City breaks are getting bigger. Travellers are increasingly using Europe’s major tourist hubs as launchpads for day trips – swapping packed sightseeing schedules for castle visits, wine regions, beaches and mountain escapes, often just a train ride away.
New research has revealed which cities people most want to escape from for a one-day adventure, with London, Paris and Rome topping the list.
Experts at TUI Musement, a provider of tours and activities, analysed Google search volumes to identify the European cities from which travellers most frequently search for day trips.
The team considered all European cities with more than 150,000 inhabitants and, for each destination, they analysed Google search volumes for the term “day trips from [city]”, using both the city’s native name and its English translation.
In the end, they ranked 30 cities across the continent which stand out for both their own appeal and also what can be discovered on a day trip, using the city as a base.
