Day-tripper
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A day-tripper is a person who visits a tourist destination or visitor attraction from home and returns there on the same day.
In other words, this excursion does not involve a night away from home. Thus, the day trip can be a very popular form of recreation with families who care for children who are too young or people who are too frail to travel easily or who own pets, or for whom the logistics and cost of a night away from home may be prohibitive.
In Medieval days a destination for such days out would be religious (to a nearby shrine) or commercial, for example to a fair. Later, in England, visits to stately homes by those who regarded themselves middle class became frequent and it was the tradition to reward the butler or housekeeper with a tip for providing access to their employers' home. As such homes were meant for show it is unlikely that the owning family would object, provided they were not in residence at the time.
The arrival of the railway excursion, often using Day Tripper tickets, in the mid-nineteenth century saw the blossoming of a distinctive day-tripper industry. Trippers also travelled in their thousands by steamer to the many piers around seaside resorts. The General Slocum excursion was an example. Cycling became a very popular day-tripper activity, especially amongst urban and suburban workers from the mid-1880s onwards. Coach and charabanc outings followed as the internal combustion engine became reliable enough to get the paying customers out and back again. While all of the foregoing still exist, the modern day-tripper experience is usually by motor car.
