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From the Midlands to Majorca and back in a day

Josh Giltrap
BBC Radio WM
Toni Rowbery Two women - one wearing sunglasses, the other with sunglasses on her head - smiling on a sunny day. A palm tree stands in the background.Toni Rowbery
Toni and Gina Rowbery said they planned to continue doing day trips abroad

Two sisters who have been trying out "extreme day trips", where they fly abroad and return home in time for bed, say it is an affordable way to see the world.

After getting the one-day travel bug herself, Gina Rowbery from Cannock, Staffordshire, got her sister Toni to her on a day trip to Majorca.

"The world's your oyster I suppose, especially at those prices," said Toni, adding she had been "a bit apprehensive" but had had a brilliant time.

There are concerns, however, the trend is bad for the environment, as it encourages airlines to put on extra flights.

Gina said she was "massively surprised" at how much the pair got done in just six-and-a-half hours in Palma de Mallorca.

"We left the airport, caught a bus into Palma old town, saw the old streets and statues, a beautiful abbey," said Toni. "You've got the cathedral, you've got the castle, you've got the seafront - there's just so much to do.

"It was absolutely brilliant. It was worth every penny."

Toni Rowbery Two blonde women - both wearing sunglasses - smiling on a sunny day. A carpark and palm trees are in the background.Toni Rowbery
The sisters say so-called extreme day trips are cheaper and mean taking less leave from work

Such trips have exploded in popularity recently - with one UK-based Facebook page growing from 3,000 to more than 300,000 in the past few years.

Michael Cracknell, who runs the Extreme Day Trips group, said it ultimately came down to affordability.

"If you want to go on a day trip to Edinburgh on the train, you're talking hundreds and hundreds of pounds, where you can go to Pisa or Milan with one of the budget airlines for about £20 each return," he said.

He said it was "a shame" the expense of public transport in the UK meant people were not encouraged to use it.

"Days out and travelling within this country needs to be made more affordable for families," he added.

Michael Cracknell Close-up of a smiling man in a woolly hat in front of a mountain.Michael Cracknell
Michael Cracknell runs the Extreme Daytrips Facebook group

The sisters said they would "100% continue" to do the quickie trips, flying out from nearby Birmingham Airport.

"I've been to Paris, Dublin, and Majorca so far, and I'll definitely do more," said Gina.

"Being able to do it in such a short time space is nice because you don't spend any extra money on accommodation, and you don't even need to use annual leave from work."

Toni added: "I'd love to go to Rome, which is on my bucket list. Poland, Hungary, Budapest - there's a big wide world out there, why not experience it":[]}