What is the best and shortest no-business related trip across the Atlantic that you have ever taken?

I have been sent to the UK on a Sunday flight returning on a Wednesday flight for work delivering highly important documents that no one wanted to trust to a courier service. Barely enough time to get over jet lag. I did spend some quality time at a couple pubs. Got my fill of real fish and chips, and got to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham. Not a total waste, especially since I wasn't the one paying for it.

Edit: Missed the part about "no-busines" Must be the jet lag setting in. :-)

for you Mark thats ok I like your story

About 20 years ago, shortly after British Airways had started serving Denver with flights to/from London, they had a special deal. I just happened to be on the Internet at home, with our modem tying up our landline phone, just before going to bed around 10:30 pm, when I got a surprise e-mail, with a limited time offer by BA to a limited number of people, with a long Valentine’s weekend offer, R/T flight for 2, plus a deluxe hotel stay including breakfast, for a ridiculously low price. We booked it immediately, and were able to both get time off from work, and hubby and I got the most incredible, short visit to London. Some highlights: V&A museum and Dale Chihuly chandelier, London Symphony tickets to Mozart’s Requiem, Red Leicester cheese at breakfast, dinner at a Belgian place with amazing beers. One less-than-perfect experience was, after finding that the booth that was supposed to sell no-wait tickets for the Tower of London at the Tube station was closed, we walked over towards The Tower, only to find a looooong queue along the former moat. Turns out it was a Bank Holiday (learned what those were, all of a sudden) and a lot of people were off that day, heading to The Tower as well. So we spent a lot of time standing in line, but we were in London anyway, and had a great, romantic, and really affordable time in one of the truly greatest places on the planet. We’ve spent a lot of dollars/pounds Sterling with BA in the ensuing years, so their promotional deal worked out for them, too.

My shortest trip was 7 days. I wanted to do something special for my 60th birthday so a friend and I spent a week in Rome. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't really suffer from jet lag and had a great time.

Over Thankgiving weekend 2001, I found a $262 r/t direct flight Philadelphia to Paris and a very low 3-night rate at a nice hotel near Rue Cler (the hotel was undergoing some minor refurbishment). It was a fantastic long weekend in Paris, and I met several other Americans who had also taken advantage of the bargain fares being offered at that time to encouage nervous travelers to start flying again. Imo even a short trip to Paris is time well spent.

3 nights in Venice. I had some close friends who were going to be there, I hadn’t seen these friends in a long time and I was personally going through a rough patch. I needed to get away, but didn’t want to travel alone at that time. So I had a few days free and went to Venice for 3 nights. My friends continued on their trip (Venice was the middle of a longer journey for them).

Totally worth it. On a longer trip Venice might get 3 nights - I just cut the rest out! I didn’t really adjust time wise, I just pushed it. For 3 nights you can do that. You plan and make every day count. It’s easy to focus and pick great restaurants/sights/plans when you have a short time.

Those three nights are much more memorable than 3 days at home going to the grocery store, work, and watching TV (my other option!)

From the east coast a direct flight to much of Europe is 7-9 hours. Less to Iceland or parts of the UK. That’s really not that long. As a young, broke person I used drive twice that long to visit other states when I couldn’t afford to fly. Chicago to NY. DC to Miami. I see spending that long on a flight and ending up somewhere amazing, even for a short time, completely worth it. Helps if you have miles or live in a market with inexpensive direct flights, of course. And the extra time from the west coast may tip the scales.

4 days in the UK from Philly. Landed at Heathrow and went directly to Bath. It was near the end of October, bitterly cold with snow flurries or rain. Basically, 1.5 days in Bath, then off to London on the train. Day highlights were V&A and British Museum. But the nights! Tickets for Alan Rickman and Helen Mirren in Antony and Cleopatra 2 nights in a row. Heaven!

This was in 1998. As I recall, the BA flight cost $395 RT. This was before the TV consoles in the seat backs so everyone was kept awake by the glare of the large screen in each plane section.

