Mum Emily Gibbs says she loves an extreme day trip as they give her ‘freedom’ and ‘adventure’
29-year-old mum Emily Gibbs travelled to Chamonix in the French Alps for an extreme day trip(Image: Emily Gibbs© SWNS)
A mum woke up at 4am to travel to Chamonix, France, to explore the snowy region, before travelling home and getting into bed by 11pm the same day. Emily Gibbs, 29, says that the day trip to France, stopping by Geneva, cost her less than a day out in London.
Emily often leaves her toddler and partner behind to go on solo ‘therapy’ holidays, including previous trips to Monaco and Gothenburg. The mum loves extreme day trips as they give her ‘freedom’ and ‘adventure’, and allow a short break from parenting her son, three, who she leaves at home with his dad.
The mum of one, who runs a housekeeping agency, spent just £100 on the entire trip, flying out at 8:30am, and arriving back at Luton airport at 7:50pm, the same day.
Emily, from Norwich, Norfolk said: “I love going abroad on day trips. If I have a week where I’ve not got loads going on, I’ll just look at what cheap flights I can get and then go on a day trip somewhere. I love the freedom of walking through an airport by myself without any bags, and knowing I’ll be back in my own bed at night time.
Emily jetted off to snowy Chamonix and went on a picture perfect train ride up in the mountains, before being home in time for bed(Image: Emily Gibbs© SWNS)
“I go on family holidays with my three-year-old son and his dad too, but these day trips are my independent time, they’re like my therapy. Chamonix was like a winter wonderland, it was picture perfect, like a scene from a movie. There was snow hanging off the trees, and little chalets everywhere.
“It was like stepping into the scene of a Hallmark movie. The highlight of my trip was definitely the train ride up the mountain. I was just looking out of the window thinking, ‘how on earth am I doing this right now?’ I was in my own bed this morning and I’ll be back there in a few hours’ time.
“It’s fun to push boundaries and see where you can get in a day. I managed to do the whole day for exactly £100. It’s no more than I’d spent on a day out in the UK, the train from Norwich to London is £60 alone. It was a tiring day, but I have a three-year-old son, so it was nothing compared to the sleepless nights that mother’s go through.
“It’s just one day, and then I’ll go home and recover the next day.”
Emily decided to take a trip to the snowy ski resort of Chamonix, France, after previously enjoying extreme day trips to Monaco and Gothenburg, France, in 2025. For all of her daytrips, Emily sets herself a budget of £100 overall for transport, food and activities, and she managed to snap up return flights to Geneva, for this trip, for £42.
On the day of her trip, in January 2026, Emily woke up at 4am and drove two hours to Luton airport. She boarded the 8:30am flight to Geneva, landing in the Swiss city at 11am, before taking an hour-long bus to Chamonix, at 12.15pm, arriving at 1.05pm.
Emily Gibbs in Chamonix in the French Alps(Image: Emily Gibbs© SWNS)
Although Chamonix is a popular skiing and winter sports resort, Emily preferred to wander around, marvelling at the stunning snowy capped alps, and chatting to fellow tourists. After spending an hour or so soaking up the atmosphere, at 2pm, Emily took the Montenvers Mer de Glace train up through the mountains, costing her £27.
After the train ride, Emily came back down into the centre of town, where she ate some food, and people-watched skiers, coming back from a long day on the slopes.
At 5.15pm, she got the bus back to Geneva, before taking the 6.30pm train home, arriving in Luton at 7.50pm. She then took the two-hour drive back to Norwich and was tucked up in bed by 11pm.
All in all, Emily got to spend four hours in Chamonix, and although she wishes she had stayed longer, she said this was enough time to do everything she wanted to on the trip.
“I always want to stay longer, but I got to go up the mountains, I didn’t rush around, I wasn’t watching my clock,” she said.
Despite a few queues at passport control, Emily said there were no downsides to her trip and is looking forward to her next extreme day trip, a girl’s trip to a spa in Bucharest, Romania.
Emily’s day in Chamonix
- 4am wake up
- 4:30am drive to Luton airport
- 6.45am Arrive at car park & free shuttle to airport
- 8.30am Flight to Geneva
- 11am Landed in Geneva
- 12.15pm Bus to Chamonix
- 1.05pm Arrive in Chamonix
- 2pm Montenvers train up to the top
- 3.45pm Montenvers train back down
- 4.05pm Exploring town/getting food & drinks
- 5.15pm Bus back to Geneva airport
- 6.30pm Arrived at Geneva airport
- 7.50pm Flight back to Luton
- 11pm back in bed
Total cost for Emily’s trip to Chamonix
- Airport Parking £10
- Flights (Luton to Geneva return) £42
- Bus (Geneva airport to Chamonix return) £21
- Montenvers Mer de Glace train £27