Extreme day trips have become increasingly popular over recent months
I drove 15 minutes from my house, got on a flight and ended up in sunny Malaga, riding the waves of the Mediterranean sea on a boat off the coast. In a few hours, I’ll be back in my own bed, all within the same day.
Due to their cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and ability to offer a change of scenery without requiring extensive time off, Extreme day trips (EDT) have become increasingly popular over the last year and it’s not hard to see why – they’re so easy to do.
When I told my family and friends I was off to Malaga they all asked me the same question – ‘lovely, how long for?’ and the puzzled look on their faces when I told them “just for the day” made me chuckle.
I’d respond with the same answer, ‘why not?’ Exactly, why not. Why would I not want to – and as much I love Liverpool with all my heart – get out of Aigburth for the day, experience the gorgeous Spanish sunshine, explore a new city I’d never visited and have a little solo adventure. Oh, and let’s not forget, why would I not want to indulge in Spanish cuisine…sangria on a random Thursday, beats being in the office?
To maximise the day, I’d recommend getting the first flight out of Liverpool John Lennon Airport and the last flight back. The flights for Malaga lined up perfectly for this, departing Speke at 5.55am and leaving the Spanish city at 10.35pm – it meant I could maximise my full day in Spain.
Looking at flights from Liverpool’s airport I’m amazed at how many places you can go to for just the day too. There’s multiple Spanish cities that have perfectly timed flights for an extreme day trip, like Barcelona. But, it’s not just Spain you can get too.
The city is absolutely beautiful (Image: Megan Banner)
Dublin, Belfast and Amsterdam – to name a few – are also really easy to fly to for just the day. Some you can get to within the hour meaning you can really maximise your time in the country.
It’s always worth noting that some of the day trips are possible across multiple airlines. For example, you could fly out on Ryanair and back with EasyJet, as well as flying to and from with the same airline to certain destinations. It’s definitely worth shopping around when you’re looking for extreme day trip flights.
On the day
It’s an early start. My alarm went off at 3am so I could get ready and make that short 15 minute drive from my house in Aigburth to Liverpool John Lennon airport for 3.45am, making sure I’m there two hours before my flight is due to depart. But, I suppose the early start is the nature of an EDT.
The best part is you only need a small handbag to fit everything you need for the day. I took my passport, phone, lip gloss and power bank. Travel hack: always take a power bank.
I had arguably the easiest airport experience. I parked in the airport’s multi-storey car park which is directly opposite departures and costs £58 for 24 hours, which as airport parking goes I don’t think is too expensive.
I parked up and headed inside for security, but was shocked to see no snaking queues and eager holidaymakers battling through the security scanners. Instead I was greeted with the words “you don’t need to take anything out of your bags anymore.” It was like music to my ears knowing Liverpool airport has now got this fancy new technology which means you no longer need to fight with your bag of liquids and the security scanners. Honestly, it was a breeze.
I was through security, duty free and sat down in their new Monty’s restaurant for breakfast in less than 15 minutes – has this ever been heard of?
LJLA has recently undergone huge renovations, focused on enhancing passenger facilities and food and beverage options. It has a new Aspire Lounge and the restaurants have seen a major makeover, including opening a brand new American diner themed eatery – which I obviously had to try. The overall goal is to improve the airport’s experience, ahead of the peak summer period and I can’t lie, I think it’s worked.
The city is absolutely beautiful (Image: Megan Banner)
Seated in Monty’s the friendly staff were over in seconds to take my order. The American pancake options looked nothing short of incredible however I decided I needed something a bit more substantial to fuel the busy day ahead and ordered avocado bagel (£10.95) and a cappuccino (£3.99), again for an airport I’d say this is reasonably priced.
One delicious breakfast later and it was time to board. Easy, simple and extremely straight forward I was through to the gate – which was seconds away from where I’d just enjoyed some fresh sourdough – and I was seated on my flight.
A two hour and 55 minute nap later we landed in Malaga, ready for a day of adventures. For me, one of the best parts about an EDT is it being budget-friendly, so I opted for public transport options to and from the airport instead of things like taxis. It was really easy and only four stops on the train from the airport into the city – and extremely cheap.
Arrived in Malaga
Arriving in the city, I was in awe at the stunning Spanish architecture and how incredibly pretty it was. Also slightly annoyed it had taken me 26 years to visit.
