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Have you considered going on a day trip before and are unsure if it’s for you? Keep reading, this post is for you.
In this post, I share important things to consider before deciding to go on a day trip and tips to help plan your day from travellers who have recently gone on a day trip.
5 Things To Consider Before Deciding To Go On A Day Trip
1. The flight time of the day trip.
Be realistic! You don’t want to spend more time in the air than in the actual city you plan to travel to. I would recommend a flight time of under 3 hours.
2. How much are you willing to spend for the day?
Your flight ticket may cost as little as £9 (Yes I have seen a flight ticket for this price), or as high as the ticket would cost for a week-long trip. The advantage of doing a day trip is that you don’t have to pay for accommodation as you will be back in your bed by the end of the day. My limit for purchasing a flight ticket for a day trip is £50, and anything over that price I will turn my eyes away.
Have a budget in mind for what you plan on spending for the day.
Costs to consider:
- Transportation to the airport.
- Transportation for getting around. Tip: Research the most cost-effective way to get to the city centre.
- Food cost for a meal or two, and snacks. Tip: Bring your favourite snacks from home to save your coins.
- Souvenirs and gifts.
- Activities, tours or excursions.
3. Timing is everything.
Check opening times of popular sites such as museums you may like to see as this may not fit into your schedule. Be practical about what you would like to see. Figure out where you want to go because realistically you may not have time to do everything you want to do.
Ricardo from Rico travels who shares great 2-6 minute travel videos, filled with unique travel experiences, engaging content and travel tips on his youtube channel says:
“If you’re going to somewhere in Europe with a 2 hour time difference ie Greece – seriously consider how long you will actually be there for before booking the flight.”
4. Be prepared for a long day ahead.
You may be walking for long hours around the city as you will probably be on a tight schedule. Let me be honest, I love walking but after every day trip I have done this year, my legs have felt like jelly. On the plus side, at least I know I’m getting my steps in.
5. Type of travel
Day trips are quite face-paced. You may have a tight itinerary planned for the day and might feel a bit rushed. Some people may prefer to spread out their day and spend more time at a particular site which is completely fine but slow pace travelling may be more appealing to you.
Travel Smart Tips for Planning Your Day Trips
1. Wear comfortable shoes.
You will without a doubt be doing lots of walking. Don’t go on a day trip with heeled shoes as you might regret your decision. On this occasion, for a day trip, I would advise comfort over style!
2. Plan your journey
Have an idea of what you are going to do and see so that you can make the most of your time during your trip. Pre-book any tours beforehand and make sure you check the timing of the tour to make sure it fits into your schedule. Viator, Get Your Guide and Airbnb experiences are places to find interesting tours and activities to do.
Yemi the founder of Yemsmooothiess, recently snapped up a day trip deal from my flight deals post, travelling solo to Eindhoven and Oslo for the day.
She says before you decide on the city that you’ll like to visit for a day, do a google search for “24 hours or one day in the city of your choice”. There’s a lot of information online to guide you on where to go and what to see in one day in the city of your choice.
Yemi advises getting to your chosen destination early to ensure that you have a lot of time to explore and board the late flight back home.
“For example, I arrived at my chosen destination at 8 am local time on Saturday morning and departed at 21:15 pm on Saturday evening. I had the whole day to tour and explore.
Download Maps Me which is a free, fast, detailed and entirely offline map with turn-by-turn navigation. Always do your research on shuttle buses, and transport to and fro the airport in the city of your choice. This will give you a good indication of how to get back to the airport before your departure time. Some cities offer one day /24-hour pass which allows you free access to a lot of museums and also free travel. If this is available in the city of your choice please buy it. In some cases, you’ll find out that a lot of the museums are close to each other so the pass might not be required. Always research the opening and closing times of tourist attractions you’ll like to visit. Find out the distance of all the main attractions and tourist spots so you’ll be able to make your way back to the airport before your departure time.”
DIYWITHJOY TIP: A good starting point to begin your day is going for a free walking tour which you will find in almost every major city in Europe.
3. Be open-minded as the weather can change plans.
Check the weather forecast so you’ll have an idea of what to wear for the day and you are well equipped for changes to the forecast.
4. Bring only essential items with you.
Don’t overdo it with the makeup items or you might just regret this by the end of the day because of exhaustion from carrying a heavy load.
Yemi says, for a one-day trip:
“All you’ll need is a small secure rucksack consisting of; a spare top, small brolly, facial essentials all under 100ml, shawl and spare underwear as you’ll be out and about all day. A fully charged power pack, charger, plug and your cable.”
Source: Unsplash
5. Set your alarms!
It’s easy to get carried away and lose track of time when doing a day trip. Ricardo shares a good tip to avoid missing your flight back home.
“Set alarms before you go back. Depending on how far the airport is – that’s why on your way to the city centre you should somewhat time how long it takes whether you walk it or take transport.”
6. Enjoy your one-day adventure!
Try the local dishes, and stay hydrated. Don’t be afraid to smile and strike up a conversation with the locals. Take some pictures for the memories, be safe and enjoy the present moment!
Would you consider doing a day trip now? If so, where would you like to go?
Comment below, pin and share 🙂
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