I have not repeated this short trip since, but am thinking about it because I returned home feeling so empowered and refreshed.

In 2016, I was not happy that my trip to England was only going to be 5 nights because my husband was in London for a meeting and was only willing to stay one additional night(and didn't suggest that I could stay longer by myself.) But I had a great trip-1 day and night in Salisbury, an entire day in Bath before going to Cardiff in the late afternoon, and 2 nights in Cardiff before going back to London to spend the night before our flight home. With the great train service and so many great places close to London, it was easy to do and I had not been to any of those places before.

3 nights in Antwerp for a wedding. Duval and moules frites. Flying from Wash, DC via Heathrow and Brussels. Seat mate tried to set me up with his son(even called my office when I got home!). So confused in Brussels looking for the train to Antwerp that I ended up speaking German with an American accent. I think they just thought I was Dutch. :-P

Definitely Iceland. It was a 5 hour red eye flight using a budget carrier - totally worthwhile given how easy it is to get around and how much there is do to just in Reykjavik. It takes me 4.5 hours just to get to New York City, so getting to Iceland is not that much longer.

We did about 6 nights to Amsterdam, Bruges, and Brussels a couple years ago. We had been to each before, but wanted to go back, and the deal in miles was just too good to pass up. It was one of those spot sales, short notice, no real planning, I think I even booked our first nights hotel on a layover en-route. We had fun, didn't feel like we had to see anything, hit some breweries and had good food...nice trip overall.

Amsterdam on Memorial Day weekend back in 1999 or 2000 -- 2 nights.

I did what was then called a mileage run on Continental and used codes provided in the Continental forum of Flyertalk that QUADRUPLED the # of miles I earned. We live in a different world now but then, it was just glorious. I did this trip on my own and left Friday night, arrived Saturday morning and stayed until Monday. It didn't really get dark until after 10pm so I enjoyed the city to the maximum. Back then, you could go to the Anne Frank House without buying tickets in advance. No lines. The same with the Rijksmuseum. It was easy hopping on and off the trams without having to buy a card with a chip in it. I used Priceline and stayed at the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky, a 5* property, for under $75 per night (ahhhh, last minute deals).

I was even upgraded on my flight home as a couple wanted to sit together and they needed to find someone with metal status (mine was the lowly silver) who had a seat next to her/him open. I did. Apparently there were no gold or platinum elite pax on board! To thank me, they put me in Business Class.

Such a great weekend!

I like planes. A few years ago, I decided I wanted to fly on a 747 before they are all gone. So... I flew from Chicago to Amsterdam on a Friday. I arrived in Amsterdam on Saturday morning, did the RS Amsterdam walk, rode in a canal boat, visited the Van Gogh Museum, ate some great Indian food, visited the Anne Frank House, and went back to the hotel to sleep. I got up the next morning and caught the train to the airport and jumped on a 747 heading back to Chicago.

I loved every second of that trip.

In addition to my 1-night trip to Amsterdam above, I have done seven trips where I spent 3 nights in Europe. The short trip idea popped up when I really, really wanted to catch my favorite conductor lead his orchestra in Vienna in March 2015. Herr Harnoncourt was 85-years-old, and I wasn't sure I would have many more chances to see him. I didn't have enough vacation time to spend more than 3 nights, so I decided to take what I could get. I splurged for front-row seats for the show, too. Vienna was amazing (my first time there!), and the performance was absolutely incredible. Herr Harnoncourt waked inches away from me as he entered and departed the stage. I enjoyed the performance so much, I worked a performance into a 2.5-week trip the following year. Sadly, Herr Harnoncourt would not conduct the next performance, though; he abruptly retired and then passed away before it happened.

The memory of that performance is dear to me, making that short trip to Vienna priceless.

