10 Extreme Day Trips from Irish airports
Extreme Day Trips are a great way to explore a new location without going to significant expense. Luckily, there are loads of possible Extreme Day Trips you can take from Ireland, all within 2.5 hour flights.
Ireland is really well connected to the rest of Europe, meaning you can have an incredible adventure in a nearby country and still make it home in time for bed. If you want to go on an Extreme Day Trip from Ireland this year, this guide will lay out all the best options from each of Ireland’s main airports.
What is an Extreme Day Trip?
An Extreme Day Trip is a growing trend in travel, where you fly to a location with a same day return flight.
Why book an Extreme Day Trip?
The cost of travel has risen a lot in recent years, particularly with accommodation in popular cities. An Extreme Day Trip allows you to see somewhere new without worrying about the cost of hotels or baggage.
London
First up on the list of Extreme Day trips is London. Just an hour flight away from all the main Irish airports, London is the perfect option for an Extreme Day Trip.
Flight Time
1 hour
Flight Cost
€30-69 return depending on departure airport
How to get from the Airport
Stansted:
Stansted express to Liverpool street; from £9.90 each way; 45 minute journey time
Gatwick:
Gatwick Express to London Victoria; From £20.50 Each way; 30 minute journey time
Things to do in London
If you only have one day in the city your best option is to use the hop on/hop off tour to save you the need to navigate the public transport system etc.
Sights:
- Kew Gardens;
- Hyde Park;
- St. Katharine Docks;
- Neals Yard;
- Saint Pauls Cathedral,
- London Eye,
- Westminster
- Buckingham Palace
Where to eat in London
Food:
- Daisy Green;
- Apple Butter;
- Sourdough Sophia;
- Circolo Popolare;
- Taverna Trastevere;
- Parlour
Coffee & Drinks:
- TomTom;
- Farm Girl;
- Gentleman Baristas;
- Milk;
- Union Tavern;
- Madison;
- Avora;
- Incognito
Extreme Day Trip options from Irish airports:
- Dublin – Yes
- Belfast International – Yes
- Belfast City – Yes
- Shannon – Yes
- Cork – Yes
- Knock – Yes
- Kerry – No
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Paris
Next up on the list of Extreme Day trips is Paris. Just an hour flight away from all the main Irish airports, Paris is the perfect option for an Extreme Day Trip.
Flight Time
1 hour
How to get from Paris Beauvais Airport
Take the city centre bus from Beauvais – the bus takes 1 hour at a cost of €14.50 each way.
Things to do in Paris
If you only have one day in the city your best option is to use the hop on/hop off tour to save you the need to navigate the public transport system etc.
Sights:
- Maison Rose
- The Sinking House of Montmartre
- Place du Tertre
- Sacre-Coeur
Eiffel Tower Photo Spots
- Place du Trocadero
- Avenue Camoens
- Rue L’Universite
- Pont D’Alma
- Pont D’Lena
Extreme Day Trip travel dates from Irish airports:
- Dublin – Yes
- Belfast International – No
- Belfast City – No
- Shannon – No
- Cork – No
- Knock – No
- Kerry – No
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Edinburgh
Next up on the list of Extreme Day trips is Edinburgh. At less than a hour flight away and packed with things to do, Edinburgh is our favourite Extreme Day Trip. Edinburgh is a great day trip to take throughout the year and even for the Edinburgh Christmas Markets, when hotels are more difficult to find.
Flight Time
1 hour or less
How to get from Edinburgh Airport
Lothian Express Bus
Every 15 minutes
£8 Each Way
30 minutes to city centre
Up to 3 kids under the age of 5 travel free with fare paying adult
Things to do in Edinburgh
If you only have one day in the city your best option is to use the hop on/hop off tour to save you the need to navigate the public transport system etc. That being said, the Old Town in Edinburgh is also quite walkable so you will be able to see alot of the major sights without the need for a car or bus etc.
