Respect to all long distance drivers
Discussion
Yeah it's frightening how tiring driving can be.
MIL was very ill and lived in Criccieth with us near Rugby. Nearly every Saturday for about 6 months we drove their and back. It's only 330 mile round trip but once you are on A/B roads and trying to make time it becomes tiresome.
Used our 208 gti for the first few months as I, stupidly, thought the small nippy car would be better to make progress. Then used our 330d Tourer as mainly 3 up. Difference was night and day and far less tiring in a bigger auto.
Kudos to those who do it as a job.
MIL was very ill and lived in Criccieth with us near Rugby. Nearly every Saturday for about 6 months we drove their and back. It's only 330 mile round trip but once you are on A/B roads and trying to make time it becomes tiresome.
Used our 208 gti for the first few months as I, stupidly, thought the small nippy car would be better to make progress. Then used our 330d Tourer as mainly 3 up. Difference was night and day and far less tiring in a bigger auto.
Kudos to those who do it as a job.
Driving on busy A and B roads is totally different, tiring wise(?), to motorways. I often find driving in England not much fun at all.
Even on the M74 which is usually quiet and can be good to cruise at 80+ on was really frustrating a few months ago. I often wonder if it's just less stressful to cruise in the inside lane and let everyone else faff about trying to overtake in the other two lanes. Need to try it on the next long drive I have.
Even on the M74 which is usually quiet and can be good to cruise at 80+ on was really frustrating a few months ago. I often wonder if it's just less stressful to cruise in the inside lane and let everyone else faff about trying to overtake in the other two lanes. Need to try it on the next long drive I have.
O/P, remember a couple of years back when you posted a picture of my Nismo? The next day I drove back to Skeg via Exmouth to get measured for a suit, Bulford Camp for coffee and onto Walsall for dinner all in a single day, something like 600 miles including road closures etc but I didn't get 50mpg whilst doing it... 
Back in 2022 I drove from the East Mids via the Tunnel to Brittany. The morning before setting off I must have trapped a nerve in my back - agony to do anything more than shuffle. Thankfully I the heated sport seats in my Audi A5 meant I could still do the 700 mile drive from the early hours of Saturday in relative comfort. The worst part of the journey was getting in and out of the car for loo and fuel stops.
That and other journeys of 500 plus miles do tire you out, but it’s still my favourite time to be in a car - covering distances, being on a roadtrip.
That and other journeys of 500 plus miles do tire you out, but it’s still my favourite time to be in a car - covering distances, being on a roadtrip.
Tango13 said:
O/P, remember a couple of years back when you posted a picture of my Nismo? The next day I drove back to Skeg via Exmouth to get measured for a suit, Bulford Camp for coffee and onto Walsall for dinner all in a single day, something like 600 miles including road closures etc but I didn't get 50mpg whilst doing it...
I was actively looking for your 370 between Boston and skeg. Yes I can remember that and f
k me id have been buggerd. I was actually thinking about that trip you did as you mentioned it back then. Love the 370 but don’t envy the fuel bill. Saw south of France mentioned and I have too done similarly close to 800 miles albeit over a longer time (not fully south and live up north) in one stint a few times.
The French side is marvellous. As soon as you get off the Eurotunnel back on UK soil it's like stepping back in time, the state of the roads, traffic and average driver ability.
Thankfully most of the miles are on the French side. Doing 500+ miles in the UK sounds horrendous to me, in any car, I'd be knackered too. Shame as 10-15 years ago and prior it was definitely different and most days you could make fast and more importantly easy progress no matter where you were going outside of the M25.
The French side is marvellous. As soon as you get off the Eurotunnel back on UK soil it's like stepping back in time, the state of the roads, traffic and average driver ability.
Thankfully most of the miles are on the French side. Doing 500+ miles in the UK sounds horrendous to me, in any car, I'd be knackered too. Shame as 10-15 years ago and prior it was definitely different and most days you could make fast and more importantly easy progress no matter where you were going outside of the M25.
CrgT16 said:
A nice big car is nice but perfectly doable on something like a VW Golf. Slow and steady is generally less tiresome than full blast on the overtaking lane with little difference in time
100% on the last leg today I just wanted to get home. Set cruise control at 80 - 85 and had to revert back to 65-70 after a couple of hours as it was just so mentally draining. I have done several stupid long trips, but wouldn’t even countenance it now. The first one was going on holiday to Fort William - I left Hayle at 0200 and drove all the way to Glasgow without stopping. I needed a piss and had run out of cigarettes. The Peugeot 406 was the best possible car for this type of silly driving machismo. Sipped diesel too. Did the whole trip up and half way back on a single tank.
The second was driving from Hayle to Ripon to deliver a Kia Picanto, and bring the PX back. Half an hour break for a cup of tea and then back again. IIRC it was somewhere in the region of 900 miles in a day. Utter stupidity.
I don’t go further than Bristol without stopping now - circa 170 miles.
Agree with the sentiment about paying respect. It’s bloody hard work, and the older I get the more tedious I find long trips.
The second was driving from Hayle to Ripon to deliver a Kia Picanto, and bring the PX back. Half an hour break for a cup of tea and then back again. IIRC it was somewhere in the region of 900 miles in a day. Utter stupidity.
I don’t go further than Bristol without stopping now - circa 170 miles.
Agree with the sentiment about paying respect. It’s bloody hard work, and the older I get the more tedious I find long trips.
sjc said:
A car designed to cover long distances in comfort makes a huge difference in tiredness levels.
Without doubt.Roads make a big difference too. I used to do Northern Italy to Hampshire once or twice a year. The 2 hours or so on the M20/M25/A3 was more tiring than the 12 to and from Calais.
valiant said:
500+ miles in a day in the U.K. is just horrific.
500+ miles virtually anywhere else on decent, free flowing motorways in a decent car is a breeze.
I drive from the South East to Scotland regularly. The bit north of Preston is easy-peasy because driving standards from there up are just much better. The bit around London is Mad Max by comparison.500+ miles virtually anywhere else on decent, free flowing motorways in a decent car is a breeze.
I've done South East to Munich several times in one hit (I don't usually stop at all, other than the tunnel). It's really about the car as much as anything, I'm in a 320d which is pretty decent.
I've travelled 500/600 miles a day when on the continent, day after day after day. No problem, I love it.
Get off the train at Folkestone and I'm tired, peed off and really frustrated before I've even got to Maidstone, let alone make it along the M26, M25, A3.
Calais to Provence, no problem. London to Liverpool, fek that
Get off the train at Folkestone and I'm tired, peed off and really frustrated before I've even got to Maidstone, let alone make it along the M26, M25, A3.
Calais to Provence, no problem. London to Liverpool, fek that
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