I envy all you guys these short hops and I think if I lived on the east coast (or near an airport with direct flights) I might be tempted. But the locations I have been required to fly from and the lack of direct, low discount prices, it was never worth it to me. When your flights are a minimum of 13+ hours and at least one connection and almost always flirting with $1000 it would have to be for something mighty special - a wedding, a short honeymoon, a visit with someone special who was in failing health, etc..

With all that being said, my shortest trip was 11 days on the ground.

6 nights in Paris for my 40th birthday. I found a great fare a couple of months before and we jumped on it. The only way I'd say it is a waste is if the expense means a longer trip down the road has to be delayed, shortened, or cancelled. A short jaunt, for me, has to be a bonus trip and not be taking away from other plans.

I'd do it again. 50th calling...

When my daughter lived in London, I took many long weekends to visit her. I'd arrive Wed or Thurs night and fly out on Monday. I never really got jet lag on those as I was heading home before it would hit me or it would hit me on the plane (it hits me the 4th day...only time I sleep on the plane is on the way home, it seems). We'd have 3 or 4 full days together and actually sometimes their workdays I was alone touring about. My daughter got her Masters in Early Modern History at Kings College so the rest of the time I received great tours. But really, in 3 or 4 days you can see a lot. Ultimately, we'd visit fun, regular places while we chatted, etc. I would never hesitate to go to an western European major city for a long weekend; ie, Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid, etc. from our east coast.

Last October, 5 nights on the Amalfi Coast. I really wanted to see it in the off season and spend some time in Ravello. Tickets were 400$ round trip.
Two years ago, again in October 6 nights in Andalucia. It was a string of 1 nighters except 2 in Sevilla, and we had an amazing time! The tickets were 250$ round trip.

The shortest no-business related trip was in Jan 2007 an extended week-end trip to Paris for two. The Mrs went along, luckily the weather was all right relatively as it was colder then in the SF Bay Area than in Paris. We flew out on Thurs on Air France, their usual departure time, ca. 15:30, non-stop to CDG, and 11 hrs, the first time for me going over regardless of duration not in the summer, slept most of the flight, arrived Friday morning.

The purpose of the trip was to attend a conference but my attendance wasn't mandatory. Waiting for the luggage this time at CDG seemed to me to take somewhat longer than usual. You can usually tell. After that we took the RER to Gare du Nord, then the Metro to the Novotel Hotel, which was the hotel for all the attendees.

What you immediately notice apart from the temperature is the lack of crowds and tourists at the stations, sometimes sparse.

Friday evening was the first conference related activity as was Saturday. Sunday was free time, on your own. Monday after the early breakfast at the hotel I had to head out to the airport to fly back to SFO. The Mrs did the checking out at check out time and stayed for another week elsewhere in Paris.

Even though it was a short visit, still very enjoyable , a good experience, and above all, certainly not a waste Never a waste going to Paris. So, counting arrival on Friday morning, I was there for about 3 days. I don't get jet lag, didn't have to deal with it upon arrival.

Still, it would have been better had I flown out on Tuesday morning instead of Monday but due to the job, etc.

Many here have said 6 nights. Amazing. That's my average trip time when I cross the Atlantic!

My niece was studying abroad for the Spring 2014 semester in Madrid. She asked her parents to come over for her Spring Break and they declined. I told her I’d fly over and we’d spend some time together. I flew out on a Tuesday to Munich and she flew over from Madrid. We spent 4 nights in Germany - one night in Munich, one in Ludwigsburg (visiting my college roommate) and two nights just outside of Füssen. I was home by Sunday night. It was money and time well spent with my niece making memories with her!

This fall we are using points and flying to London for 5 days, 4 nights. While we are there, we are going to the Chicago Bears game vs the Raiders at the Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium. It’s a quick hit but we’ve decided we only live once and are excited to see the Bears play across the pond.

Our shortest was five days for a birthday party in London. One of my former students rolled his 60th birthday, 35th wedding anniversary, and his wife's five year cancer free mark into a huge party at the Albert & Victoria museum. It was black tie and long gown. That broke the back on one carry-on. Wife's gown just barely fit in one carry on. BUT -- a night and weekend to remember.