Where to eat in Edinburgh
Food
- Hata;
- Toast;
- Mamma Roma;
- Gaucho;
- Tattu
Coffee & Drinks
- Machina;
- Cairngorm Coffee;
- The Milkman;
- Copper Blossom;
- Tonic;
- Never Really Here
Edinburgh Sights
- Circus Lane
- Dean Village
- Scott Monument
- Royal Mile
- Victoria Street
- Calton Hill
Extreme Day Trip options from Irish airports:
- Dublin – Yes
- Belfast International – Yes
- Belfast City – No
- Shannon – No
- Cork – No
- Knock – No
- Kerry – No
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Brussels
Next up on the list of Extreme Day trips is Brussels.
Flight Time
1.5 hours
How to get from Brussels Airport to the City Centre
City Centre Bus 12 or 21 from Airport
€4.50 each way
20 to 30 minutes journey time
Things to do in Brussels
If you only have one day in the city your best option is to use the hop on/hop off tour to save you the need to navigate the public transport system etc.
Sights
- Grand Place
- Royal Gallery
- St Gudula Cathedral
- Parc du Cinquantenaire
Where to eat in Brussels
Food
- Tich,
- Hinterland,
- Ono,
- Chicago Cafe,
- Terter,
- Zouzou,
- Katie,
- Poz
Coffee & Drinks
- Cafe du Sablon,
- Kami,
- Alice,
- The Bank,
- Life is Beautiful
Extreme Day Trip options from Irish airports:
- Dublin – Yes
- Belfast International – No
- Belfast City – No
- Shannon – No
- Cork – No
- Knock – No
- Kerry – No
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Amsterdam
Next up on the list of Extreme Day trips is Amsterdam. This is a great option for a trip if you are based in the Dublin area, with options from €45 return and a flight time of 1.5 hours. We have also seen next day return options from Cork so definitely a great option for teachers etc. looking for a weekend trip during the year.
Flight Time
1.5 hours
How to get from Amsterdam Airport to the City Centre
City Centre Train from Airport
€18 return
20 minutes journey time
Things to do in Amsterdam
Again with all of these Extreme Day Trip options, the hop on/hop off tour is the most efficient way to get around but we find Amsterdam to be a very walkable city as it is flat.
The most popular things to do in Amsterdam are the river cruise, a trip to the Van Gogh museum or the Ice bar experience, which comes with 3 drinks. We have done all 3 and really enjoyed them all.
Extreme Day Trip options from Irish airports:
- Dublin – Yes
- Belfast International – No
- Belfast City – No
- Shannon – No
- Cork – No
- Knock – No
- Kerry – No
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Manchester
The next Extreme Day Trip option is Manchester. This is a great option as you can get flights from Dublin, Belfast or Cork and it has one of Europe’s largest shopping centres, the Trafford Centre, making it a popular choice for Christmas shopping trips.
Flight Time
1 hour
How to get from Manchester Airport to the City Centre
Airport Train to Piccadilly
From £3 Each Way
20 minute journey time
Things to do in Manchester
Sights
- Trafford Centre
- Manchester Cathedral
- Stadium Tours
- Botanical Gardens
Food
- A Bloc,
- Evelyn’s;
- Playfoots;
- Libbys;
Coffee & Drinks
- Grapefruit;
- Just Between Friends;
- Allpress;
- Oscillate
Extreme Day Trip options from Irish airports:
- Dublin – Yes
- Belfast International – Yes
- Belfast City – No
- Shannon – No
- Cork – Yes
- Knock – No
- Kerry – No
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Berlin
Berlin is a surprising option for an Extreme Day Trip but a good one for Dublin airport. The flight time is around 2 hours and the Ryanair schedule tends to have a 7am flight out and 10pm home, meaning you really get a full day out of it.
Flight Time
2 hours
How to get from Berlin Airport
The best way to get to Berlin city centre from the airport is by train. The regional airport Εxpress Τrain FEX links the airport to Berlin Central Station in only 30 minutes, with trains running every half an hour. A one way ticket costs around €4.40.
Things to do in Berlin
If you’re a fan of history, we would suggest doing the Third Reich and Cold War walking tour which takes around 2 hours.
