A Solihull English teacher has travelled around Europe in the space of a day from Birmingham Airport.
Claire Howard made 13 day trips visiting each location within the space of 24 hours, in a bid to conquer fear of flying. Now 47, her phobia started when she was just 21. Claire says that the shock therapy has worked and no longer has a fear of flying.
The mum-of-two booked her first solo flight from Birmingham to Geneva in January 2024. Despite the initial panic, she went ahead and enjoyed the experience so much, she ended up making 13 trips last year. All by taking no annual leave.
Claire’s fear of flying began in the late 1990s after travelling around the world. A bad flight from Perth to Singapore, started a phobia of flying.
Over the many trips, Claire says she has really connected with Poland, visiting Warsaw, Bydgoszcz, and Poznan. Flights varied from £27 to £65 for returns, so each trip with activities and food included has come to around £180 to £200.
‘Extreme day tripping’ sees travellers use local airports to embark on a day-long adventure, often solo. Costs are kept low as you don’t book accommodation, but the ‘extreme’ element comes into play because you have to pack as much as possible into 24 hours.