You may have heard of the term extreme day trips or you may be seasoned pro looking for even more ideas and I have you covered with ideas for extreme day trip from Manchester airport that have been tried and tested.
What is an Extreme Day Trip?
If you are new to this concept, let me quickly explain because there are 2 main ways of doing an EDT.
- You fly early morning and come back late at night making the trip a literal ‘extreme’ day trip
- A day has 24 hours, so you could always stay overnight and spend the day before in your destination, or the day after.
How to find flights for an Extreme Day Trip?
Skyscanner is your best friend but, be prepared that you will need some patience to check different dates as not all flights provide ETD options.
I always search Manchester Airport to the location I have in mind, and then click ‘flexible dates’, and the month you are looking at for depart and return, this will then show flight options each day so you can see what’s on offer and then you can click onto each day and check out flight times to work out your best day trip.
Which EDT option is better / things to keep in mind:
When taking an extreme day trip from Manchester Airport, I would recommend thinking about a couple of points before booking, this way you can decide is option 1 or 2 above is best for you, essentially, should you go for 12 hours max, or up to 24 hours..
Weather & Time of Year
In summer, we have long light warmer days so going for just 12 hours and not overnight is much more appealing than in winter. Remember that you’ll leave in the dark and come back in the dark in winter. And, flights may be more likely to be delayed in winter due to icy conditions, and a 1 hour delay isn’t too bad on a longer trip but with just a few hours in your destination, a 1 hour delay can be impactful.
My friend Monica over at The Travel Hack, actually cancelled her extreme day trip from Manchester to Amsterdam last winter because the flight delay got so late, it would have been pointless going and she left Manchester airport!
Whose Going
I recently did an extreme day trip from Manchester Airport to Poznan in Poland with my one year old and a flight with a baby and young child can be hard enough without doing it twice in one day. I think, if you you are a couple, solo, a few friends then flying there and back in one day is manageable because you can rest and sleep on the flights. But when you have young children where you can’t rest or sleep, it will make a very long day!
Flight Time
In this post I’ve given flights from 45 minutes up to around 2 hours. Of course with a 45 minute flight, even with all the check in and immigration time, you can still get a good amount of time in your destination. If your flight is 2+ hours, I think an overnight stay is ideal.
Ease into City from Airport
Research before booking your flight is key. Do a quick google search to check the distance from the airport into the city.
Many cities have 2 airports, one more central and one further out and the one further out is the one with cheaper flights, usually served by Ryanair. Think about people flying into Stansted or Luton, thinking they are arriving into London but they still have to travel into London!
Paris, Milan, Brussels and Oslo are good examples of this, their airports with the cheapest flights are 1.5-2 hours from the city making an extreme day harder because you’ll spend a lot of time travelling. Ways around this are to stay for the night and then the journey isn’t so bad, or avoid the city centre altogether and visit a smaller city or town near the airport.
Extreme Day Trips from Manchester Airport
Let’s get into the ideas and to help you plan your trip further, I really recommend joining the Extreme Day Trips – Manchester Airport Facebook group here. In this group people share flights they’ve found, trip reports and general advice to help the community doing the same and I have got so many ideas from this group too!
1. Lapland, Finland
Flight time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Yes, you can visit the REAL LAPLAND for 24 hours! Fly into Rovaniemi Airport and you will be able to discover the magic of lapland and with some research and planning, you can most likely go there for less than visiting Lapland UK!
Via the Facebook group mentioned above, I have seen the best way to do an extreme day trip to Lapland from Manchester for 1 night is to fly from Liverpool Airport and back into Manchester Airport.
Things to keep in mind when searching and booking: Flying in the new year will be cheaper than December or November but of course won’t have as much Christmas magic but there will be plenty of snow. Also flying outside of school holidays is MUCH cheaper. To fly to Lapland on a budget, do research on accommodation, accommodation closest to Rovaniemi will be more expensive but you can rent a car and drive further into the countryside for cheaper accommodation.
2. Alicante, Spain
Flight time: 2 hours 55 minutes
One of the favourite extreme day trip destinations from Manchester Airport is Alicante because of the regular flights and almost guaranteed good weather once you are there. We did a long weekend in and around Alicante in February and spent 1 day in Alicante and that winter sun was delightful!
Alicante has a nice old city right on the coastline so it’s easy to get some good food but also go to the beach. Even in February, people were half sunbathing on the beach! There’s a castle and it’s very walkable so perfect for 6-8 hours of Spanish sun for the day! If staying for 1 night, you could even get the tram to Benidorm for the day!
