Latest news with #KevinDroniak
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
People left shocked by solo traveller's 'wild' European trip - travelling 4,000 miles for a 12-hour holiday
Rome wasn't built in a day - but this traveller's extreme 12-hour adventure was. US solo traveller, Kevin Droniak, has shocked the internet with a video of his wild day trip from New York to Rome. The adventurous Instagrammer (@kevindroniak) made the 8,000 mile round trip to spend just 12 hours in the Eternal City. In his Instagram video, Kevin says: 'You might not believe me but Italy is a day trip from New York and you're coming with me.' The ambitious traveller reveals that his flight from New York lands in Rome at 7:05am with his return flight at 7:05pm, claiming: 'I feel like that's more than enough time'. Kevin adds: 'My logic here is that I'm going to bed anyway tonight, so why not sleep on an eight hour flight and wake up in Italy?' In the next shot, Kevin is in front of Rome's Colosseum at 9am on a sunny day in the Italian capital. 'I have to get back to the airport in about eight hours,' he explains. Rome is six hours ahead of New York which might explain Kevin's unusual choice to start his day by enjoying pizza for breakfast with a 'view of the Colosseum'. Next on the agenda is a look inside the ancient monument, where Kevin reveals: 'Last time I was here, I was 15 and I could not care less about history. But now I can appreciate it.' The traveller then hops on a bike and sets off to explore the Appian Way, one of the world's earliest Roman roads, that connects the Italian capital with Brindisi in southern Italy. Kevin explains: 'There's just ruins alongside the road. And I think I'm the only tourist here. Like there is nobody around. This is definitely the highlight of my day so far. 'And the fact that tonight I'm going to be in my New York City apartment. Life is wild.' Unfortunately the traveller then gets caught in a downpour and reveals that he didn't bring a change of clothes for his flight home. There's just time for a bowl of pasta at another Rome restaurant before Kevin has to head back to the airport. Due to getting drenched in the rain, Kevin also picks up a Rome themed T-shirt to wear on the plane home. At the airport, he jokes: 'It feels like I was just here - because I was. I'm ready to go home but I would do it again.' The traveller then hops on a bike and sets off to explore the Appian Way, one of the world's earliest Roman roads, that connects the Italian capital with Brindisi in southern Italy So, how much did Kevin's extreme Roman holiday cost him? In another video, the traveller reveals that the entire trip cost him $641/£466, with the return flights coming to $506/£368. And reactions to Kevin's extreme jaunt have been mixed. Instagrammer ' says: 'This would be incredible for me if I could sleep on planes but doing this trip would have me awake for close to 48 hours.' 'Buke_aor' is a fan, saying: 'I would do it! I love travelling overnight and waking up at my destination, so yes!' And another person adds 'If I could relive my twenties, I would totally do this.' But not everyone's convinced. 'broncobustr' says: 'What a waste of money and energy to only spend eight hours in such a historic and beautiful city.' And 'clempotiusuxx' worries about the impact of Kevin's journey on the environment, saying: 'Someone has never heard of the carbon footprint and it shows.' However, 'Allthingskhosi' claims: 'Guys! The plane is flying to and from Italy whether he is on it or not.' However, 'Allthingskhosi' claims: 'Guys! The plane is flying to and from Italy whether he is on it or not.'
Washington Post
10-06-2025
- Washington Post
Is 24 hours enough for a vacation? These content creators think so.
