How far can you drive in one trip? What is a same distance of time to have behind the wheel? I guess everyone is different. Friends of mine have had enough after a few hours. Others consider a trip across a continent as fair play.
What is the limit - so many miles? hours? does the terrain matter? I just want to get on a motorway. No navigating little lanes appreciating the bird song. Get on with it. Get there. Stop on the way? Why? Is your bladder full? or is the tank empty? Are there other reasons?
Last week I was in the Charente region in France. I needed to go home and get the rest of my belongings. Long story but they were in a warehouse in Gloucester. Not the place I wanted them to be - better off in my new home here in France.
There was some discussion, routes and timetables considered. No going back via Caen - not at almost £500, as for Le Shuttle at Calais I had hated the awful drive from Calais south just a month or two ago. Down the A16, slowly, slowly getting nowhere. So it had to be Dieppe - and it was cheaper than Le Shuttle - just over £140. Go out Monday, return Thursday. Yep, that would be good. Now book it. Heck, Monday's full! No way was I travelling at the weekend that lots of schools break up. So To the UK on Thursday, come back Monday. Good.
The yellow van was prepared, tyres checked, water bottle filled. The dipstick searched for. With some trepidation I set forth - last time the van's turbo wouldn't spin, that's another story! Ropes stored.
The ferry was at 5pm, Dieppe to Newhaven. Four hour crossing. Left in good time. 130 kph on the French AutoRoute and the distance was eaten up - Poitiers, Tours, Le Mans and then Rouen. Not far now to Dieppe.
Damn and blast. Lost in Rouen AGAIN. Well, not in Rouen but just outside. The atlas said E28 into city, E28 out of it. BUT they are not the same road! The A13 actually skirts south of the city. No E28 but get across the city and out on the A150. French road numbering is incredible! Many junctions don't use the numbers, may have a choice of numbers, seldom use the same twice. Grrh! Found myself heading to Paris!
Dieppe in good time and sitting in the long slow queue for checking in and then the long slow wait to board the boat. Must get my timings right - not too early, not too late - don't rush but get to the ferry about 30 minutes before sailing.
The ferry, Seven Sisters, was fine and they did good fish and chips. And if this is anything to go by, French coffee is probably the worst - simple test - if vending machine coffee tastes good what you had before must have been muck! Sadly, nowhere to relax and sleep. A couple of shops, a bar, some airline type seating facing a screen. Some tables and chairs scattered about. So I stayed in the Cafe. Amazing – kids don’t tire, they just get loud. 425 miles. Left home 10.30 am, arrived 10.30pm. Spent 2 hours in a queue and 4 hours on a ferry. Driving time 6 hours. OK.
Stopped overnight in London, saw family and spent the day not driving. Saturday off to Gloucester - 130 miles collect furniture and stuff and back to London, so 260 mile plus a couple of hours loading. M4 out of London looked bad but that was deceptive - starting early missed the rush and back in London for a Pizza and an early night.
Well, Monday was too far ahead - the ferry company were great - for a tenner they put me on an earlier ferry, for another £25 they gave me a room to myself. Great value - same price for four people. Own loo, shower and comfy bed gave me some shut eye for the overnight drive heading my way. Off the ferry at Dieppe around 11 pm. Plans for hotel en route faded as it hardly seemed sensible - and the weather for the next day was not food. Not if you are driving. 36 degrees, heading south into the sun. No thank you!
Overnight all the way, thank you! Rouen - got lost again - long drag to Le Mans, soon at Tours, then Poitier. No sooner past Poitier and the tiredness could be felt. But got to Niort - off the motorway and down the Route National and home at 5AM. Mission accomplished!
Sunday night on the motorway - quiet - yes but also no. The traffic heading into Rouen at midnight was a continuous line. South of Tours the lorries going to Paris could not be counted. A constant line of Dutch and German cars passing my van during the night. Probably been on the road all day and night heading towards Spain.
Well, 1200 miles in four days. Not that great but a good one for me.
