By which I mean without an overnight stop.
I'm considering driving to Germany next year but it will be a 200 mile drive to Folkestone and then 470 or so from Calais
I think this will be feasible in a single day...
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I wouldn't worry - some bloke on here wanted to drive to Italy in a day...in a Citroen C15.
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I wouldn't worry - some bloke on here wanted to drive to Italy in a day...in a Citroen C15.
That was about three months ago, reckon he is now about half way back .........
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It was worse than that Adam! I recall that he was going to courier stuff to Bari in Southern Italy in a 3 day round trip, and maybe twice a week!
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He's probably dead now AS!
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evening all
still fine only been in the c15 twice it far easier in the berlingo. germany no problem at least its cooler unless you have air con unlike the berlingo.
i recommend :-
coffee (lots of)
light clothes
good radio tapes cd's
sunglasses reduce sore eyes.
plus when stopping for fuel etc jog on the spot to avoid dvt
p.s dont forget triangle bulbs etc french are pink fluffy dice for pulling up the english !
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You're alive!!!! Thanks God!
>>plus when stopping for fuel etc jog on the spot to avoid dvt<<
I'd do anything to spot somone doing this at a garage.
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I offered to co-drive with him, having time on my hands, but I never got a reply. I can't find the old thread now.
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I have done 110 miles Surrey to Dover and 670 Ostend to Grenau (Denmark) broken only by 4 hours on the Ferry.
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Riberac - Manchester via Calais. Set off at midnight, home by 11am. Bit ga-ga by the end though
A few trips on the M6 North of the toll road have felt longer though......
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Riberac - Manchester via Calais. Set off at midnight, home by about noon but I was a bit ga-ga by the end though so it might have been a bit later.
A few trips on the M6 North of the toll road have felt longer though......
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Its possible, but you are looking at 10-12 hours driving, not including any breaks along the way.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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You will need two drivers to do it safely I reckon. It always amazes me that HGV drivers are restricted in the hours they drive but there are no similar restrictions on private motorists.
I have done a coach trip Victoria station to Innsbruck in a day but that required 3 or 4 changes of driver.
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When much younger, drove NYC to just outside Chicago in one go, something like 28 hours I seem to remember and around 1400 miles. Had to stop for a kip then.
Nothing of course compared to the feats of chain-smoking, brandy-guzzling rallymen and long distance racers (Le Mans, Targa Florio, Mille Miglia, Pan-American road race on which Fangio cut his teeth in stripped American barges) who have to average more than 50...
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Melbourne to Narrabri, 1100km in 12 hours (max speed limit is 100km/h
and all single carriageway roads
StarGazer
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200 mile drive to Folkestone and then 470 or so from Calais
Depends where that 200 miles ends, but have you considered North Sea Ferries. A nice nights kip and a short dash across Holland to Germany.
I remember 2400 miles, Holland down to Italy and back in a weekend, but two drivers per car.
Martin
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250 to Dover, then 450 to Bavaria two weeks ago, did have rest stops but did it in 17 hours.
Last year Argentat to Cheshire 16 hours, sleeping on the ferry.
When I was young and foolish, Cheshire to Lido di Jesolo (near Venice) in one hop excluding ferry in an AstraMax. Ouch.
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Stirling Moss drove 1000 miles non-stop in 10 hours in the Mile Miglia.
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And a few died trying to emulate him
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Two weeks ago Cottbus in Germany to Calais - 1,015km in one leg - 9 hours 40 minutes. Had to rush after being stopped by Zoll patrol in Germany , told to unpack the car, sniffed by dogs, checked for contact with drugs and scanned for radioactive material.
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[Nissan 2.2 dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
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Many moons ago when I was young and fit, I drove from Limoges in France (of course) to the beach resort of Comarruga in Spain (a then fairly undeveloped resort South of Barcelona). There were then no Motorways to speak of and we drove for about 13 hours in an Austin Healey Sprite with the roof down. Arrived at the resort at midnight and too late to pick up our keys to our villa.
Absolutely knackered.
