Increasing numbers of Brits are heading off on extreme day trips, where they spend just one day exploring a destination, before returning home.
Many do it for the thrill of being somewhere different, while others argue it’s a way for them to experience overseas travel without a high price tag.
There are plenty of affordable places to visit for just 24 hours, and a new study has identified the best European cities for such a short adventure.
It considered a range of factors including flight time and cost, estimated transfer time from the airport, and the number of restaurants and things to do in the local area to calculate where might be suitable.
Barcelona came out as the best city to visit for just a day, scoring 9.13 out of ten.
An average round trip to the Spanish capital comes to £242, making it one of the cheaper options, and it has a whopping 10,448 restaurants to choose from – the second highest amount on the list.
There are plenty of things to do in Barcelona – 6,109 to be exact – and travellers can have faith there is a high chance of decent weather, with an average temperature of 15.5 degrees.
The vibrant city sees around 2,500 hours of sunshine a year, too.
Barcelona came out as the best city to visit for just a day, scoring 9.13 out of ten in the new research
There are plenty of things to do in Barcelona – 6,109 to be exact – and travellers can have faith there is a high chance of decent weather, with an average temperature of 15.5 degrees
Ground transportation company Mozio, who commissioned the research, estimates the transfer from the airport into the city is just 25 minutes, meaning you won’t be wasting precious time during your short visit.
What’s more, a return flight from London to Barcelona is affordable, with one on February 7 coming to just £33 on Skyscanner.
Meanwhile, the average cost of a hotel per night is around £155.
A short trip to Barcelona is sure to be action-packed, there are museums to take in, impressive architecture to explore and plenty of local eateries to try out.
Prague is another good destination for a 24-hour trip and ranked second with a score of 8.92.
The average round trip costs £174 and tourists will be spoilt for choice on what to do when they get there – with 4,858 restaurants to choose form and 4,858 things to do.
A night in a hotel comes to around £98 and the transfer time from the airport is just half an hour.
Brussels placed third, following the Czech Republic capital closely with a score of 8.89 out of ten.
What’s more, a return flight from London to Barcelona is affordable, with one on February 7 coming to just £33 on Skyscanner
It’s a relatively mild city to visit for a day, with temperatures averaging at 10.7 degrees.
A round trip comes to £221, while a hotel stay works out at £124 a night.
The transfer time from the airport is pretty short too, at just 20 minutes.
Budapest placed fourth, followed by Lisbon in fifth. Valencia, Paris, Naples, Amsterdam and Seville rounded off the top ten.