Things to keep in mind when searching and booking: There is a tram and bus from Alicante Airport into the city making it easy, quick and affordable. Just research times as if you stay the night and arrive late at night. I believe the tram and bus don’t run too late and a taxi might be needed.
3. Milan, Italy
Flight time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Milan is a great extreme day trip idea because there are so many options to do with your day. You could explore the city of Milan visiting the iconic Duomo of Milan, however you could also bypass Milan city entirely do a day trip to Lake Como by train, or visit another city Bergamo.
Things to keep in mind when searching and booking: Milan has 2 airports. MXP is closer to the city whereas BGY is further out. However BGY is in Bergamo city and is a beautiful and historic Italian city in its own right and acts as a great choice for an extreme day trip from Manchester without even needing to go into the city of Milan!
4. Reykjavik, Iceland
Flight time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Yes, you can actually get to Iceland from Manchester in less than 3 hours and go for the day!! This is the ultimate extreme day trip I think because it will feel like going to a different world for the day, especially if visiting Iceland in winter!
One of the things people do on a day trip to Iceland is visit the Blue Lagoon which is not too far from the Airport, you could manage the Blue Lagoon and a few hours in Reykjavik city in one day. There are also other spa’s like the Sky Lagoon which is closer to the vcity and offers a really unique experience. I went to both last year and both are amazing and not overrated at all!
The bus system in Reykjavik is great and there are constant regular buses connecting the airport to the city, airport and blue lagoon. I do recommend booking them in advance so you know you have a seat and have a plan for the day.
Things to keep in mind when searching and booking: You do have to be realistic with your expectations doing an extreme day trip to Iceland because the Airport is 1 hour from the city so this can take some time and the weather can change plans at any minute.
5. Oslo, Norway
Flight time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Oslo is a great choice for an extreme day trip for many reasons. Firstly, there is an abundance of flights to Oslo from Manchester and often at a very good price, and it takes less than 2 hours.
Norway is an expensive country and one of the reasons people do extreme day trips is to do a trip on a budget. It is possible to get a low cost flight to Oslo from Manchester and if you only spend 1 day there, your costs will be low so it acts as a budget way to visit a normal expensive city and country.
Oslo is a great blend of city and nature. There are not many iconic sites in Oslo but I think that’s what I like it. It’s easy to walk around the city, make book a sauna and cold plunge swim in the river in the middle of the city, and enjoy some Scandinavian pastries.
Things to keep in mind when searching and booking: Oslo has 2 airports, Oslo Gardermoen which is closer to the city and Oslo Torp which is further away. It is ideal to fly into Oslo Gardermoen to save time commuting between the city and airport, however there is a bus from Oslo Torp Airport into the city – the Torp Express which you can prebook. I saw in the Facebook group that
6. Krakow, Poland
Flight time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Krakow is seeped in history and is one of the great extreme day trips from Manchester airport because of its pretty old town and castle to explore. Plus outings to Auschwitz if you wish to. If you have children interested in history it’s a good family EDT too.
Zakopane is a resort town just south of Krakow and a popular way to get into the mountains, especially in winter on an EDT to Krakow from Manchester, just keep in mind for this option you will need 1 night.
Things to keep in mind when searching and booking: If you want to visit Auschwitz from Krakow then bear in mind you need to book a guided tour and it is an all day activity. You can do it with just one day and no accommodation but you won’t have much time to see the city so it’s best to decide between the city to an Auschwitz day tour.
7. Dublin, Ireland
Flight time: 1 hour
With a super easy 1 hour flight time and plenty of cheap and regular flights, an EDT to Dublin is a no brainer!
If you want a dose of Irish pubs, this is a great day trip, especially if you can get a late night evening flight back. And if the pubs are not of interest, Dublin has plenty of lovely buildings and parks to wander around for the day like this one day Dublin itinerary.
8. Belfast, Northern Ireland
Flight time: 55 minutes
Another easy extreme day trip from Manchester is to Belfast because of the short flight time and ease of money once there too.
There’s lots to see in the city of Belfast including the famous Titanic Museum, Belfast City Call and the Cathedral Quarter.
9. Palma, Spain
Flight time: 2 hours 35 minutes
The island of Majorca might not be the first place you think of for an easy extreme day trip from Manchester Airport but flights to Palma keep coming up as some of the cheapest from Manchester right now and the flight time is actually only 2 hours 30 minutes!