The views of the city were incredible (Image: Megan Banner)
I’d made a brief plan of all the things I wanted to see and do with my day. I suppose it depends what kind of person you are, some like a jampacked itinerary whereas others, like me, like to wander and see what they find. However, I would advise having some sort of plan because there is lots to pack into a few hours.
I knew I wanted to see the old town because I’d googled pictures of the castle and the windy narrow streets, which looked like something out of a fairy-tale. The park, beach and marina were all on my list. I started off my wandering through the city’s beautiful Parque De Malaga but as I kept wandering around I found myself getting distracted and lost with other things that caught my eye – especially one market by the marina and all the idyllic little shops – I genuinely could have spent hours browsing them.
For me, my favourite attraction to see had to be the gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous city centre, where you can find the Alcazaba, a beautiful Muslim fortress. And, if you climb up the stairs to the top you will be met with some of the most incredible views of the city.
It’s a bold claim, but it was the nicest sangria I’ve ever had(Image: Megan Banner)
By the marina you will find rows of bars, restaurants and shops – which made for the perfect sangria stop. I sat on the terrace of a cocktail bar overlooking the blue waters where million pound yachts were docked, drinking – bold claim I know – but the nicest sangria I have ever sipped. It was incredible. I could have sat in this spot all day with the sun beaming down on me, but because I was on an EDT and had much more to pack in, I drank up and went to check out more of the old town.
After seeing the sights and hitting the shops, the morning’s bagel was wearing off and I was getting peckish. So, I sat down for some tapas in a beautiful restaurant, Lateral, which was down one of the pretty historic side streets. I obviously couldn’t go to Spain without eating patatas bravas and I was told the seafood in Malaga was top tier so I ordered scallops. The food was incredible, but honestly all the restaurants looked amazing. I kept getting distracted by all the food when walking around.
I then needed a chill after all that delicious cuisine so I wandered to the beach for a little sit down on the sand. The beach was thriving with people basking in the glorious 27C sun. I was pretty jealous they got to stay and I was headed home in a few hours but it was lovely to enjoy it for the short time I was there – especially because I’d only drove 15 minutes from my house that morning and ended up there. Why am I not doing this more often?
So, I wanted to head up to see the castle but as I was walking back past the marina to go I got distracted by a boat tour that was about to set off and decided to pay 17 euros to hop on a boat across the Mediterranean sea around the coast of Malaga. And, you know what? I’m so glad I did. I had the best 90 minutes cruising over crystal clear waters and enjoying the sunshine and views – can Thursday’s get any better than this?
Sadly, by the time I’d packed a day of excursions in, it was getting on past dinner time, which also meant time to head back to the airport for my late flight home.
But, I couldn’t go home without trying a bocadillo, a Spanish-style sandwich. Typically it’s a baguette filled with cured meats like Serrano or Ibérico ham – it would be rude not to try all the local cuisine.
However, walking to the city centre to get my hands on one I got distracted, very distracted…by tiramisu ice cream which I clocked out the corner of my eye. Now, I can’t tell you how excited I was to get my hands on this delicious delicacy. It was nothing short of incredible, words can’t explain. I’d fly back tomorrow just to eat this exact ice cream again. If you take anything from my EDT please let it be this ice cream.
Tiramisu ice cream has stolen my heart(Image: Megan Banner)
Sadly, it’s about 8.30pm, which means it’s time to go. One short four stop journey on the cheap as chips train and I’m back at Malaga airport ready to board my 10.35pm easyJet flight back to Liverpool. I was pretty tired by this point, I was asleep before we took off and woke up as we were landing in Speke, after the best day.
Honestly, I had the most incredible day out, it cost less than I’d spend on a night out in Liverpool city centre on a Saturday night, I got to explore a whole new city, eat incredible food, enjoy 27C sunshine and all within a 15 minute drive from my house. EDT day trips are so easy to do from LJA, I genuinely can’t wait for my next one – I think it could be my new way of exploring Europe.
These exciting day trips involve tourists trying to fit in as much local culture as possible, before hopping on the plane home. And the best bit is, costs are kept low as you don’t need to book accommodation – so the real skill comes with sourcing the right times for flights to maximise your time.
You can fly to other destinations from the airport, there is more information here. Have you been on an EDT? Let me know! Email megan.banner@reachplc.com.