Emily Gibbs, 29, loves going on extreme day trips abroad for under £100
Emily Gibbs in Chamonix in the French Alps(Image: Emily Gibbs/SWNS)
A mum leaves her toddler and partner at home to embark on solo “therapy” holidays. Her escapades have included a four-hour jaunt to Chamonix that takes less time than a day in London.
Emily Gibbs, 29, adores extreme day trips as they offer her “freedom” and “adventure” while providing a brief respite from parenting her three-year-old son, who stays at home with his dad.
She has visited Monaco and Gothenburg, France, and jetted off to the French Alps this January – enjoying a “picture perfect” train ride up in the mountains before returning home in time for bed. The mum of one, who runs a housekeeping agency, spent just £100 on the entire trip, departing at 8.30am and arriving back at Luton airport at 7.50pm the same day.
Emily, from Norwich, Norfolk, said: “I love going abroad on day trips. If I have a week where I’ve not got loads going on, I’ll just look at what cheap flights I can get and then go on a day trip somewhere.
“I love the freedom of walking through an airport by myself without any bags and knowing I’ll be back in my own bed at night time. I go on family holidays with my three-year-old son and his dad too, but these day trips are my independent time, they’re like my therapy.
“Chamonix was like a winter wonderland, it was picture perfect, like a scene from a movie. There was snow hanging off the trees and little chalets everywhere.
“It was like stepping into the scene of a Hallmark movie. The highlight of my trip was definitely the train ride up the mountain.
“I was just looking out of the window thinking, ‘how on earth am I doing this right now? I was in my own bed this morning and I’ll be back there in a few hours’ time’.
“It’s fun to push boundaries and see where you can get in a day. I managed to do the whole day for exactly £100. It’s no more than I’d spent on a day out in the UK, the train from Norwich to London is £60 alone.
“It was a tiring day, but I have a three-year-old son, so it was nothing compared to the sleepless nights that mothers go through. It’s just one day and then I’ll go home and recover the next day.”
Emily chose to visit the snowy ski resort of Chamonix, France, after previously savouring extreme day trips to Monaco and Gothenburg in 2025. The busy mum shared that she adores jetting abroad on day trips because of the “sense of adventure” it gives her.
While Emily treasures family holidays with her son and partner, she views her extreme day trips as “therapy trips” where she can enjoy herself on her own terms. For each adventure, Emily sets herself a £100 budget covering transport, food and activities, and she managed to secure return flights to Geneva for this journey for just £42.
On the day of her trip in January, Emily rose at 4am and drove two hours to Luton airport. She then caught the 8.30am flight to Geneva, touching down in the Swiss city at 11am.
Emily then hopped on a one-hour bus to Chamonix at 12.15pm, arriving at 1.05pm. Despite Chamonix being a renowned skiing and winter sports resort, Emily chose to stroll around, admiring the breathtaking snow-capped alps and engaging in conversation with fellow tourists.
After spending roughly an hour immersing herself in the atmosphere, at 2pm Emily took the Montenvers Mer de Glace train up through the mountains, which cost her £27. After the train ride, Emily returned to the town centre, where she grabbed some grub and watched skiers returning from a full day on the slopes.
“It was lovely,” she expressed. At 5.15pm she caught the bus back to Geneva, before boarding the 6.30pm train home, arriving in Luton at 7.50pm.
She then embarked on the two-hour drive back to Norwich and was snuggled up in bed by 11pm. All things considered, Emily got to spend four hours in Chamonix and although she wishes she had stayed longer, she said this was ample time to do everything she wanted to on the trip.
“I always want to stay longer, but I got to go up the mountains, I didn’t rush around, I wasn’t watching my clock,” she shared.
Despite a few queues at passport control, Emily said there were no downsides to her trip and is eagerly anticipating her next extreme day trip, a girls’ trip to a spa in Bucharest, Romania. She shares her story on @littlemomentswithemily.
Breakdown of Emily’s day in Chamonix
4am wake up
4:30am drive to Luton airport
6.45am Arrive at car park and free shuttle to airport
8.30am Flight to Geneva
11am Touched down in Geneva
12.15pm Caught the bus to Chamonix
1.05pm Arrived in Chamonix
2pm Took the Montenvers train up to the peak
3.45pm Rode the Montenvers train back down
4.05pm Explored the town and grabbed food and drinks
5.15pm Hopped on the bus back to Geneva airport
6.30pm Reached Geneva airport
7.50pm Flew back to Luton
11pm Back in bed
Expenses
Airport Parking £10
Return Flights (Luton to Geneva) £42
Return Bus (Geneva airport to Chamonix) £21
Montenvers Mer de Glace train £27