Many people understandably visit Palma with a 1 night stay but it is possible to do it with an early morning flight and late night flight back too.
There’s lots of sites and architecture to visit in Palma city but you could also hire a car from the airport and see more of the island this way!
Things to keep in mind when searching and booking: As with many European cities, Palma’s main attractions are closed on Mondays so keep that in mind when booking.
10. Prague, Czechia
Flight time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Prague is one of those cities you have to visit at least once in your lifetime and thankfully, you can see a lot of the old town of Prague and around the river in just one day in a walkable way, and there is a short airport bus that takes you straight into the city.
Things to keep in mind when searching and booking: People say that the immigration lines in Pragues Airport for non EU can be very long so keep this in mind when planning your day itinerary.
11. Copenhagen, Denmark
Flight time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Another city you have to see at least once is Copenhagen and whilst Denmark isn’t as expensive as Norway, it’s still more expensive than many other countries in Europe which makes a day trip to Copenhagen ideal because there are often well priced flights to Copenhagen from Manchester and you can save money on no accommodation.
Much of Copenhagen can be visiting on foot but you can also do a nice canal tour of the city and see a lot from the comfort of a boat, and there’s a good metro system from the airport into the historical city centre in just 15 minutes.
Things to keep in mind when searching and booking: Keep in mind prices for food and drinks because they are pretty high unless you purchase from supermarkets or chain fast food places. People do recommend the 24 hour Copenhagen card for transport which includes the airport transfer and allows metro around the city to help you see more and not spend any more on transport.
12. Brussels, Belgium
Flight time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Flights to Brussels are always some of the cheapest from Manchester Airport and a short flight time makes it a good day trip, however do not that Brussels has 2 airports. Brussels Airport which is closer to the city and Brussels South Charleroi Airport which is quite far south so keep this in mind when booking. You can visit Brussels city centre, although it is one of the more underwhelming European capitals in my opinion.
Another way to do it is to explore Charleroi city itself as its near Charleroi Airport, or you could do a family 24 hour trip by visiting Pairi Daiza Zoo, the top rated zoo in Europe and then stay overnight to ensure that the kids get a good sleep and aren’t flying twice in one day. We went to the zoo recently and it is very cool!
Things to keep in mind when searching and booking: In addition to the point about the 2 airports. Keep in mind that the main Brussels Airport can often have very long lines for non EU immigration so keep this in mind when planning your day trip.
13. Cologne, Germany
Flight time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Flights to Germany from Manchester are not that plentiful in comparison to like likes of Spain, but Cologne is one of the Germany cities with regular flights from Manchester Airport and with a short flight time its one of the favourites for extreme day trippers.
One of the popular things to do in Cologne is visit Claudius Therme, a thermal spa, and don’t worry, you can hire towels and robes from there. They have many thermal pools and a sauna although the sauna’s are strictly no clothing allowed so keep that in mind!
Other than that, the bridges, cathedrals and gardens, and Christmas markets if you go in winter, give plenty to do for a few hours in Cologne.
14. Malaga, Spain
Flight time: 3 hours 5 minutes
Often, the cheapest flights to Spain from Manchester Airport are to Malaga so it’s a great way to get some Spanish sun low cost and in only 3 hours!
Malaga old town is nice to visit and there’s quite a few historical places to walk around. The big benefit of Malaga though is its gorgeous city beach pictured below, so you can really fly there, have a day on the beach and fly back in the evening.
In addition to this, it’s a good place to rent a car and explore more of Andalusia and the coast of Spain from, including popular Marbella or do the Caminito Del Rey walk as many extreme day trippers do!
15. Madrid, Spain
Flight time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Madrid is a popular day trip from Manchester Airport with possible morning and late night flights. Real Madrid fans can see the stadium as well as plenty of other places in the city in a day.
Madrid has a great metro system making it easy to get from the airport into the city and to all the popular attractions at a low cost.
16. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Flight time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Amsterdam is a classic option for a day trip because it’s only a short flight from Manchester and there’s many options of things to do once you are there. Along with easy metro access from the airport to the city centre.
I love walking the waterways of Amsterdam and even after 3 times in the city, they never get old! If you are thinking of a solo extreme day trip. I think Amsterdam is great for solo travel! And if you’ve been many times before, think about seeing areas outside of the main tourist part like Amsterdam North, here are my recommended best things to do in Amsterdam Noord.
Things to keep in mind when searching and booking: Schiphol Airport is huge so make sure you give yourself enough time to find your gate when you arrive there to fly home!
And that’s a wrap.