My kind of Extreme Day Trips - tricks to see more for less

This is how I explore the world on a budget and see a new town every day I am on the road. You can do it too!

What does EDT mean to me and how I got involved?
What do I call starburst trips and hop trips?
How much does it cost to travel this way?
How do I save money when I travel?
How much can you see in just one day?
How do I plan my walking tours?

So what are extreme day trips? If you asked me a year ago, I would have said: “Something that some brave people on Facebook do.” I never aimed to do extreme day trips and never thought about it too much until I went to a party last September. It turned out that I was quite bad at pool and didn’t want to drag an innocent friend down with me to Loserville.

As people were getting ready for the next pool game, I was busy pretending I had something very important to deal with on my phone. No idea what I was doing on the RyanAir app, but I found that they only fly to 4 locations from Gatwick. One of these was Dublin. And according to this app, it was going to cost me only £35 to get there and come back with a flight time of hours and a half in each direction…

See, I have lived in Bulgaria for 24 years, then I moved to the UK and I have never been anywhere else. That night, I got so excited about the idea of going to a different country in the morning and coming back in the evening, that I told my friends and they encouraged me even more. And I booked the flights!

A few days later, I booked another flight – to Rome.

And now, merely 6 months later, I can say I have been to 15 countries and counting. It’s addictive and liberating!

So how do I do this?

Classical EDTs – this is what most people do. I’d get up quite early in the morning, go to the airport, get on the plane, be in a different country by late morning – midday. I will then aim to see as many landmarks as possible, try local food and drinks and explore the local culture. I will be on the plane back home in the evening, making it on time to walk Stitch before bed.
Hop trips – I call them this way because I hope from country to country. For example, I flew to Budapest in Hungary, spent a day there and then flew to Copenhagen, Denmark for another day of exploration.
Starburst trips – I’d fly to one destination and use it as a base to explore around. I have done this in the UK by staying in Bournemouth and going to the New Forest and Old Harry Rocks. I have also done it by going to Vienna and taking the coach to Bratislava and by going to Prague and taking the coach to Dresden.

How much does it cost?

My cheapest trip to date (we include everything – flights, food, souvenirs, airport transport) is Dublin – £82. On the more expensive end (if we don’t count the overnight trips where I spend for accommodation), I have my Switzerland trips to Basel and Zurich with both costing about £150 each.

How do I save money?

I don’t buy food from the airport or on board the plane – bring my own snacks.
I bring my own bottle of water (most airports have water fountains).
I never use cabs (especially since a driver in Nice asked me to pay 35 EUR for a 7-minute ride to a near-by station).
I travel only with a backpack.
I bring my own power bank.
I plan public transport in advance and use apps to buy tickets cheaper.

But how much do I see in just a few hours?

A lot! With good planning, you can see all major landmarks and even have time for exploring freely around. I have seen the Colosseum in Rome, the UFO tower in Bratislava, the State Opera in Vienna, Charles Bridge in Prague, the Zwinger in Dresden… and many more. I have tried Langos in Budapest, Fondue in Basel, Bratwurst in Dresden, and Lindt chocolate in Zurich (yes, I have been to the factory; yes, I would move there if I could!).

How do I plan my walking route?

I usually mark all places I want to see in Google Maps. When I get to the location, I just explore them one by one. Once I see a landmark, I mark it on my map and then I head over to the next one that is closest. I usually do all this by walking, but occasionally I get on public transport (like I had to in Copenhagen) so I can explore destinations further afield. Did I have to run to make sure I have seen it all – yes. Was it worth it – absolutely, 100%!