1 hour 20 minutes)
Paris (1 hour 20 minutes)
Cologne (1 hour 20 minutes)
Amsterdam (1 hour 25 minutes)
Nantes (1 hour 30 minutes)
Frankfurt (1 hour 35 minutes)
Hamburg (1 hour 35 minutes)

Extreme Day Tripping Level: Intermediate

Turning the dial up on the extreme day-tripping craze, there are a respectable number of cities you can fly to from the UK in just under two hours and still make it back before bedtime.

Cities Within 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours Flight Time of London

Bordeaux (1 hour 40 minutes)
Lyon (1 hour 40 minutes)
Szczecin (1 hour 45 minutes)
Berlin (1 hour 50 minutes)
Milan (1 hour 55 minutes)
Prague (1 hour 55 minutes)
Copenhagen (1 hour 55 minutes)
Marseille (2 hours)

Extreme Day Tripping Level: Expert

Hats off to the extreme day trippers who manage to be back on home turf before midnight following flights of up to two and a half hours each way.

Cities Within 2 hours to 2 hours 35 minutes Flight Time of London

Barcelona (2 hours 5 minutes)
Gdansk (2 hours 10 minutes)
Oslo (2 hours 10 minutes)
Vienna (2 hours 15 minutes)
Bratislava (2 hours 20 minutes)
Madrid (2 hours 25 minutes)
Budapest (2 hours 30 minutes)
Stockholm (2 hours 30 minutes)

Extreme Day Tripping Level: Off-the-Charts!

They may be less common than the above, but it has certainly been done. Some dedicated extreme day trippers flying from the UK have managed to rise to the challenge, despite being in the air for over six hours.

Cities Within 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes Flight Time of London

Sofia, Bulgaria

Flight time from London: 3 hours

Sofia is doable in a day at a stretch and, of course, there's always someone who manages it. If you do find yourself in Sofia, it's a city that has a lot to give, even in a day.

Take a wander around the Museum of Socialist Art to browse the imposing statues that once looked out over this formerly communist capital.

After that, head to the incredible Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and stop off at the fantastic Mekitsa and Coffee on the way for a sweet or savoury mekitsa - a very Instagrammable type of fried donut loved by Bulgarians.

An image of the Bulgarian fried donut mekitsa, topped with powdered sugar and filled with jam, for a blog post mentioning capital city Sofia, entitled Extreme Day Trips Abroad from the UK.

C00lfon, via Wikimedia Commons

Belgrade, Serbia

Flight time from London: 3 hours

A three-hour flight from London Heathrow, getting to the Serbian capital and back in a day is at the extreme end of the challenge. It may not even be possible at certain times of year and depends on same-day flight availability.

If you're one of the adventurous souls who manages to pull it off, you won't be short of things to do in Belgrade. Pay tribute to the father of modern electricity at the brilliant Nikola Tesla Museum, visit the House of Flowers, the resting place of Tito, and be sure to try some Gibanica and a shot of rakija before home time.

An image of boats on the Danube River as it runs through Belgrade, with buildings as a blue sky overhead, to reference the city in a blog post entitled Extreme Day Trips Abroad from the UK.

Image by Aleksandar Ciric from Pixabay

Bucharest, Romania

Flight time from London: 3 hours 15 mins

Again, although the difficulty lies in finding flights that arrive and leave in a day, members of the extreme day-tripping group have ventured to Romania's capital and back in just 24 hours.

A big draw for extreme day trippers in Bucharest is Therme Spa. The largest spa in Europe sits conveniently next to the airport and is just £32 for a day pass. A 30-minute taxi ride later and you're in central Bucharest.

Have lunch in the old town, visit parliament, stroll in one of the city's truly beautiful parks or see the construction site of the divisive People's Salvation Cathedral.

An image of the Palace of the Parliament on Bucharest, Romania, a pink and yellow building down a path flanked by fir trees, for a blog entitled Extreme Day Trips Abroad from the UK.

Image by Mariana Anatoneag from Pixabay

Finally, if you're researching your upcoming extreme day trips abroad from the UK, you're going to need data.

Don't get stranded without maps and make sure you fill your phone with memories and photos while on the move. Get your eSIM sorted quickly here at Airalo's online store.

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