One savvy traveller has found an alternative way to jet off abroad that not only saves money, but also allows her to visit a plethora of destinations throughout the year
Helen Dalling is often jetting off with pals for an extreme day trip(Image: Jam Press/Helen Dalling)
A woman has remarkably been able to visit seven countries in a year for less than £2,000.
Flights can be notoriously expensive, especially to those sought-after destinations. Even flights that are just for a few hours can quickly cost hundreds of pounds, leaving holidaymakers questioning their getaway to Europe.
Yet, that wasn’t going to stop Helen Dalling, 55, from travelling last year. Instead, she looked for alternative ways to travel that not only saved money but also ticked off a plethora of holiday destinations.
In a bid to travel as much as possible and to keep costs considerably low, Helen, from Milton Keynes, swapped longer getaways for short escapes. Some were extreme day trips flying to and from the destination within 24 hours, while others offered an overnight stay.
“I’ve always loved travelling, but as I’m getting older and I’ve got kids and I work full-time, I thought ‘I’m not going to see enough countries in the world’,” Helen told creatorzine.com. “‘If I don’t start going to see a few of them, I need to do them quick and cheap’. That’s really why I started doing it.”
While it’s certainly a little more hectic than a week-long beach getaway, the change in travel meant that the 55-year-old was able to visit seven countries last year for around £1,600. This included the costs of flights, airport parking, hotels, sightseeing, food and drink, and spending money.
In 2025, Helen travelled to Paris, Budapest, Alicante, Malaga, Split, Prague, Amsterdam, and Geneva twice. It varied how long she would stay in each destination, from just a few hours to an overnight stay.
“I went to seven brand new countries”, Helen said. “That’s what I really wanted to do, I thought, ‘I’ve never been to Hungary, so let’s go to Budapest’.”
To help keep costs as low as possible, Helen regularly looks out for deals from different airlines that fly from her nearest airport, London Luton. “When I went to Paris, I was basically just browsing on New Year’s Day, not doing much else, and I spotted that you could get a flight to Paris for £13, one way and £12 the other”, she revealed. “I just booked it – and then when I told a friend, she booked it too and came with me.”
Helen continued: “The Budapest flights were about £8.99 each way; you can’t even get them that cheap anymore. I’ve done others that were £15-£20 return; I just book them – when I see the price, I just go for it.”
While she sometimes travels solo, it’s often a great chance to catch up with friends on an extreme day trip. “Instead of going to London for lunch, let’s go somewhere for the day,” Helen said.
“I did Geneva twice last year, but the second one I did at Christmas was with a real old friend of mine who is really into her food. So we went and did a foodie trip to the Christmas markets in Geneva and just went for the day – she’d never done one.
“Everybody that I’ve done one with has said ‘Oh my God, that was amazing’. I’ve got a bit of a queue of people wanting to go as well, but only so much money.”
After visiting seven countries last year, Budapest, which cost £191 for an overnight stay, stood out for Helen. “We just fell in love with Budapest,” she said. “Every time we did something else afterwards, I just said to my friend, ‘It’s not Budapest, though, is it? It’s not Budapest.’
“It was February when we did that, but the sky was blue, and we had the best time.
“It was super cheap, and everything just worked.” She added: “It was so lush. We were just sitting in these massive pools of boiling hot water with the cold air on our skin, just going, ‘This is amazing.'”
Following her extreme trips last year, Helen is determined to do the same this year. She’s already travelled to Palma in Mallorca with a friend for under £120, spent the night in Lithuania, and ventured to Albania for the day.
She confessed: “I’m always buzzing after a day trip. I would definitely do it again, it’s a great way to visit countries you’d never visit by going on one holiday a year.
“Last year I visited seven new countries, and it’s liberating.”
Price breakdown of Helen’s 2025 trips
- Paris – £139 (extreme day trip)
- Budapest – £191 (overnight)
- Alicante – £62 (extreme day trip)
- Malaga – £118 (extreme day trip)
- Geneva – £182 (extreme day trip)
- Split – £315 (overnight)
- Prague – £165.11 (overnight)
- Amsterdam – £290 (overnight)
- Geneva – £138 (extreme day trip)
Total – £1,600.11
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