day tripper

Meaning

A 'day tripper' is a person who visits a destination for tourist purposes and returns home on the same day. This term is commonly used to describe tourists who do not stay overnight, often visiting nearby towns, beaches, or historic sites. It can occasionally carry a slightly dismissive tone from locals who feel these visitors don't spend much money in the local economy.

Examples

• The coastal town gets packed with day trippers every weekend during the summer.

  The coastal town gets packed with day trippers every weekend during the summer.

• We're just day trippers, so we need to catch the last train back at nine.

  We're just day trippers, so we need to catch the last train back at nine.

• Local businesses rely heavily on day trippers, even if they don't book hotel rooms.

  Local businesses rely heavily on day trippers, even if they don't book hotel rooms.

• As a day tripper, you have to plan your itinerary carefully to make the most of your limited time.

  As a day tripper, you have to plan your itinerary carefully to make the most of your limited time.

• The island is beautiful, but it's overrun with day trippers from the cruise ships.

  The island is beautiful, but it's overrun with day trippers from the cruise ships.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We are day travelers to Brighton today.

  ✓ We are day trippers to Brighton today.

  While 'traveler' is a valid word, 'day traveler' is not a standard collocated term. 'Day tripper' is the idiomatic phrase used for same-day visitors.

• ✗ I went on a day trip, so I was a day-tripping.

  ✓ I went on a day trip, so I was a day tripper.

  'Day tripper' is a noun referring to the person. You cannot use 'day-tripping' as a noun in this context.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The museum gets very crowded at noon because of all the ___ coming from the city.

  💡 Plural noun for people visiting for just one day.

  Show answer

  day trippers

• I don't need a hotel room; I'm just a ___.

  💡 Singular noun.

  Show answer

  day tripper