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The three longest journeys I've done all in 1 day visiting clients, so no I didn't get lost
1 Weybridge -hastings-leeds-Newcastle
2 Weybridge-Aberdeen, via Leicester and Hull
3 Carlisle-Bournemouth-Weybridge.
Thank goodness those days are over
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20--35 years ago I used to do Herts to the NW tip of Sutherland every spring in about 12 hours (650 miles). I wouldn't dream of attempting that now, although the roads are much improved on the final leg. Even with the far better cars I now have, the day following a 200 mile trip I can feel the effects.
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Interesting thread MoodyGit. I am planning a journey from Nottingham to the Nurburgring sometime in the near future and I was hoping for around 12 hours with two drivers in one stint. Thought about a North sea ferry from Hull, but would be much quicker to drive down to Dover / Folkestone and try and drive through the night.
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Even with the far better cars I now have, the day following a 200 mile trip I can feel the effects.
Yes, why is it that even with superior cars that we drive today and with faster road and many miles of motorways, we can't seem to do those high mileages. I suppose, speaking personally, age has got to be in the equation somewhere (I'm in my very late sixties).
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Sydney to Brisbane 950 miles over 24 hours in a Mini moke with 4 people on board.
Arrived next day stepped out of car and fainted.
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900 miles in about 14 hours: left Perpignan around lunchtime, drove to Calais, hopped on Eurotunnel and continued up to Stratford-on-Avon, arriving at 2am. Felt fine next day.
Also comfortably did 410 miles non-stop - no breaks for coffee or pee, just cruise control set at 80-85. Aren't French autoroutes better than our motorways... ?!
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tomorrow morning......circa 0430 hours....... North London to middle of nowhere, Scotland.....(just short of Fort William, take ferry and keep going...)....... 520 miles door-to- door, if there's reasonable traffic & no delays 8.5 hours.... (very brief fuel/pee/food stop)... if not who knows?
last 100 miles all twisty A roads etc, but the Jocks drive like we used to 20 years ago .i.e. expect you to do an overtake and will positively assist you in the process... inc the lorries...... absolute pleasure to drive there, so thank you..
Mrs W always offers...and i always decline......... (driving that is,for the smutty minded)
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Munich to Arhus in Northern Denmark 3 years ago. 1200km in 12 hours including coffee breaks in a C-Class Merc. Fascinating changes of scenery and experienced all four seasons in one day.
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838 miles, Krnov, Czech Republic to Corroy-le-Grand, Belgium.
13 hours to the minute.
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Should be OK with two drivers. Short break halfway to the Channel then chunnel or ferry (I'd reccomend the latter) for a longer break and feed. Longest we've done is Calais to Chambery/Grenoble, about 600 miles. Leave Calais at 07:00, arrive in the Alps in time for supper citca 18:00. That would be my limiy even with two drivers.
Done Ullapool to Watford and Uig (Skye) to Northampton in the past, but I was young and kidless then.
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1 mile J11 M25 to J12 M25 - three hours.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Plymouth-Leicester-Telford-Leicester-Plymouth, 620 miles all in total for my Uncle's funeral. Had to do it all in one day because I had exams the day before and the day after. Left Plymouth at 6 am and got home at 11pm. Parents don't drive so had to pick them up and drop them off again. And did it all on a tank of diesel in the 306TD.
Martin
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Forgot to mention I did the Plymouth-Leicester directions both non stop, 240 miles each way, 3 hr 45 mins.
Martin
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Do you really think driving long distances is something to brag sbout ? Even with modern cars and roads I feel its irresponsible, just make sure your will is uptodate and hope you don't kill another family.
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do you have cushions in the back window?
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Edinburgh to Aberystwyth, half hour pit stop and back home again. Around 700 miles.
Rover has a point. I would not do it, except in an emergency as the above trip was.
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no he doesn't...not necessarily......... it's too sweeping a statement
of course a long journey can be very tiring....... and you shouldn't drive excessively tired......but
decent stop(s).......... plenty of fluids..........(which will no doubt mean a pee break)........drive at a speed that keeps you interested...... caffeine/ stimulant drink.........used to it........... used to working shifts
there are numerous variables........ if you're the average pipe and slippers man, who adheres to 60 everywhere you go and are not used to driving long distances, then fair enough, but not everyone fits the same criteria
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Well said Rover 75!
