Christopher Mulholland flew to Cyprus for the day.
His main activity was walking three rescue dogs along Paphos harbour for an hour.
His taxi driver asked if he could not walk a dog in the UK.
He could, obviously, but that was not the point.
The 35-year-old from Bolton, Greater Manchester, is an extreme day tripper who flies to other countries and comes back within 24 hours.
His Cyprus trip in March saw him leave Luton just after 7am, land in Paphos around 1:15pm, spend six hours on the island, and get home by 1am.
The return flights cost £46.98.
“‘All this way to walk a dog?’ is what the taxi driver said to me when I explained what one of the reasons I went to Paphos for the day,” Mulholland told CreatorZine.
“He said, ‘can you not walk a dog in the UK?'”
Rescue dogs, ruins and a pelican
Mulholland pre-booked a taxi for the day at €120, which took him around the island without having to worry about finding transport.
He started at the harbour, walked along the seafront to the lighthouse, visited the castle and local ruins, and sat down for a three-course meal at a restaurant where a live pelican was wandering around.
But the highlight was Puppy Yoga Retreat, a beach walk with rescue dogs he had found online before the trip.
He walked with three puppies called Hooper, Amy and Annie along the harbour for an hour, accompanied by the project’s founders Ines and Jasmine, who explained how the dogs are rescued and rehomed in Cyprus and abroad.
Mulholland was the only visitor, which he says made it better.
“The hour flew by and I felt good that I helped the puppies, even just a little bit, to adapt to the outside and get to know smells and the environment,” he said.
“This is one of the most enjoyable, exciting and amazing opportunities I’ve had.”
£250 for the whole day
The total trip came to around £250, including flights, the taxi and food.
Mulholland says that is still cheaper than many days out in the UK.
“This was still mainly cheaper than a day out in the UK, like theme parks or getting the train down from Manchester to London,” he said.
He also noted that Cyprus needs tourist support right now.
“Cyprus and everybody on the island, especially businesses, need our support and tourism due to ongoing situations abroad such as flights getting cancelled or people changing plans. It is very quiet and they are struggling.”
Ticking off every country in Europe
Mulholland has been extreme day tripping since November 2023, when he flew to Geneva for the day.
Since then, he has been working through every country in Europe, plus parts of North Africa and Western Asia.
He has organised group trips to Disneyland Paris, a Swiss Alpine coaster and Marrakech, where the group did quad bikes and explored the souks before flying home.
“When you tell them, ‘oh I went to Africa for a day and we did quad bikes, exploring souks and gardens and taking in the culture’, it makes me proud,” he said.
His advice to anyone considering it: “Don’t let anyone say it’s impossible or crazy to do these trips as it changed my life.”
Why it matters
Extreme day trip content has carved out a dedicated audience on social media because it reframes travel as something spontaneous and accessible rather than expensive and aspirational.
Mulholland’s numbers help the argument land. Return flights under £50, a full day abroad for the price of a UK theme park visit.
For travel creators, this format works because it gives viewers a specific, replicable blueprint rather than a vague lifestyle aspiration.
The dog walking angle adds a layer of warmth that pure budget travel content often lacks.
Budget travel and micro-trip content continues to grow as a category, particularly among UK creators finding cheap flights from regional airports.
Mulholland is still ticking countries off the list.
The dogs in Paphos are still waiting for homes. The taxi driver, presumably, is still confused.
