A mother of five from London says taking extreme day trips abroad for as little as £30 has allowed her to rediscover herself after feeling depressed following maternity leave. Oliviyah Stevens, 36, from Walthamstow, felt she needed her own time away after caring for her one-year-old son Kaius. She discovered extreme day trips and took her first solo trip to Alicante in November 2025, leaving her five children with her partner Kyle. She also travels abroad with Kyle every few months for a 'date day'.
Affordable Escapes
Oliviyah, a teacher, says the price of flying to Mallorca is the same as an evening meal. She finds the trips liberating and feels she has got herself back, something she says mothers can forget. She prefers being tired on a plane or a beach than at home with five kids.
She has three children from a previous relationship: Sahara, 14, Imani, 10, and Bear, 9. With partner Kyle, she has daughter Kenyah, 2, and son Kaius, 1. The quick trips became doable after a three-day break to Crete with Kyle was cut short due to a cancelled flight. They made the most of planned childcare by booking a new destination straight away and flew to Morocco and back in 30 hours.
Family Adventures
Oliviyah also takes her children on extreme getaways, whisking the whole family to Italy, Morocco, and Bucharest. She has visited 20 countries in total, recently adding Pescara to her list for just £30 return. She scrolls through Skyscanner and books whatever is affordable with suitable flight times.
In April 2026, she and Kyle flew to Mallorca for the day to celebrate her birthday. Flights cost £62 each, and they squeezed in a boat ride. She says it is important for new parents to take time for themselves and that she and Kyle have found time for each other again.
Sharing her travel finds online, she says other women have expressed interest in trying extreme day trips. She believes some people are afraid to travel alone, but she was so desperate for alone time that she took the opportunity. The breaks have allowed her to reflect, set goals, and find herself again amidst the chaos of five children.
Oliviyah's Trips So Far
- 2022: Agadir, Morocco (one-night stay with Kyle); Amsterdam, Netherlands (one-night stay with Kyle)
- 2023: Bulgaria (three-night stay with Kyle); Morocco (one-week with Kyle and Sahara); Portugal (four-night stay with Sahara); Lanzarote (three-night stay with Sahara, Imani, Bear, Kenyah)
- 2024: Egypt (one-week with her mum, Kyle, Sahara, Imani, Bear, Kenyah); Lanzarote (three-night stay with Kyle and Kenyah)
- 2025: Montenegro (three-night stay with Kyle and Kaius); Morocco (one-night stay with Sahara, Imani, Bear); Lanzarote (three-night stay with Sahara and Kenyah); Morocco (three-night solo trip); Mallorca (three-night stay with Imani for 10th birthday); Italy (day trip with Kyle, Kenyah, Kaius); Poland (one-night stay with Kyle and all five kids); Alicante (first solo day trip); Luxembourg (day trip with Kyle)
- 2026: Romania (day trip with Sahara); Mallorca (day trip with Kyle)