He has sweated through outfits at the pyramids in Egypt, eaten terrible pasta in Italy, and been rained on at a beach in Puerto Rico. Despite it all, Kevin Droniak says he is 'addicted' to 24-hour travel. For people with inflexible schedules or limited time off from work, flying for a day trip can be an attainable way to experience a place without committing to a longer vacation. However, your carbon footprint is a serious consideration, all for a trip where you can't possibly get a true picture of a place. Droniak, a full-time content creator who has documented over a dozen trips originating from New York on TikTok (@KevinDroniak), believes it's worth the effort. The itineraries, published on social media through vlog-style videos, are part of a recent viral travel trend. Typically, it involves an early-morning flight, a period of exploring a city or specific attraction, and then a departure in the evening or following morning. 'I could be in my bed watching Netflix, but if I can make a memory, I'm going to do it,' said Droniak, 27. 'I want to showcase that travel can have an incredible impact even if time isn't on your side.' These 'micro-cations' that Droniak's account, and others like @onthemovewithmad and @live_thedash, showcase domestic hops to Chicago or ambitious (and questionable) international journeys to Paris. The one common thread? They're spending 24 hours or less at a destination. Expedia reports that the top cities Americans have booked for 24-hour travel in the past three months include Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Atlanta and Las Vegas. Fast-paced travel and 24-hour journeys predate the advent of social media and viral fads. However, it taps into our modern desire for quick, impactful experiences that are easily documented and shared. It's travel's version of instant gratification. Perhaps the most prominent example of this hardcore style of travel is trips taken by off-duty airline employees and their companions. Staff can fly for free or at a highly discounted rate, typically on a standby basis. The airline cohort has been doing it for decades. 'We would sometimes go on these wild day trips, deciding on the actual destination at the airport,' says Stella Shon, a former airline employee who now works as a travel journalist. 'Some folks would always try to stretch the limits of what was possible, like going to Tokyo just for sushi before returning home.' Of course, the idea that because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Droniak, a self-proclaimed easygoing, 'Type-B' traveler, says the key to jet-setting day trips is not to overplan. That means having only one 'motive' for each place. 'My itineraries are almost nonexistent, and after I finish what I wanted to do there, I might grab a bike and explore neighborhoods or go cafe hopping.' On a trip to Puerto Rico, for instance, his objective was simply to go to the beach. In Paris, his purpose was to visit the Eiffel Tower. And in Cairo (yes, Droniak spent one day there from New York), his only goal was to see the pyramids. That April excursion to Egypt was Droniak's most intense day-long expedition yet. It included a 10-hour red-eye flight, landing in Cairo before dawn. He traveled back to New York a mere 24 hours later, spending as much time in the air as he did on the ground. Most people might consider an itinerary like this brutally exhausting, but Droniak insists he embraced (and enjoyed) the sweaty adventure. He visited the pyramids of Giza and Saqqara, had a view of the Nile with lunch, took a short nap, and then headed straight home. 'I know it's not for everyone, but for me, I love just sitting on a plane, so flying is part of the fun. It's also helpful that I can sleep upright,' he said. Maintaining a strict budget is a key part of the day-trip proposition. For Droniak, that means domestic day trips for $250 or less and international ones at around $500. (That includes economy flights and activities on the ground.) However, he admits Egypt was his most costly adventure, ringing in at nearly $1,000. That might be a pretty penny, but across the U.S., consumers have been spending more on short-duration travel. According to data from insurance company Allianz, American travelers will be shelling out more money for a one-night summer getaway in 2025 than ever before. An average person will spend $700. Last year, it was $594. A decade ago, in my late teens and early 20s, I partook in a similar, albeit less drastic version of Droniak's outings. These trips involved day-long jaunts from New York to Miami, leveraging airline miles or cheap airfare. I even occasionally convinced friends to snowbird with me for a day. This was accomplished on a shoestring budget, which included public transportation to and from the airport and an entire afternoon on a (free!) public beach. My hack to make everything a bit more enjoyable? Airport lounge access at Miami International. That was crucial to ensure I could shower, feel refreshed, and have dinner before a flight back to New York. With that said, if the idea of flying anywhere for a day trip is inconceivable, there's always the option to make your own backyard feel more vacation-like. Plus, you don't have to dwell in the environmental guilt of excessive greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, ResortPass offers the ability to book a pool pass at over 2,000 hotels around the world. It's an opportunity to recharge and relax closer to home. 'You can go a couple of miles to a hotel you've driven by every day for the last 10 years, but getting to experience it is something else entirely,' says Michael Wolf, ResortPass's CEO. 'People find it relaxing to be near water. Resorts didn't invent that.' Creating that momentary feeling of vacation is also one of the goals of Airbnb's new services arm, allowing people, even at home, to book chef-cooked meals, spa treatments and other wellness amenities. Meanwhile, Droniak considers the most worthwhile experiences are ones that fully get you out of the house. 'Even a short trip is better than staying home, because it makes it possible to experience a childlike sense of wonder again,' he said. It's an ephemeral moment, but one that has its share of downsides, too: 'Even if something goes wrong, I'm just satisfied being somewhere else.'
