10 Best Day Trips (Costs & Tips, 2026)

RER C train from Paris takes 40 minutes and costs €7.20 return. Palace entry is €20 but the gardens are free (€9 on fountain show days). Go on a Tuesday or Wednesday when the Palace closes and the gardens are even quieter. Buy tickets online to skip the queue.

Advance train tickets from London Victoria cost £9 each way (book 2 weeks ahead). The Royal Pavilion costs £16 to enter but the beach, The Lanes, and the pier are free. A full day out for under £20 including food.

Ferry from Naples Molo Beverello to Capri costs €20 return and takes 50 minutes. The island itself is walkable — skip the expensive boat tours and hike up to Villa Jovis (€6) for the best views. Pack a picnic — restaurants on Capri are extremely expensive.

Entry to Machu Picchu costs $47. The bus up from Aguas Calientes costs $24 return but you can hike up in 90 minutes for free (Camino Histórico). Book tickets months in advance on machupicchu.gob.pe — daily visitor numbers are capped.

The 1-day Angkor pass is $37 and covers all temples. Rent a bicycle from Siem Reap ($5/day) to reach the temples independently — far cheaper than a tuk-tuk. Start at Angkor Wat for sunrise (5:30am), then Ta Prohm (the Tomb Raider temple) before the tour groups arrive at 9am.

CTM bus from Fès to Chefchaouen costs ~100 MAD ($10) each way and takes 4 hours. The blue-painted medina is free to wander. The Spanish Mosque above the city is a 20-minute hike and gives the best overview photograph. Go on a weekday to beat the growing Instagram crowds.

Train + ferry combination from Salzburg to Hallstatt costs €25 return. The village is free to walk — just avoid July and August weekends when coach tours overwhelm the tiny streets. The salt mine tour costs €35 but the lake, village, and viewpoint hike are all free.

Slow boat up the Mekong from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang takes 2 days (~$25 total) but the minibus takes 4 hours for $10. The temples (Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Mai) charge $1–2 each. The pre-dawn alms-giving ceremony is free to observe respectfully from a distance.

Fullers ferry from Auckland takes 35 minutes and costs NZ$42 return. Waiheke has 30+ wineries — most offer free tastings with a small purchase. Rent a bike from the ferry terminal ($30/day) and cycle between wineries for the most enjoyable and cheapest approach.

Circumvesuviana train from Naples Garibaldi station to Pompeii Scavi costs €5.70 return and takes 40 minutes. Entry to Pompeii is €16 (free for EU citizens under 18). The site is enormous — download the free audio guide from pompeiisites.org before you go.