An extreme day-tripper clocks in thousands of miles for a quick jaunt across Europe without missing a day of work.
Michael Cracknell, 35, from Haywards Heath, has made trips as far as Switzerland and Athens from his home – all in under 24 hours. By doing so, he ensures he doesn’t eat into his work holidays and still has time to rest over the weekend. A professional photographer by day, Michael also founded the ‘Extreme Day Trips’ Facebook group in October 2022, which has amassed a following of over 250,000 members.
The group serves as a hub for organising expeditions with fellow enthusiasts and sharing experiences. Speaking on his inaugural trip, Michael revealed: “There were people that were quite sceptical and told me I couldn’t possibly do anything in a day. I wanted to prove that you could.
“It just grew from there and exploded into what it is today. I am very surprised by how popular it has become. I had no clue this would happen. It is all done in a day, so you don’t have to take any time off work and you still have one day of the weekend left to recover, do your shopping and your washing.”
This way, Michael gets to boast about quick trips, like visiting Athens over the weekend, without sacrificing any vacation days. Explaining his preference for brevity, he said: “I wasn’t very keen on being away from home for long periods of time so the day trips were the perfect answer to travelling for me.”
Michael developed a passion for day trips back in 2002 while training to become a pilot, taking his first trip to Toulouse with his dad. Fast-forward to 2020, and he rekindled his love for quickfire adventures by booking several excursions before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily grounded his travel plans.
Starting a Facebook group for fellow travel enthusiasts, Michael’s claim to fame was planning a whirlwind day trip to Benidorm for less than £100 – his most budget-friendly exploit to date. This year, he’s turned individual excitement into a group affair, with a recent jaunt taking 20 people to Switzerland.
With around 12 such arranged outings under his belt, each hosting about 15 travellers, Michael can’t tally his total number of holidays but concedes it’s “quite a lot”. Amazed by the positive response and the community spirit, he shared: “I have been all over Europe on day trips since 2022. People love the trips and they enjoy themselves. I don’t charge I just plan it, and people book for themselves.
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“I can’t believe how good the community is. They are just so grateful and they can’t believe we have done it in a day. And there are now well over 100 people that I have done that for. I have made many friends from this. The friendships which are forged from there are incredible.
“Most of the time when you get back you are absolutely tired. You are still buzzing from the day, but you certainly sleep well that night. You kind of get used to it but for new starters the tiredness can be overwhelming.”
Reflecting on his most memorable trips, Michael fondly recalled a visit to Athens with his father and two brothers. He described it as a “really special day” where they explored all the major tourist attractions within 24 hours for an astonishing £149 per person, inclusive of dinner and activities.
Michael pointed out that a train ticket to Edinburgh alone can cost more than that, making his action-packed international trips a no-brainer. Looking ahead to 2024, he has one more group trip planned to Switzerland in two weeks, with an impressive 2,500 applicants vying to join him.
He expressed his affection for Switzerland, praising its reliable public transport system, which he believes surpasses what’s available in the UK. Michael shared his secret to affordable travel, advising: “The key to cheap trips is to book flights as far in advance as you can during a sale.”
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