Extreme Day Trips

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for posting, LiskeardRich.

I'll offer you my local example of Bristol Airport, for their apparently trying to discourage 'day trippers' to anywhere, frankly.

I live in Nailsea, so none of those airport public transport options from central Bristol would help.  However, I could ask my wife to drive me up to the airport and drop me off outside the Airport Tavern - just to avoid the minimum £3 charge for every vehicle daring to enter the 'drop-off zone' within the airport.

I'd then have to trudge up the road to the airport entrance, check in, and walk up to the security queues. After eventually passing through those, I'd then have to sit around waiting for my flight to be announced.  Then, I'd have to walk over, by whatever means, to board the aircraft.  I'd then have to sit around for another while, before the aircraft even starts moving.  That's without any luggage, as I'm hypothetically travelling on a same day return flight to 'somewhere extreme' in Europe.

And it would be the same on the return journey: I'd ask my wife to drive up to the airport to collect me, from outside the Airport Tavern - to avoid yet another minimum charge of £3 for daring to enter the 'meet & greet' zone within the airport.

Frankly, if I really wanted a one day out on a jolly, I'd do a railway journey to South Wales and back, with far less hassle. 

By the way: I don't have a current passport. That was another of my votes in the poll. 

[chuffed]

Worth pointing out that you can reduce the price on the falcon still further by using a concessionary bus pass to reduce the advertised price by half viz £4.05. I was paying £3 one way until the last price rise, you get dropped at the airport bus station and it will pick you up /drop you off at Anchor Road as well as Bond Street.

[Phantom]

I’d be interested to know what people find too much hassle with airports, if that’s the only reason deterring someone, maybe some of the other more seasoned airport users  could give some tips around reducing the hassle.

This doesn't really make sense, with a day trip you would not be taking any luggage, could pre check in, so literally walk up to the airport at the last moment and board the plane

[ChrisB]

You can never simply walk up & get on - even without luggage.

the initial barrier that you pass through by scanning your boarding pass on is set to refuse admittance at a point prior to departure - usually 30-40 mins. You still have to clear through security, even with zero luggage/carry ons.

[Oxonhutch]

You still have to clear through security, even with zero luggage/carry ons.

As I found out on a one day business trip some years ago from Leeds to Edinburgh. Having just a notebook and pen on me made me even more suspicious in their eyes, and I was given the full nine yards - security wise - both going there and returning in the evening.

[grahame]

From my own home to the plane push back is an absolute minimum of 2 hours. That's driving to Southampton, Bristol or Bournemouth Airports and parking short term / walking in to terminal 30 minutes before departure, which is cutting it a bit fine.  On return it might be 15 minutes less from arriving at the gate to being home.

First train of the day to Southampton is the 06:32 getting there at 08:22, last return at 19:47 from Southampton into Melksham at 21:31.    Amsterdam - flight at 09:20, getting to Schipol at 11:30 would be possible, with a 16:50 return flight getting in at 17:00 to Southampton - might catch the previous train.   Jersey and Guernsey also possible, I think.

No thank you - not these days; I would need to find a deckchair and grab some sleep in Amsterdam to recover from the outbound flight in time for the return one.   A decade ago, yes.

[LiskeardRich]

Worth pointing out that you can reduce the price on the falcon still further by using a concessionary bus pass to reduce the advertised price by half viz £4.05. I was paying £3 one way until the last price rise, you get dropped at the airport bus station and it will pick you up /drop you off at Anchor Road as well as Bond Street.

Under 25s get the discount too. (I’m a falcon driver)

[LiskeardRich]

Thanks for posting, LiskeardRich.

I'll offer you my local example of Bristol Airport, for their apparently trying to discourage 'day trippers' to anywhere, frankly.

I live in Nailsea, so none of those airport public transport options from central Bristol would help.  However, I could ask my wife to drive me up to the airport and drop me off outside the Airport Tavern - just to avoid the minimum £3 charge for every vehicle daring to enter the 'drop-off zone' within the airport.

I'd then have to trudge up the road to the airport entrance, check in, and walk up to the security queues. After eventually passing through those, I'd then have to sit around waiting for my flight to be announced.  Then, I'd have to walk over, by whatever means, to board the aircraft.  I'd then have to sit around for another while, before the aircraft even starts moving.  That's without any luggage, as I'm hypothetically travelling on a same day return flight to 'somewhere extreme' in Europe.

And it would be the same on the return journey: I'd ask my wife to drive up to the airport to collect me, from outside the Airport Tavern - to avoid yet another minimum charge of £3 for daring to enter the 'meet & greet' zone within the airport.

Frankly, if I really wanted a one day out on a jolly, I'd do a railway journey to South Wales and back, with far less hassle. 

By the way: I don't have a current passport. That was another of my votes in the poll. 

I’m sure I seen a sign up recently that the drop off went to a minimum £7? I’m in and out twice a day.

