Ipswich woman takes 'extreme day trips' abroad for £30

Sarah Deeks, a former teacher who now works in finance for an education trust, is a mum-of-three who thought she would have to wait until her children were older before seeing cultural highlights abroad.

This is until she first heard about 'extreme day tripping' through a Facebook group, and now she regularly jets off for days out, but in different countries, flying from Stansted Airport.

It may sometimes involve waking up at 5.30am, but the price is "less than what you would pay for a peak time return ticket to London", at £30 per person return to Tirana in Albania, and around £45 return to Bologna.

Ms Deeks said: "We do go on family holidays, but when you're with kids they do not have the patience to look around museums and cultural attractions that I would like to.

"I thought this kind of thing would have to be shelved until they were older, but day tripping is wonderful.

"I can go off for one day, just organise someone to pick up the kids from school, and do all the things I thought I would have to put to one side until the kids are older.

"I visited Bologna with a friend and we had a lovely, two-hour leisurely lunch with two courses and two glasses of wine each. It was such a luxury. It's not at all rushed."

Sarah Deeks' day trip to Bologna. (Image: Sarah Deeks)

Ms Deeks has now written a book full of her tips - how to find the best flight deals, which bags to use, and when to check-in for day-trips - which hit the number 1 bestseller on Amazon UK this week in the Travel Tips category.

One of her money-saving tips is to park at hotel airports rather than the airport itself, as hotel airports are less expensive and often offer deals, especially when the stay is under 24 hours.

Ms Deeks added: "It can be great value. I took my son to Tirana as he had always said he wanted to stay in a suite in a hotel, which could never happen on one of our normal holidays, but we were able to stay in this massive junior suite in a hotel for £70 including breakfast.

"You can also use it as a springboard to explore other locations, catching a train and see new destinations outside the city. When we went to Bologna, we caught a train to the Italian lakes.

"I'm going to Milan on Friday. All my colleagues are very jealous. They always want to know what I'm doing on my days off!

"It's a really fun way to travel. If you are short on time and short on money, it's an ideal way to still feel like you can get out there and explore the world."

Extreme Day Trips in Europe: A guide to booking and enjoying a day trip abroad is available on Amazon.