No doubt we have all done some impressive distances and journeys; but its the irresponsible actions of a few that have long lasting effects on the majority of road users!
I prefer to hear of better planned routes than brain numbing distances. Taking in some culture as well as getting where you need to is far more important in my life.
And I cover distances and enjoy speed. But its where and when thats important. I like to keep myself and my family (and other families) alive to do the next journey!
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That was the only time I did Plymouth-Leicester non stop I must admit. It is generally recommended that no-one should drive any more than 2 hours without a break and I generally stick to that recommendation. For example I usually break the Leicester-Plymouth trip around Bristol for 10-15 minutes i.e. a drink, toilet and leg stretch.
Martin
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Time and a place and all that. My 838 miles started off at the crack of dawn on deserted Czech 'A' roads, and took in miles and miles of empty - and I mean empty - motorway before even breakfast. From Czech came Austria and the hyper alert focused enjoyment of high speed driving on sweeping, climbing motorways, and then in to large stretches of de restricted autobahnen and continued light traffic. By luck or judgement we sat out times of peak traffic having lunch or whatever, usually a pic nic in a picturesque parking place, and had as bout a perfect journey as it was possible to get.
Arriving in Dover a few days later and trudging along an ill lit motorway in heavy, poorly driven, reactionary traffic, followed by the M25 at peak time brought home the realities of living in Blighty. It took five hours just to get from Dover to Aylesbury.
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I echo everything SjB says - time and and a place, plan where you're gonna be at rush hours. Take an i-pod full of sing-along tunes.
I've done London-Warsaw and Manchester-Warsaw several times which can be up to 1000 miles broken by a ferry journey. It gets easier every time I do it. The European side is a 16 hour stretch, sometimes I only stop for fuel, sometimes I'll have a snooze. It obviously helps to drive a comfy mile-muncher. Amsterdam and Germany are the best bits, England and Poland are the worst. If you have to cross Poland never ever ever do it on a weekday, the single lane "A" roads are full of trucks and are a pig to get past. They're not allowed at weekends and this shaves hours off journey times. Motorways are toll though and are more or less empty and the best I've ever driven on.
Sometimes the journey west will go so well, you end up stuck in Rotterdam with a lot of time to kill before the ferry leaves. Not to be reccomended if you're at all suicidal because it might push you over the edge. It's the most miserable and desolate spot on the planet. Twenty miles of concrete docks.
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If you have to cross Poland never ever ever do it on a weekday, the single lane "A" roads are full of trucks and are a pig to get past. They're not allowed at weekends and this shaves hours off journey times. Motorways are toll though and are more or less empty and the best I've ever driven on.
And if we're going to have a mutual appreciation society, I echo what you say, BBD!
The biggest single mistake of the multiple journies between my Czech wife's home town and our UK home was the one when I decided to "hook" round in to Poland and up towards the former East German border before coming back via Dresden;
1) I overtook so many Polski Fiat 126 clones and overloaded trucks doing little more than a crawl that I lost count
2) It took forever even to reach the Polish motorway
3a) When I joined the nigh on deserted, perfectly surfaced, new motorway, life felt good
3b) Rude awakening not long afterwards was hitting the original old motorway stretch. Think moonscape, and add some craters and you might be halfway accurate.
4) Mile after mile after mile of appalling surface continued; truly shocking and I was permanently wincing at the hammering the car was taking, all the time being overtaken by others who apparently cared not a jot. I'll never forget the unladen VW van with rear wheels often airborne.
5) The car requiring a full wheel geometry session back in the UK because the camber of one front strut had been knocked out of alignment
6) To rub it in, a journey 90 minutes faster on paper taking three hours longer than the usual quickest route; that was without the almighty queue (pre Poland in EU by a couple of years) to get back over the border to Germany
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Rotterdam! Europort! YUK!
I suggest you get the Stenna HSS, Harwich - Hook of Holland - three hours.
Tho getting to anywhere else in England from Harwich is a real clod of earth.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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1 mile J11 M25 to J12 M25 - three hours.
It's an epic and no mistaking. Did you stop for a pee and a leg stretch?
Actually though I once drove from what was Canterbury Christ Church College to the University of Kent on the other side of Canterbury in just over 2.5 hours. How's that?
