Man flies to Milan from London for a 15-hour holiday and spent just £150 on travel, food and tourist attractions during his ‘extreme day trip’
Winter is coming and brings with it the dreaded seasonal blues – meaning many Brits are dreaming of flying to somewhere sunny to escape the gray British skies.
For those who cannot book time off and are working on a tight budget, a day trip abroad can be the perfect solution.
Sounds impossible? It’s not – it’s an increasingly popular trend known as ‘extreme daytripping’ – and it’s exactly what Londoner Ehteshan Hanifa, 29, decided to do.
His judgment? He ‘couldn’t recommend it enough’ to others.
Ehteshan, passing by @EttyTweets on X (formerly known as Twitter) shared his experiences online last week, prompting others to want to do the same.
Although it may seem impossible, it’s a real concept called ‘extreme day out’ and it’s exactly what Londoner Ehteshan Hanifa, 29, decided to do
For just £27, the Brit headed to Milan at 5.45am and enjoyed a day out before flying back to London at 8.30pm
For just £27, the Brit left for Milan at 5.45am and enjoyed a day out before flying back to London at 8.30pm.
He packed in a relaxing spa day and some sightseeing before enjoying pasta and a pistachio pizza, with gelato to finish.
Ehteshan’s post about his day abroad quickly racked up more than a million views, with people flooding the answers section with questions.
His post detailed his first visit to the QC Termemilano spa, which features a cinematic pool room that simulates a thunderstorm, complete with dramatic stormy sound effects.
The wellness retreat made waves on TikTok earlier this year – it’s housed in an Art Nouveau complex in the heart of the Italian city and also features saunas, hot tubs, a waterfall room and an outdoor pool.
It describes itself as a ‘multi-sensory experience’, with the basic admission price including a bathrobe, a towel, a pair of slippers and an ‘exclusive’ aperitif.
In his overview of the day, Ehteshan also included a photo of what appears to be many beds in a room at the spa. He shared a photo of the Duomo di Milano, a tourist attraction, and the delicious pizza he got from Ristorante Galleria.
Metro reported that the whole day cost him just £156 – the flight £27 and the bus to and from London Stansted £14.
He first visited the QC Termemilano spa, which features a cinematic pool room that simulates a thunderstorm, complete with dramatic stormy sound effects
He shared a photo of the Duomo di Milano, a tourist attraction, and the delicious pizza he got to eat at Ristorante Galleria
In terms of his chosen activities, the spa cost £60 and food and drink totaled £40. He then spent £15 on trains while in the city.
It’s not the first time Ehteshan has tried something like this. He told MailOnline: ‘I did something similar in July 2022.
‘I managed to find cheap flights to Cologne for one day on my birthday, £30 return, and six of us traveled.
‘I would really like to spend a day abroad again. If I can find cheap flights that leave early in the morning and return late in the evening.
‘I couldn’t recommend it enough to others. It’s so much cheaper than a night out in London and you get to experience so much more.
‘In Cologne I visited the Cologne Cathedral, the Lindt Chocolate Museum and traveled around the city on a Lime Scooter.
‘Some cities in Europe are very small so you can see the main sights in a few hours, so yes, I recommend everyone to take day trips abroad.’
The travel fanatic said it was TikTok that inspired his last-minute decision.
He explained: ‘I was on TikTok and a video of the QC Termemilano spa appeared on my page and I decided to go there.’
It prompted others to plan a similar excursion, with one user asking: ‘I really want to do exactly this, any tips please?’
He advised: ‘Go with the skyscanner or kayak to check for flights, use city mapper to get around and use tiktoks for things to do and see during the day.’
Describing the spa to another curious X user, he said: ‘Just go in and relax. Soothing music is played and there are many incense bottles in the room so you can relax for a while.’
Ehteshan recommends Skyscanner or Kayak for finding the best deals on flights, while another user jokes: ‘I bet it was cheaper than a night out in London.’
Others were inspired by the spontaneous trip, with one penning: ‘I have to try these day trips sometime’, and another adding: ‘I need friends to do this with!!’
The man, who goes by @EttyTweets on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared his experience last week and urged others to want to do the same
One user said: ‘I need this level of spontaneity’, while another added: ‘I need to do this! WTH!!,” alongside fire emojis.
One person who has ever done an extreme day trip concluded, “I did this last month and it was soooo tiring, but also one of the best things I’ve ever done.”
Another said: ‘Omg I did this to Milan too this summer.
‘Not exactly the same activities, but a 7am flight there, food, sightseeing, museums, spaghetti and gelato and then an 8pm flight back.
‘One of the best spontaneous things I’ve done so far.’