Have you ever fantasised about travelling to far-flung foreign countries but struggled to do so because of work or other responsibilities? Well, imagine if we tell you that there is somebody out there who is living that fantasy and motivating others to follow in their footsteps. Say hello to a 37-year-old travel blogger Monica Scott from Wrexham, UK who travels to foreign places by day and back home by bedtime.
With her passion for adventure and travelling, Monica has set a new benchmark for the term day trip. She is a professional influencer who has established a successful career based on her interest in travelling to new locations. With more than 35,000 social media followers, her fans look forward to her next travel destination and the amazing pictures and videos she posts.
In an interview with BBC, two UK-based travel influencers shared their "Extreme trips" experiences. Monica has visited cities like Milan, Bergamo, Lisbon, Amsterdam, and even Reykjavk - all within a few hours.
Monica's obsession with quick trips started unexpectedly through work. While speaking to BBC she said, "I think people are always surprised that you really do feel like you've had a holiday."
“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," she added.
Monica 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,” said Monica.
“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.”
Luka Chijutomi-Ghosh, an 18-year-old student from Cardiff, takes a more drastic approach than Monica, who prefers to concentrate on one location at a time. He travels across several nations in a matter of hours. His initial encounter with the trend began on a whim.
“It began on Christmas 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.” “I also went to Luxembourg, Brussels and Amsterdam, and returned to Paris all within the same day,” he said.
“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,” explained Monica.
Luka, who keeps a close eye on his spending, believes that these visits are a better use of his funds. Monica said, “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?"
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