Extreme Day Trips from Liverpool Airport

Extreme day tripping has well and truly caught the attention of adventurous Irish and British travellers over the last year.

Involving the challenge of exploring a destination in just one day, extreme day trips are as much about the challenge as the experience itself.

And these day-long adventures aren't a passing fad. The pages, groups and communities of enthusiasts sharing their adventures and tips online are only growing by the day. 

There are also forums dedicated to planning extreme day trips from regional airports, such as Liverpool, Birmingham and London.

Extreme Day Trips from Liverpool Airport

Richard Hoare, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If you live in my home town of Liverpool or the North West and are eager to try extreme day tripping, you're in luck.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport presents some perfect opportunities for adventurous wanderers to explore the UK and the continent. 

I've put together a list of viable day trips from this top-rated travel hub, ranked from novice to expert by flight time.

A small note - the below flight times are approximate and flights coming/going same-day are correct as of April 2025. 

Novice Extreme Day Tripper: 1-1 Hour 30 Mins flight time

Dublin, Ireland

Adobe Free Stock / AlexMastro

Flight time: 50 minutes.

Airlines flying to/from Liverpool John Lennon Airport: Ryanair and Aer Lingus.

Dublin is the ideal candidate for extreme day trips from Liverpool Airport.

Taking an early morning flight means you have a full day of exploration to get some of the following gems under your belt.

• Snap some pics at Trinity College - Visit the iconic Long Room Library, see a 9th-century manuscript created by Celtic monks and spot Arnaldo Pomodoro's very Instagrammable sphere within a sphere.
• Go 'unashamed tourist' at the Guinness Storehouse - You'll need to book a slot and watch the time, as it's easy to get lost in this downright brilliant experience.
• Dig in when in Dublin - Take a beat to sample a proper Irish boxty, some stew or a coddle at some quieter food spots. Try The Church, Gallagher's Boxty House Express Counter or the Woollen Mills with its views over Ha'penny Bridge.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Adobe Free Stock / Torval Mork

Flight time: 50 minutes.

Airlines flying to/from Liverpool John Lennon Airport: easyJet.

Northern Ireland's capital city awaits adventurous travellers looking for extreme day trips from Liverpool Airport.

And with its interwoven history with Liverpool, there's no end of culture and stories to explore.

• Dive into the Titanic's tragic voyage - There's no better place to understand the story of the Titanic than the very city where it was built. Visit the museum dedicated to its story in the heart of Belfast. 
• Book a black cab tour of Belfast's murals and peace walls - Symbols of peace emerging from the troubles, visitors can now take tours led by local guides to the city's peace walls and murals.
• Say Sláinte in opulent Victorian surrounds - You can't get more a photogenic drink than in Belfast's Victorian gem, the Crown Liquor Saloon. Pop in on your extreme day trip for an impressive photo opp. 

Isle of Man

Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Flight time: 40 minutes.

Airlines flying to/from Liverpool John Lennon Airport: Loganair.

• Sample queenies, kippers and bonag - Manx food is something of a seafood bounty. Some top places to try it include the Little Fish Cafe and Tea Junction.
• Discover the island's secrets at the Manx Museum - Filled with treasures unique to the Isle of Man, this collection is a great way to get a feel for local history and culture.
• Snap all the best views at the Great Union Camera Obscura - Make sure you get some good shots on your extreme day trip with a walk up to Douglas Head. The Victorian Camera Obscura here offers a 360-degree view of the area and has an impressive 11 lenses.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Adobe Free Stock / pichetw

Flight time: 1 hour.

Airlines flying to/from Liverpool John Lennon Airport: easyJet.

• Nail the basics of Scotch whisky in just 50 mins - Take a condensed masterclass in Scotland's finest tipple at the Scotch whisky experience - a brilliant use of an hour if ever there was one. 
• Climb the Scotsman steps - A passageway linking old town with the newer city centre and Waverley Train Station, each step is made from a piece of marble sourced from a particular country. A colourful and unique photo stop. 
• Survey Auld Reekie from Calton Hill - This UNESCO World Heritage volcanic hill is home to the city's fantastic contemporary art gallery and offers one of the best views of the city.

London, England

Adobe Free Stock / William

Flight time: 1 hour.

Airlines flying to/from Liverpool John Lennon Airport: British Airways.

You can get there by train from Liverpool Lime Street in around two hours, but if you prefer to, you can fly to London.

A trip to the capital is the perfect extreme day trip, as the possibilities for things to do are basically endless.

• The big sights - Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye - you could get a few of the stars in and booking will speed things up even further.
• Museum lovers - Don't miss the Natural History Museum, British Museum and London's more intriguing examples, such as the Brunel Museum, the Viktor Wynd and Gods' Own Junkyard.
• Art for art's sake - From the halls of the V&A to buying original pieces from street artists at Brick Lane's StolenSpace, extreme day trippers can pack in some excellent art hotspots in a short time.
• Free things to do in London - If you're setting yourself the double challenge of an extreme day trip on a budget, London has no end of things to do for free. 

Intermediate Extreme Day Tripper: 1 Hour 40 to 2 Hours Flight Time 

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Adobe Free Stock / Michael Niessen

Flight time: 1 hour 40 minutes.

Airlines flying to/from Liverpool John Lennon Airport: easyJet.

Amsterdam may have its problems with overtourism, but it remains a top destination for a good reason.

Much like London, there are no end of things to do in Amsterdam for an extreme day tripper.