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1 mile J11 M25 to J12 M25 - three hours. ------------------------------ TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
>>
But you can't stop at M25 J12.............................................
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I was trying to join the m3
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I've done Sussex to Canterbury to Bolton to Sussex (about 750 miles) in a day without stopping, though I did change cars three times in the process as I was driving professionally between dealerships. It was a long day, about 12 hours of driving time and about 15 in total, and I wouldn't want to do it on a regular basis. On the other hand I've had more tiring days just doing trips from Sussex into central London. I agree with comments about having good music along the way... Radio 2 helps for me.
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Bath to Aubusson, France. 650 miles two drivers.
And very knackered at the end.
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And westpig is no doubt a better than average, experienced, high speed driver.
we all are in our own opinions. If you have ever driven to the point of not being able to remember the last stretch of road then you have driven too far without a break. be that after 10 mins or 10 hours!
Please try to avoid the same stretch of road that I use!
many people work shifts, get too little sleep, cover large distances etc. Its not that that makes them better drivers I assure you!
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Last year we drove from Santander to our house in Alicante in one go. Took 11 hours including an unplanned sightseeing tour around Madrid (wife had the map on her lap). We normally fly direct,guess what, we will be flying direct again.Wouldnt drive it again for all the tea in China!
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Did Thurso to West Midlands via Loch ness, Loch Lomend and Fort William in a 106 with 2 Bikes on the Bike rack !
Left at 10am got home at 2am in the morning.
It was about 650 miles but we did stop a fair few times although I remeber getting to Lancaster Service Station at about 11.30pm and being absolutly knackered so much that i can't remeber the drive home of nearly 140 miles.
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with 2 Bikes on the Bike rack
Did you get to use them ?
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Haha Yeah once 1300 + miles in a week on some of the best roads in a 106 XSI and I decide to take 2 mountain bikes !!
Gutted.
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When working for a vehicle hire firm I drove Portsmouth - Glasgow & back (900 ish miles round trip) to swap vehicles with a customer several times and did Portsmouth - Edinburgh & back (about the same distance) once.
We (drivers) were allowed 2 days to do the job but I left VERY early in the morning (3am) to miss traffic and was home again by 11pm (stops for food, fuel etc) giving me a day off the next day with pay ;)
The boss knew I was doing this and turned a 'blind eye' as he diddn't have to pay B&B fees for me.
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Think I upset the swear filter.
Irvine, California to Portland, Oregon (~970 miles) stopping only for petrol and a visit to the "restroom" every 4 hrs. The 6 cheeseburgers purchased at McDonalds in Irvine lasted me all the way there. Great fun.
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Tours (France) to Western Costa del Sol - around 1600 to 1700 km. 20 hours approx.. SWMBO is 68 & I'm 70. In retrospect ,not too clever!
Roger. (Costa del Sol, España)
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San Francisco to Dallas to see a girl in my new car. Nasty journey, had a minor kip in the car, wouldn't do it again.
Back home again a few days later but took more time about it.
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Wallingford to Geneva (Ferney Voltaire in fact, just on the French side of the border)
Ferry via Dover, autoroute all the way there (not via the Jura). 550 miles - left home at 0500, arrived at 1930. Solo.
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"Back home again a few days later but took more time about it"
That was a very short romance then....
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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>>That was a very short romance then
A long and lasting love affair - at least by my standards of the time.
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Salvador to Recife in Brazil. 14 hour drive in a 1 litre Fiat Palio part of a 7 day trip down Brazil and back. Main highway was like on of our B roads, hit huge potholes at least twice and had to have wheel hammered straight by a local grease monkey. Never again ...
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July 1974 - 562 7th Street, Brooklyn, New York City to Vancouver, British Columbia in 6 days on my 1974 BMW 600 motorcycle. An average of 570 miles per day. I started work in my first job in a pulp and paper mill in Nanaimo the next day and prompty failed the hearing test big style. However, the real story was exactly what kept me in New York to the very last minute but that isn't strictly related to motoring. The BMW didn't miss a beat, but I surely was at the end of all that.