Yes, I talked about my 3 night trip above. I also did a 4 night to Iceland. These were both nights in the country, plus one night on an overnight flight. Iceland was super easy - 5 hour flight (shorter than going to California, where I have also gone for 3-4 nights!). Iceland flights from the east coast seem to arrive early AM and leave later afternoon, giving more time on the ground.

6 nights isn't even short to me. I've been to Spain, England, France, Rome, and Hawaii (not Europe but the same idea of going far away for only one week) for 6 nights each.

Lately I've been able to have 2 weeks at a time. This allows me to see MORE places (I like to stay in each location 3-5 nights, generally). So on a 6 night I'd go to 1 or 2 cities. On a 2 week it's 3-5. So more places. But 4 nights in Rome as a stand alone trip, or 4 nights in Rome as the first stop on a longer trip is the same experience of Rome. Longer isn't better when you look at it city-by-city.

People that say that only long trips are worth it (as advice for others, not their own personal preference) ignore the fact that many people can't take more than a weeks vacation at a time. They may get 2, 3, or 4 weeks...but can't leave work for that long at once, instead taking several shorter uses of vacation time (staycation, family visit, trip to Italy, etc). Saying only go if you have 2 weeks or more is basically saying wait until you're retired, which is risky - no one is guaranteed a healthy and financially comfortable retirement! Let alone such a retirement with your spouse/other travel partner also healthy/able to go! If you have the desire, the money, and a few days - go!

People that say that only long trips are worth it (as advice for
others, not their own personal preference) ignore the fact that many
people can't take more than a weeks vacation at a time. They may get
2, 3, or 4 weeks...but can't leave work for that long at once, instead
taking several shorter uses of vacation time (staycation, family
visit, trip to Italy, etc).

I'm so glad you wrote the above. With personal days included, we get 3 1/2 to 4 weeks depending upon when holidays fall on the calendar. Taking a week is a long time as I want to get back to work plus I prefer making more than one international trip each year (typically trans-Atlantic) in the early Spring and mid-to-late autumn. If we weren't traveling for a wedding the weekend after Memorial Day weekend, thinking about that 2 night trip to Amsterdam on Memorial Day weekend I wrote above has got me wanting to do that again this year!

Saying only go if you have 2 weeks or more is basically saying wait
until you're retired, which is risky - no one is guaranteed a healthy
and financially comfortable retirement! Let alone such a retirement
with your spouse/other travel partner also healthy/able to go! If you
have the desire, the money, and a few days - go!

I so couldn't agree more. Given my recent back condition called spondylolisthesis, I certainly wouldn't want to wait to travel as it could get worse. Plus, I don't think retirement is in the cards until my 70s or even 80s.

I’m on it right now! My sister said she’d watch my dogs for my 60th birthday for 5 days so I jumped on the chance! 2 days in Tallinn and a day trip to Helsinki for me! I’m really lucky that I don’t get jet lag, but I’ll sure be wiped out tomorrow when I get home! Tallinn is gorgeous by the way.

Rather than using expiring miles, I took a super quick trip like that in order to earn some miles!

Several years back, I used to play the miles/points game - made it a point to maintain my Executive Platinum status with American Airlines. This wasn't too difficult to do, as I'd usually get about 80% of the required miles/flight segments/points/what-have-you from work travel. Work travel was free to me, and inevitable (I didn't have to pay for it, use up vacation time, or make time for it because it was just part of the job).

I'd still have to take a few personal flights each year to put myself over the top on what was required to re-qualify and maintain the status, but that wasn't too difficult. By November of one particular year, though, it wasn't looking like I'd have enough flights before the end of the year to re-qualify. Thankfully, American Airlines had a promo going that offered double "elite qualifying miles" on flights from JFK to Budapest (this was a short-lived route they had on a 767, and I think they were trying to promote the route. They'd occasionally do things like this when expanding presence at particular airports, adding new routes, or some other such thing. To get it some attention and fill planes on the route they'd offer these frequent flyer incentives to travel to/through certain airports).

