An intrepid traveller has taken extreme day tripping to new heights by flying to different countries for just a day – even scaling a Swiss mountain in one hour flat.
Luke Simmonds, an IT consultant from Guildford, was struck by wanderlust after lockdowns and found inspiration in a Facebook group dedicated to short but sweet travel stints. Not content with armchair dreaming, the 35-year-old embarked on a whirlwind spree of mini getaways during his weekends this past September and October, hopping across Europe to Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Switzerland, and France. The financially savvy globetrotter has bagged rock-bottom flight prices, once only spending £8.99 for a one-way ticket.
Luke shared his cost-cutting secret: “It’s certainly cheaper than a day out to London. It gets addictive after a while. You can pretty much go anywhere for a day and have enough to occupy yourself. It’s a really good way to sample places — if you like a place you can go back.”
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Swapping office life for the pulse of adventure wasn’t entirely spontaneous. Luke’s stint volunteering with the ambulance service amidst the pandemic reshaped his outlook on life, instilling a deeper yearning to explore.
“Not being able to travel made me want to more,” he reflected, before revealing an ambitious summer 2023 escapade that saw him tick off Poland, Stockholm, and Copenhagen in a single week. Fuelled by his new passion, it was the lure of likeminded jet-setters in that very Facebook group that pushed Luke to transform these daydreams into reality.
Luke, along with his girlfriend Amy Hughes, 24, kicked off their budget travel adventures by flying to Eindhoven in the Netherlands, spending a mere £30 each on return flights. From there, the couple’s passion for day trips took off.
Over the past year, Luke has managed to squeeze in day trips to an impressive list of destinations including Estonia, Monaco, Nice, Gdynia in Poland, Legoland Denmark, Nuremberg in Germany, Oslo in Norway, Churwalden in Switzerland, and Brussels. He explained the financial savvy behind his travels: “Hotels are expensive. If you can just pay for flights you save so much money.”
In September, Luke found himself on a day trip spree, travelling six weekends back-to-back. One such trip was to Kaunas, Lithuania, where he spent just 17 hours with his brother, Olly Simmonds, 38. They snagged a bargain flight from Luton with Wizz Air for only £12.99, landing at 00:55am.
Their whirlwind day included visits to the war museum, Kaunas Castle, and exploring the town before returning on flights costing £33.69 per person. The next weekend adventure took him to Grindelwald, Switzerland, with a group he met through Facebook.
Departing from Gatwick at 7am to Basel on a £38.99 flight, they journeyed via bus, two trains, and a cable car to reach their mountain destination. Luke shared his awe of the experience, saying: “We had an hour and a bit up the mountain. The views were stunning. Once you’re up the mountain — how long do you really need?” After enjoying a late lunch in the village, they travelled back to Zürich airport for their evening flight home.
Another weekend saw Luke embarking on a solo trip to Wrocław, Poland, where he spent £42.17 on flights and a total of £134.36 for the entire trip. He said: “I had a free weekend. I had a really nice time.”
In October, adrenaline junkie Luke and his squad from a Facebook group jetted off to Geneva on an early 8.10am flight, geared up for a grand adventure in the French Alps. An hour’s drive in their rented car brought them to the charming town of Chamonix, where they soared to the skies in a cable car to meet the majestic Aiguille Du Midi and witness the splendour of Mont Blanc.
He was awestruck by the panoramic views atop the peaks, which he described as breathtaking with loads of snow. However, not all went smoothly as the troupe experienced altitude sickness.
Not one to stay grounded, Luke winged his way to Pisa, Italy, the very next weekend with his partner Amy, squeezing every bit of joy from the trip that cost them less than £90 quid. Although meant to head to Malaga the weekend after, Luke had to bow out when their plane collided with a bird, forcing an emergency landing.
Despite the hiccup, he revelled in the sights of Italy, indulging in the quintessential pizza and ice cream delight. With seven more day trips already in his calendar, including snapping up bargain £8.99 fares to Agadir, Morocco, Luke has become quite the master of micro-adventures.
Luke advised that those looking for cheap holidays shouldn’t stick too rigidly to a single locale and should always hunt for the best deals on flights while keeping watch for airport sales. According to him, it pays to be flexible with both destination and schedule.
Kaunas, Lithuania saw flight costs of £46.68, with no lounge fees and a hotel stay at £12.50. Food and drink expenses came to approximately €25 (£21.10), while the train to Luton Airport cost £9.19. The National Express Coach back was priced at £15.50, with the funicular costing €1 (£0.84). Taxi services in Kaunas were €12.50 (£10.55) and Bolts were €8.15 (3 journeys) (£6.88). Museum entry was €5 (£4.22), bringing the total to £127.46.
In Grindelwald, Switzerland, flight costs were £93.99, with the train fare at £46.73 and the cable car ride at £61. Food and drink expenses were approximately £35, and UK travel costs were around £42.40. The total cost for this location was £279.12.
Poland saw flights priced at £42.17, National Express Coaches at £29.00, and Bolts in Poland at £26.52. Food and drink expenses were £27.50, and museum entry was £9.17, bringing the total to £134.36.
Chamonix, France had flight costs of £38.98, with a share of hire car costs at approximately £38. The cable car was €78.00 (£65.85), food and drink expenses were €11 (£9.20), and the UK train ticket was £13.65. The total for this location was £165.68.
Lastly, Pisa, Italy saw per person costs of £40.24 for flights, £17.00 for the National Express Coach, £10.90 for the Pisa Mover, and £19.29 for food and drink. The total for this location was £87.43.
