Meet the woman who takes international day trips and returns home bedtime | Trending

For many, an international holiday means taking time off, packing a suitcase, and spending several days exploring a new city. But a new trend is challenging that idea—travel enthusiasts are now taking flights to foreign destinations, spending just a single day there, and returning home the same night. These short but intense trips, dubbed “extreme day trips”, are becoming increasingly popular, with many travellers proving that you don’t need a week to make meaningful memories abroad. Monica Stott has visited cities like Milan, Bergamo, Lisbon, Amsterdam, and even Reykjavik—all within a single day(Instagram/@thetravelhack) Monica Stott, a 37-year-old travel blogger from Wrexham, has visited cities like Milan, Bergamo, Lisbon, Amsterdam, and even Reykjavik—all within a single day. While the idea of rushing through a city in a few hours may seem exhausting to some, Monica believes these trips still provide the thrill of a full vacation. Also read: British nurse changed her name to ‘Pudsey Bear’ 16 years ago, but still can’t get a passport “I think people are always surprised that you really do feel like you’ve had a holiday,” she said. Her introduction to extreme day trips happened unexpectedly during work-related travel. “My first few extreme day trips were to Ireland when I had clients over there. I’d quite often pop over for a one or two-hour meeting and come home. Then I realised I could stay [a bit longer] and make a full day of it.” Inspired online communities where people shared their experiences of one-day travel, Monica decided to try it out for leisure. The psychology behind short getawaysMonica believes the best part of any holiday often happens at the start, which makes an extreme day trip just as fulfilling as a longer one. “There’s research suggesting that most of your best holiday memories are made in the first one or two days. When I thought about it, I agreed. A lot of the best moments happen when you first arrive.” “You arrive in time for breakfast, squeeze as much as you possibly can, and then fly home at night. It’s an intense, busy, crazy day.” While Monica prefers to focus on one city at a time, 18-year-old student Luka Chijutomi-Ghosh from Cardiff takes an even more extreme approach—hopping across multiple countries in just a few hours. His first experience with the trend started impulsively. “It began on Chrmas Eve when I found a return flight to Prague for under £15. I booked it immediately, but then I realised the flight landed in Prague at 21:00 and returned to the UK at 09:00,” he said. “So, I thought I could treat it as if it was daytime, sleep in the day and walk around the city at night.” Realising that a few hours were enough to experience a city, Luka later took things to the next level. While in Paris, he attempted to visit as many neighbouring countries as possible in a single day. “I went to Luxembourg, Brussels and Amsterdam, and returned to Paris all within the same day,” he said. Extreme day trips are gaining traction online, with Facebook groups dedicated to the trend amassing hundreds of thousands of members. Many travellers say it’s an affordable way to visit bucket-l destinations without needing extensive time off or expensive accommodations. “People always say they’d love to visit places like Paris or Rome but don’t have the time or money for a long trip. This is a way around that,” Monica explained. Luka, who carefully weighs his expenses, sees these trips as a smarter way to spend his money. She noted, “I look at how much I spend on a student night out, sometimes up to £60 or £70. If I can get a return flight for under £20 and experience a whole new city instead, why not?” Also read: Octopus hitches a ride on one of the ocean’s fastest sharks in stunning encounter. Video