So, what I essentially did was book roundtrip airfare from Tampa (where I was living) to JFK. I then booked a separate round trip from JFK to Budapest (to qualify for the promo, a ticket had to originate at JFK rather than simply have it as a connecting airport). I flew to Budapest, spent 2 days there, then flew back. I actually had a blast on the trip, as well! I have a few friends in Budapest, and also met up with some people I worked with there. Since it was not a business trip, it was a fun chance to socialize with them outside of a work setting and get to know them better. Fun times! I powered through any jet lag and was just a zombie on the plane ride back, and admittedly it took me a couple days to recover once home. But I was glad I did it!

Ended up doing the same thing to Hawaii a year or two later. End of year was approaching and it was looking like I'd be short of miles, so I booked a roundtrip flight from Tampa to Raleigh-Durham (RDU), then a separate roundtrip RDU to Honolulu (via LAX). American Airlines was offering double elite qualifying points for flights originating at or flying to RDU for whatever reason (I believe they had just gotten a new terminal there or something). Landed in Honolulu, spent less than half a day in a hotel room, then went right back to the airport to fly back to Raleigh and then on to Tampa.

Going back even further, as a teenager I did quick 1 or 2 night stays in Amsterdam a couple times a year. I was living in Egypt, and as the dependent of a foreign service officer I'd get one trip back to the US each year courtesy of taxpayers. The requirement was we had to arrive in and depart from the US on a US-flagged carrier. So I'd fly KLM from Cairo to Amsterdam, and then Northwest from Amsterdam to Minneapolis. I could easily wrangle an extended layover at Schiphol, with a hotel room provided by the airline. I'd then take the train in to the city, explore, hang out, meet up with friends, then be back at the airport the next day to continue on my flight. I'd do the same when flying from the US back to Cairo. I just loved Holland as a teen, and had even managed to travel there from South America when I was 15 (organized a school club trip to The Hague, and convinced parents to let me stay there for awhile on my own. Continued to do that each winter until I finished high school). Over the course of 3 years, some "trips" to Amsterdam were only a night, others over a week and seeing more of the country.

European travel bug bit me early, and I rarely missed an opportunity to get back no matter how short the visit!

We spent 4 days in London. My husband was on a business trip so Monday and Tuesday I played by myself. The weekend we went to Hampton Court for the first time, saw a play, went to a concert and generally roamed around. I concentrated on some of the museums that were within walking distances and had a great time. It was a lovely time where many things were paid for.

Doesn’t the jet leg issue get you with the flight o Er and back so close together?
Personally I never really considered a super short trip, because of the cost.
Thinking about it, it would probably be a good idea with my fathers health issues, a couple days in Europe to just relax on my own.
But living in Michigan I fly out of Detroit and the cost for even cattle class is usually 1200 to 1400 so the per day cost would be prohibitive.

Thus my trips are all 16 to 20 days typically.

,

"...cattle class...." Eloquent and appropriate too, some better, some worse, for Economy, which is what I always fly.

That 2007 trip to Paris in Jan 2007 with the departure on Thurs afternoon from SFO, return flight Monday morning, was paid for luckily by the organisation sponsoring the conference. I don't get jet lag, slept most of the non-stop flight.

