Hannah and Simon took an ‘extreme day trip’ instead of having date night in the UK
Hannah West, pictured with husband Simon, claimed they ‘could easily have gone to London for the day’ and spent the same amount
A couple swapped their usual UK date night to fly to the French Alps for five hours of skiing and fondue. They claimed it could “easily be the same price” to go out for dinner and a show in London.
Hannah West, 39, and her husband, Simon, 52, wanted to see if an extreme day trip to the mountains was really possible. The couple, from Brighton, had an early 6am start in the airport but claim the trip was “totally worth it”.
The pair boarded a 6.10am flight from Gatwick Airport to Geneva in February, and despite the plane being delayed by an hour, they touched down in France by 10am. The content creators spent the afternoon skiing in La Clusaz before grabbing a fondue and flying back to the UK at 9.30pm.
They were back in time to kiss their kids goodnight. They added that, despite the trip setting them back £671.80, it could easily cost the same to go to London to see a show and have a nice dinner.
Hannah said: “We got in five hours of skiing which I think is how much most people would do in a day anyway. I feel like we got a really decent amount of skiing in. It was definitely worth it.
“You could easily have gone to London for the day and spent that if you went to watch a show and had dinner. The fact that we got to do that much skiing and it’s something we will never forget, I think it’s totally worth it.”
Hannah and Simon decided to challenge themselves to an extreme day trip after seeing others go on quick getaways. The mum-of-two said: “I’ve seen a lot of people doing them for city breaks, but I wanted to see if it was possible to do it for a ski trip.”
They spent £164.99 per person on return flights and determined to maximise their time on the snow, the couple hired a car for £59.18 straight from the airport and drove to the resort, allowing them to squeeze in five hours of skiing.
They arrived by midday, and after skiing, the couple still had time to get dinner and drinks. They spent £61 on a cheese fondue for two, dessert, one glass of wine and one cola. Hannah said: “The whole day felt magical and I felt like I was beaming the whole time. I couldn’t believe it was possible, the whole day I was on a high. It was the best date day.”
Their flight back to England was at 9.30pm. They managed to get back to their home in Brighton around 11.30pm, where their children – 11 and eight – were being babysat by their grandmother.
Hannah said: “This is such a great opportunity to have an amazing date day with your partner – to do something you both really love together and have a really special day you’re going to remember forever. It was exhausting, we were totally knackered.”
In total, the trip cost £671.80, which is £335.90 per person. While that may sound steep for a single day, Hannah argues it compares to a luxury day out in London.
She added that booking flights further in advance or travelling in a group would have reduced the cost. She said: “It’s not about replacing a week-long ski holiday, or am I suggesting this is something to do on a regular basis.
“But if you’re time-poor, or don’t have childcare for a week away, you can still have an amazing, special day together.” While she wouldn’t rush to repeat the adrenaline-fuelled day, she says she would do it again if the opportunity arose.
The couple took their trip in February 2025. Flight prices will likely be different now and will vary depending on the location people fly from, if trying to replicate a similar experience.
Cost breakdown (prices from February 2025):
- Parking: £31.68 at Gatwick Airport
- Flights: £164.99pp
- Car hire: £59.18
- Fuel: £14.63
- Tolls: £10.70
- Parking: £12.30
- Day pass skiing: £44.66pp
- Ski gear hire: £22.75 pp
- Food: £78.51
- Total: £671.80 (£335.90pp)