Fond memories
Canuck
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Milan - Lincoln straight through, twice,although both times I had an brief kip on the ferry so I suppose it doesn´t count....
Travelling on a Sunday and lots of sugar-free gum helped.
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We have done a run from sete south of france to calais in 9 hours 10mins one stop for diesel 2 hour wait for ferry and then on to derby just over 15 hours total I think it was 970 miles,feel tired next day.
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I did 3500 miles round Europe in the GT3 in six days last year. Averaged about 6 hours a day driving, shared between two of us.
The only issue was the carbon fibre seats, they may be fine on teh track but I'll never have another car with then unless its a pure track car.
--
I read often, only post occasionally
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Drove 700 miles last Weds - Oxon - Dover - Calais - Central Holland - Calais - Dover - Oxon. Left at 0400 and got home at 2200. Far less tiring than I expected, and French/Belgian/Dutch roads in great shape, with few rolling roadblocks caused by speed limited lorries, very good road maintenance, and very few roadworks.
All that in a 170k 405TD, and towing a small wheeled shed on the retun leg....
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Drove from Marlow in Bucks to Luton, caught a plane to Aberdeen, hired a new Espace went up to Buckie to collect some bits then onto Inverness and all the way back to Marlow. All in a day. Left Marlow at 4am arrived Marlow at 22.00
Total driving distance about 700 odd miles, only stopped to refuel.
Got a one way car hire so only had to drop it back at Luton the following morning
Felt fine other than a little shoulder ache. However, I only noticed that there were pull down armrests available when I returned the car back to Luton! Duh!
I never really feel tired when motorway driving but then I am an active driver - meaning I entertain myself by pre-predicting other drivers movements ahead and behind even when they are not near me and purposely not using cruise control. Additionally I'm fully aware of my lane discipline which keeps my head clear. No doubt I have plenty of other faults that I'm unaware of though :-)
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Can't compare to a 800 mile journey in one go (Brighton to Edinburgh) on a CG125 clone motorbike. 55 mph maximun, rain, cold and tired. Anything is easy for me now!
Did Brighton to Poland (Lublin, 10 hours through poland) in 24 hours without a break. Just fuel stops and trips to the toilet. I was driving all the way through. Very tiring indeed! Must be 1200 miles or so.
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10km last week with mother in law in the front seat wagging her finger and poking me in the arm
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I've reguallary (well once or twice a year) driven Surrey to the 3 Valleys/French Alps as close to none stop as possible (v quick stops), 12 hours door to door is the norm with 2 drivers, 1050km.
Good dvd player in the back for kids, lots of CDs for the grown ups and no problem.
This year we are trying through the night, then straight onto the ski slopes, could be an experience.
In the summer we are contemplating Denmark for hols and the ferry looks pricey so i might be copying Cheddar (way up the thread) - same car too
Dan
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10km last week with mother in law in the front seat wagging her finger and poking me in the arm
LOL BBD. How is your Polish by the way?
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"How is your Polish by the way?"
Not too bad after a few drinks as it happens. Which is probably why I only ever talk to lap-dancers and taxi drivers. I chatted for 20 mins the other night with a cabbie about EU funding of the Polish road-building program yet I had to give up smoking when I moved here because I was too nervous to ask for cigarettes at the till.
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Funny that. On a Polish taxi forum there's a guy saying the same thing only he was talking about lap dancers!
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Can't compare to a 800 mile journey in one go (Brighton to Edinburgh) on a CG125 clone motorbike. 55 mph maximun, rain, cold and tired. Anything is easy for me now! Did Brighton to Poland (Lublin, 10 hours through poland) in 24 hours without a break. Just fuel stops and trips to the toilet. I was driving all the way through. Very tiring indeed! Must be 1200 miles or so.
Fair play for the mode of transport (two days CBT with frequent stops for coffee or pies gave me my life's fill of CGs ;-), but what on earth was your route?! Brighton to Edinburgh is about 470 miles without or without motorways, so say 500 miles with some flexibility.
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Quite do-able - we usually end up near Munich in a single day;
Tips - use Eurotunnel - presuming their aren't any hold-ups, that saves quite a bit of time over ferries - book one nice & early (7am) ... and ... check roadworks on your route before you go !
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