There are factors other than cost. When we did the four night trip for the birthday party. We were both in education so time off in October was difficult. The student had been one of my graduate assistance. I had contributed a number of things that had help determined his career in London and we had maintained a relationship over 35 years so it was natural to participate in this big celebration in their lives. We were not gone long enough to adjust completely to British time so returning the adjustment was pretty easy. Would we do it all the time? Of course not.

hey hey
when i moved to california, met some really great people that have been best friends for 20 years now. always say my name suits me "crazy princess". love to attend wine and art festivals, my friend and i went to one in fremont, near oakland, lots going on. had spin the wheel and i did, won a 2 nights hotel/car in waikiki. took flight from SFO to honolulu early morning, drove to kailua to see friend's cousin, owns B&B, back to waikiki for dinner and roam around. next day cruise the island, see my family, lunch at dinner at hole in the walls. next morning took flight to hilo ($50) saw my aunt for breakfast, drove along coast to sister's for lunch, stop at beach house near mauna kea beach hotel for a cocktail, kona airport and late flight back to honolulu and red eye back to SFO and arrived 9am, bart back home. fun times and memories.
aloha

5 nights on the ground (I think) in 2003. It would have been 20 years since my first visit and I wanted to go back to celebrate such a milestone to me. Hemmed & hawed about going, not going, before deciding to go. This was 2 weeks before I wanted to leave. Landed in Frankfurt, went to the Frankfurt Auto show, stayed at a Best Western for 2 nights in what appeared to be the red light district. Left Frankfurt and headed toward Bavaria just to drive around and see the sights. Did it again Thanksgiving week in 2007. Left Tuesday night, spent Thanksgiving Day skiing the Zugspitze with my daughter. We also went to Neuschwanstein and Rothenburg. Had our daughter back to school on Monday. You travel when when you can for how long that you can.

I am not small standing 6-5. And I am not convinced that I want to spend 8 hours or so each way in what passes for Economy now days (aka Cattle Class) and then only spend about 30 hours on the ground.
16 hours of cramped travel.

About 8 hours of checking in/get to/from airports
8 hours or more sleeping
Leaving about 18 hours to do something. Pull out 3 hours for meals and an hour for maintenance and you are down to less time actually doing something then you spent stuck in bad seats,

So I think 4 days on the ground (6 days counting travel) is about the minimum I could handle ( moves it up to 40 hours of actual time to do things)

Of course if you are traveling in a better class then that is a different story.
But you still have to suck up the cost hike they hit short stay travelers with.

So while it sounds great to hope a jet to London for a 4 day weekend (2 travel two on the ground) the cost is just beyond what I or I think most folks can do.

Even though I think a fast trip to London or Paris or Rome could be a blast and probably it would be a great mental getaway (but probably a bit physically hard) I just think the cost for most is probably prohibitive.

But it fun to hear about . Like the folks that can spend months on a trip.... it is nice to dream.

Admittedly, that trip in Jan. 007 (above) was free for me and one other person. So, the Mrs came along.

Had it only been other wise, ie, for me alone, I doubt very much we would have come up with the extra expense to buy her a ticket. The result would have been that I would fly solo to Paris..in "cattle class"...a very descriptive term.

The flight from SFO to Paris CDG lasts just under 11 hours non-stop, and you're in Paris, almost 3 full days since we got there prior to noon. ...waited and standing there in Baggage Claim for over 30 mins before the first piece of luggage came out...that was unusual, even for CDG.

I understand the idea of a short trip. With my fathers health issues and his needing to have tests and or treatments every week. Any trips that it may be possible to take. Either by myself or with dad if he responds well to treatment, will have to be held to 7 days or less including travel.

And with the cost of typical airfare from Detroit that puts the budget at about $250+ per day p Er person just for travel. Moving travel the number 1 expense for two people or the number 2 for one person in an expensive location.

Add in the jet leg issues and it becomes questionable. Of course if that is the only option then you have to evaluate how much it is worth to you to take said trip.

Hummm. Makes you wonder. Just how well can you visit Rome if you can’t walk more then a short distance?.....

Many here have said 6 nights. Amazing. That's my average trip time when I cross the Atlantic!

Same here, hahaha! Too bad we can't take more than that! But, I rather spend 6 nights there than none. I've been telling my husband we should go to Korea next year, and yes, it will be only for a week too.