Sights
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Reichstag
- East Side Gallery
- Brandenburg Gate
- Berlin Wall
Food
- Albatross
- Avocado Club
- Annelles
- Gotcha
- Lovebirds
- Asador
Drinks
- 19 Grams
- Distrikt
- Companion
- Bellboy
- 260 Grad
- Green Door
Extreme Day Trip options from Irish airports:
- Dublin – Yes
- Belfast International – No
- Belfast City – No
- Shannon – No
- Cork – No
- Knock – No
- Kerry – No
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Barcelona
Next we have Barcelona, one of our favourite cities in Europe. We lived here for 6 months a few years back so Barcelona feels like a second home and somewhere we always love visiting. Barcelona is a little bit further away but still a manageable option for a day trip.
Flight Time
2.5 hours
How to get from Barcelona Airport to the City Centre
Take the Aerobus to Plaza Catalunya for €12.85 return. The bus takes around 35mins and runs throughout the day.
Things to do in Barcelona
Depending on what you want to do, Barcelona is a little bit spread out so we would recommend sticking to the city centre when you are limited for time. Again, for Extreme Day Trips we would suggest using the hop on/hop off tour if you want to see all the main sights. Otherwise, we would suggest sticking to Las Ramblas/Sagrada Familia areas and using the metro to get around which is quite easy to use.
Sights
- Parc Guell
- Parc Ciutadella
- Las Ramblas
- La Boqueria
- Sagrada Familia
Food
- Brunch & Cake
- Al Sur Cafe
- Exotico
- Ginette
- Rossini
- Bivio Steak House
- Carlitos
- Casa Bonay
Drinks
- Neo
- Roast Club
- Hidden Coffee
- Cremat
- Bar Sauvage
- Dry Martini
Extreme Day Trip options from Irish airports:
- Dublin – Yes
- Belfast International – No
- Belfast City – No
- Shannon – No
- Cork – No
- Knock – No
- Kerry – No
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Madrid
Madrid is another option that is slightly further away but you can get to see alot in Madrid in one day.
Flight Time
2.5 hour
How to get from Madrid Airport to the City Centre
The train will take you from the airport to the city centre in around 30 minutes. Tickets for the train cost €2.60 each way.
Things to do in Madrid
Sights
- Museo del Prado
- Palacio Real
- Retiro Park
- Puerta de Alcala
- Palacio de Cristal
Food
- Bendita
- Norah
- Lilo
- Oroya
- Botania
- Bel Mondo
Drinks
- Real Coffee
- Bo Coffee
- Utopico
- Baton Rouge
- Calle 365
- Broken Shaker
Extreme Day Trip options from Irish airports:
- Dublin – Yes
- Belfast International – No
- Belfast City – No
- Shannon – No
- Cork – No
- Knock – No
- Kerry – No
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Bergamo/Milan
Bergamo Again, Bergamo has a really nice Christmas Market so it is a great option for that time of the year as well. If you would prefer to spend the day in Milan, you can get the train from Bergamo Airport that takes about an hour and costs €10.
Flight Time
2.5 hours
How to get from Bergamo Airport to Milan
You can get an airport transfer that takes around 45 minutes and costs €10.
Things to do in Milan
One of the most popular things to do in Milan is the QC Terme spa, which you will often see on social media. We would also suggest doing a tour of the Duomo while you are in the city.
Sights
- Duomo
- Galleria Vittorio
- Last Supper Tour
- QC Terme Spa
- Castello Sforzesco
Food
- Mugs and Co
- Nowhere Cafe
- Bar Luce
- Al Fresco
- Canteen
- Osteria Serafina
Drinks
- Orsonero Cafe
- Marchesi 1824
- Cafezal Milano
- Fonderie
- Terrazza Aperol
- Rita’s Tiki Room
Extreme Day Trip options from Irish airports:
- Dublin – Yes
- Belfast International – No
- Belfast City – No
- Shannon – No
- Cork – No
- Knock – No
- Kerry – No
