This globetrotting woman has revealed how she took off to Paris for just a couple of hours, seeing the sights whilst dodging the high city prices that come along with overnight stays.
Hayley Rushton explored everything from the Eiffel Tower to the Arc de Triomphe and grabbed a bite to eat in French cafes and was still home and in bed before midnight!
The solo traveller decided to visit the French capital just for the day as a birthday present to herself.
She said: “Not only is this a great way to challenge yourself to navigate a foreign country but also budget-friendly!
“When you’re in control of your itinerary you can choose a budget whether it be high or low to stick to.
“It would cost more for a meal and a few drinks than it did for me to visit a beautiful city for a day!
“I would highly recommend memories of conquering a new city solo even if it’s just once.”
Hayley, from Liverpool, UK, realised that despite travelling to over 40 countries, she has left most of Europe untouched.
As her birthday was fast approaching, she took it as the perfect opportunity to jet off to the city of light.
However, she decided a day trip was the best option with limited annual leave being a constant issue when looking to go on holiday.
The traveller definitely made the best decision as she also cut back on major spending with tourists often having to find hundreds to afford a hotel stay abroad.
Hayley paid just £44.74 for her flights to and from France, she gave herself more opportunity to splash the cash on souvenirs and some sweet birthday treats.
She said: “I decided for my birthday that I would visit Paris for the day as a present to myself.
“I had limited annual leave left and was struggling to find anyone to look after my cars so decided to try an extreme day trip flying out at 6:55am and returning at 8:15pm.
“I love traveling with friends and solo to push myself out of my comfort zone but also to be free to do as I wished with such a short time available.”
Hayley landed at 9am at Beauvais airport and her flight home was 20:15, with the travel time to and from the city around two hours each way she had around 5-6 hours of sightseeing time.
She added: “Of course, costs add up, but I find accommodation so expensive in Paris that a day trip is a fantastic alternative.
“I loved it so much I will be going back in December for christmas presents and my friends are really interested in coming with me next time after seeing how much I fit into one day!
“The architecture is beautiful and the sites are stunning.
“I would 100% go back to see other sites I missed out on.”