EXTREME daytripping – where you go to another country, explore for a day and return home before bedtime – has exploded on social media.
But to make the most of those precious few hours in a foreign city, pre-booking your experiences with an expert is a savvy decision.
And many offer time-saving extras like skipping queues or going into attractions after dark.
I’ve never been to , so this seemed the ideal first extreme trip for me – the chance to take in the city’s amazing sites and fabulous food in just a day.
My morning started with a 5am alarm, and by 6.30am I was in my seat on one of the first services out of .
Just two and a half hours later, I was pulling into in Paris.
A must-see was the Impressionist art at the Musee d’Orsay.
But there was no queueing for tickets – my guide met me at the entrance and we were straight in.
The museum is regularly voted one of the best in the world and inside are over 15,000 pieces of art, from paintings to sculptures.
The most notable artists are Monet, Degas and Renoir. Up in the attic I saw works by .
It was the busiest room of the museum, but it was worth manoeuvring through the crowds to get a glimpse of the magnificent Starry Night Over the Rhône.
The museum is beautiful, with a huge gold clock and a vaulted ceiling – features from its former life as a train station. The clock has been ticking there since 1900.
I wrapped up at the Orsay at 1pm – and I was already halfway through the day.
With an afternoon food tour booked, I was on a mission to see first, and set off along the banks of the Seine.
Coffee carts on the Left Bank were handy for a caffeine boost after the early start, and I picked up a little souvenir at the stalls along the way.
I wandered from winding streets to broad avenues lined with trees in full blossom.
I stopped outside the famous bookshop, Shakespeare And Company, which opened in 1951 and counted , James Joyce and Gertrude Stein among its visitors.
Across the road was Notre Dame which, after the devastating fire in 2019, has just begun to allow visitors.
However, guided tours are not available until June.
Half an hour after marvelling at the cathedral, I was tucking into a buttery, layered croissant on the City Experience’s Ultimate Food Tour.
Across the Marais neighbourhood, I was taken on a gastronomic journey sampling award-winning chocolate, macarons, classic French cheeses and onion soup, all while learning interesting tidbits along the way.
In the Jewish Quarter I stopped for a pastrami sandwich, then a French-Syrian bakery for sweet treats and to top it off, I sampled two French wines, including delicious Chablis.
I had an hour left before my 8pm Eurostar, which had me back in London by 10pm.
As a homebody, extreme daytripping is a trend I can definitely get on board with.