• Make a reservation at Upstairs Pancakes - You can't visit the 'dam without demolishing a pancake. And where better to do it than the top-rated smallest pancake restaurant in Europe.
• Soak up the alt vibes in Jordaan - Amsterdam's Jordaan district is your camera's dream come true. Its relaxed cafes, cultural spots and mazes of streets are waiting to be explored by curious extreme day trippers.
• Take a street art workshop - Visit the fantastic STRAAT, Amsterdam's street art and graffiti museum. Housed in a former shipyard, it welcomes big names in urban art from across the globe and holds regular workshops in stencilling and graffiti.

Paris, France

Adobe Free Stock / Pascale Gueret

Paris is hardly a hidden gem these days.

But with hundreds of museums, photogenic cafes and ridiculously beautiful streets at every turn, it's perfect for an extreme day trip from Liverpool Airport. 

Flight time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

Airlines flying to/from Liverpool John Lennon Airport: easyJet.

The City of Light offers countless attractions for extreme day trippers.

• Go on an Emily in Paris pilgrimage - See Paris from a different angle by hunting down some spots from the top-rated show.
• Try out Paris' best bakes - Punctuate your trips to the sights with some top Paris bakery stops. Colourful cakes overflowing with icing and pastries bursting with cream are just what your social feeds need.
• Explore the Left Bank - Book a slot at the catacombs before taking a short walk to the Jardin du Luxembourg for snaps so beautiful your followers' eyes will hurt. 

Barcelona, Spain

Adobe Free Stock / ake1150

Flight time: 2 hours 20 minutes.

Airlines flying to/from Liverpool John Lennon Airport: Ryanair.

Barcelona always has and always will be a standout travel hotspot.

The Catalunyan capital is where beaches and cocktails meet urban culture. And if you don't fall in love with Barcelona, then, quite frankly, you need to have a word with yourself.

Just one day here is nowhere near enough, but it's a good start.

• Coat your camera in colour and texture at Gaudi's hotspots - Antoni Gaudí is your lens' best friend on an extreme day trip to Barcelona. Squeeze in as many spectacular snaps as poss with a visit to Park Güell, Casa Batlló or Palau Güell for something a little different from Sagrada Familia.
• Stroll the streets of the Barrio Gótico - A bustling street lined with shops, cafes and street performers.
• Much on Montaditos at Barceloneta Beach - Sit by the (man-made, but uber-relaxing) sea shore with Catanlan specialities such as montaditos, bombas or patatas bravas.

Geneva, Switzerland

Adobe Free Stock /  M.studio

Flight time: 1 hour 50 minutes.

Airlines flying to/from Liverpool John Lennon Airport: easyJet.

Nestled between the Alps and Lake Geneva, this Swiss city offers natural beauty and culture in one go. What's not to love? 

• Get your cruise on at Lake Geneva - Take a Mouettes genevoises, shuttle boats which frequently whisk people from the city centre to Lake Geneva's best sights.
• Explore old town - Everyone loves an old town and Geneva's is especially photogenic. Snap its cobblestone streets, historic buildings and the stunning St. Pierre Cathedral at the highest point of old town.
• Dip into a fondue at Geneva's oldest bistro - It'd be rude not to dip into fondue in the place the dish was invented. Book in advance for a spot at Le Café du Soleil, a place unrivalled for its outstanding Gruyère and ornate surrounds. 

Vienna, Austria

Adobe Free Stock / barmalini

Flight time: 2 hours 30 minutes.

Airlines flying to/from Liverpool John Lennon Airport: Ryanair.

Vienna's imperial history and vibrant cultural scene make it a top candidate for an extreme day trip.

• Shake it up at the Snow Globe Museum - A top spot for your photo album, check out Vienna's snow globe museum, which is still run by the inventor's family.
• Relax in a Traditional Coffee House - No trip to Vienna would be complete without a stop off at a coffee house, accompanied by a slice of Sachertorte. Say no to queues by checking out some lesser-known examples.
• Shuffle around Schönbrunn Palace - Although exploring the entire complex would take much longer than a day, it's possible to slip in a look at this lavish former summer residence of the Habsburgs with a timed ticket booking.

Tips for a Successful Extreme Day Trip from Liverpool Airport 

Leave Early, Return Late 

Although finding return flights in a day is mostly down to taking what you can get, going for the earliest and latest flights where possible is a no-brainer.

It maximises your time on the ground, ensures you pack in as much as possible and means you honour the rules of the challenge.

And don't forget to research average times to get through customs and from the airport to the city.

Some hubs are way out of town, so getting to/from can add significant time to your journeys.

Plan Like a Pro

Planning sounds like a given when you're taking an extreme day trip.

But booking time slots and tickets in advance, knowing the time it takes to get from A to B and even things such as how long queues are at top food spots can mean you pack a little more into your day.

Set a Budget 

As we all know, costs can pile up if you don't keep an eye on them and travel is no exception.

Tap the Extreme Day Tripping Community

Extreme day tripping social pages, groups and forums are on fire right now.

People's summaries of their trips include practical, current advice and are a goldmine for planning your own extreme day trip.

There's no better way to make sure your own trip goes off without a hitch. Read, watch and join discussions and take advantage of the help offered by fellow EDT-ers.

Stay Online on Your Extreme Day Trips from Liverpool Airport 

Bossing your planning is the key to any successful extreme day trip. 

Even before you leave the house, you'll need your maps, boarding passes, QR codes and entry tickets to hand.

This is where an eSIM from Airalo does you favours.

Visit the online store, select the best eSIM for your extreme day trip destination, install and you're good to go. 

Enjoy uninterrupted access to all your travel docs and bits. Now all you have to worry about is getting there and back in a day.

Bon voyage, extreme day trippers.