[LiskeardRich]

I’ll add a brief write up of my trip last week.

Finished work in Plymouth at 2224 (driving a falcon), caught the 2300 Plymouth to Bristol Falcon (staff travel pass), where I slept for a couple of hours. As someone I get on well with was driving I went into the city and back out to the airport, arriving at the airport at 0400.
My flight was 0705 with EasyJet to Geneva. We landed at 0930 local time.i was out of the airport and on a train into the city centre by 1000. Passport checks on arrival was very quick.
I took the train to the main city station, where I transferred to a tram out to the UN HQ^▸ (HeadQuarters), had a 10 minute look around that area of town, before heading back to the centre. I walked along the lake before taking a ferry across the lake which was a pleasant crossing and included in the day transport pass. I walked back round the lake from where the ferry dropped us taking in various scenery.
Approx 1300 I found a nice little brasserie for lunch. I had a bacon cheese fondue burger, chips and drink which came to just shy of £30, but it was without doubt the best quality burger I’ve ever had. It was made from Swiss mountain beef.

After lunch I headed down to the lake, and it was a pleasant warm day touching 20C, so I sunbathed for a couple of hours and made  a brave attempt at cold water swimming in the lake, joining in with some locals. I lasted 3 1/2 minutes!

I grabbed a supermarket sandwich for dinner before heading for home.

Total cost
Falcon to airport - nil ( staff pass, normally £43 return from Plymouth, discounts available  for over 60/ under 25)
EasyJet flights £35.98 return.
Travel pass £7.04 (8 Swiss francs) it’s 10 CHF if purchased before 9am.
Lunch £30
Sandwich dinner and bottle of coke £5. 
Total for a day out £78. I’d have spent more than this for a day out in this country, and I got to see somewhere new.


I did 48 hours in Krakow last month having been inspired by the channel 4 show Travelman, 48 hours in. Krakow was incredibly cheap. 2 nights Ibis hotel was £44, and I struggled to spend money, I only took £75 changed into Zloty, and started buying little Polish sweet packs for the kids to use it up. Beautiful city.

[ChrisB]

Falcon to airport - nil ( staff pass, normally £43 return from Plymouth,

Ouch!! It's not just Heathrow Express that charges then!! 

[LiskeardRich]

Falcon to airport - nil ( staff pass, normally £43 return from Plymouth,

Ouch!! It's not just Heathrow Express that charges then!! 

It’s a distance of 120 miles each way, £43 return is quite the bargain. Nil is even better :lol: Parking at Bristol airport short stay is £60 a day.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Parking at Bristol airport short stay is £60 a day.

That is why so many erstwhile farmers in North Somerset have retired - simply by offering cheaper parking (even including transfers) on their farmland. 

CfN.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for posting, LiskeardRich.

I'll offer you my local example of Bristol Airport, for their apparently trying to discourage 'day trippers' to anywhere, frankly.

I live in Nailsea, so none of those airport public transport options from central Bristol would help.  However, I could ask my wife to drive me up to the airport and drop me off outside the Airport Tavern - just to avoid the minimum £3 charge for every vehicle daring to enter the 'drop-off zone' within the airport.

I'd then have to trudge up the road to the airport entrance, check in, and walk up to the security queues. After eventually passing through those, I'd then have to sit around waiting for my flight to be announced.  Then, I'd have to walk over, by whatever means, to board the aircraft.  I'd then have to sit around for another while, before the aircraft even starts moving.  That's without any luggage, as I'm hypothetically travelling on a same day return flight to 'somewhere extreme' in Europe.

And it would be the same on the return journey: I'd ask my wife to drive up to the airport to collect me, from outside the Airport Tavern - to avoid yet another minimum charge of £3 for daring to enter the 'meet & greet' zone within the airport.

Frankly, if I really wanted a one day out on a jolly, I'd do a railway journey to South Wales and back, with far less hassle. 

By the way: I don't have a current passport. That was another of my votes in the poll. 

I’m sure I seen a sign up recently that the drop off went to a minimum £7? I’m in and out twice a day.

Yes: that rather strengthens my case, I think: see https://www.bristolairport.co.uk/to-and-from-the-airport/drop-off-and-pick-up/

CfN. 

[Phantom]

You can never simply walk up & get on - even without luggage.

the initial barrier that you pass through by scanning your boarding pass on is set to refuse admittance at a point prior to departure - usually 30-40 mins. You still have to clear through security, even with zero luggage/carry ons.

True, but you can walk into the airport, straight through the security and assuming you checked in online already can walk up to the plane at the last moment that the gate closes

It is certainly do-able, I did very similar when flying to Newcastle, except had a laptop to go through the scanner, but again that added literally seconds to the day

[ChrisB]

I don't think I've NOT queued to get through the scanner - and if it looks to them as if you are in a hurry, you become a prime suspect for a full body search....not worth leaving it late, frankly.