So much world, so little time - so why not go away just for the day? Whether you fancy Amsterdam, Brussels or Copenhagen, there's a day trip this winter that will take you there.

Get into training
Forget a day trip to Bangor - it's cheaper and easier, at least from the London area, to get to France or Belgium. Eurostar will take you to Lille and back for £65, to Paris or Brussels for £75 each. And for only £40 more you can go first class, getting breakfast on the way over and wined and dined on the journey home.

If Paris is passé - you've been there, done that and have the plastic Eiffel Tower to prove it - then try beautiful Brussels, but be warned - the food is so good I put on a pound for every hour I spent in the Belgian capital.

Further afield
If you don't happen to live within easy reach of Eurostar - or you want to go further afield for a day - then winter is the time to do it. Airtours came up with the idea of using the charter aircraft and crew that spend much of the low season sitting around. It uses them to fly trips like Birmingham to Barcelona, where you can overdose on Picasso and paella.

Or, if you're planning a hen day out, how about a hop from Leeds to Leipzig? The trip includes Colditz Castle, which could provide a good preview of married life. Top handbag.com tip: don't pay the price in the brochure - typically £169 or £179. Wait until a week or two before the flight, then check for late deals. There are almost always bargains.

Scheduled savers
If you're the sort of girl who demands all the frills, there are still ways to sneak a day away. Most of the airlines demand you spend at least two nights at your destination, or a Saturday night away. The idea is to stop business travellers 'abusing' the bargains, but two airlines with good European connections don't insist upon a minimum stay. The original no-frills airline easyJet has never insisted on it, so you can take a day trip from Luton or Liverpool to Amsterdam. And many of the special deals offered by BMI (British Midland) are available for Saturday day trips. easyJet will also get you to Geneva or Zurich for the day, so you can squeeze in a few hours on the slopes.