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We're driving from Midlothian to Wiltshire on Saturday. Hoping it's not going to be too busy and the traffic is spread out over five or six days. When is everyone else travelling? We are also driving back on Christmas eve, hoping most of you are getting stuck into the egg nog by then!
Peterborough to Chesterfield Friday Afternoon, back late Sunday, then Stanstead Airport in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Bristol to Skye, via a night in the NW England, Mon/Tues. Should be ok once we're past Manchester... I hope.
None really, other than a night away on 28th, in North Wales (only 75 miles away) catching up with some folks we go camping and swimming with.
Driving on Saturday 27th, a route which can be a variable journey at the best of times.
Planning on an absolute crack of dawn start. Guessing that'll be a day that a lot of people start heading home from Christmas Day / Boxing Day at the relatives.
Also suspect that all the big out of town shopping centres will be gridlocked!
We are also driving back on Christmas eve,
It's been a number of years since I've done Christmas travelling, but that's likely to be a bloody nightmare.
Seriously just consider leaving it until early Christmas day morning, roads are damn near empty. Suppose it depends what you have to be back for.
We have to leave on Christmas eve. We'll leave early and hopefully miss the worst.
We have to leave on Christmas eve. We'll leave early and hopefully miss the worst.
Up and down the country, there's another 30m people all going "we'll leave early, hopefully miss the worst"! 😉
Seriously just consider leaving it until early Christmas day morning, roads are damn near empty.
Up to a point. From about 10am, the roads just go insane. Harassed and stressed parents driving cars piled high with presents and a couple of hyper kids who've been up since 5am scoffing chocolate, driving off to relatives that they only visit a couple of times a year so they're not sure of the way, the car is steamed up, the presents limit the view out the back, the kids are shrieking...
Most people very rarely do long drives so you get all these very infrequent motorway drivers, people who rarely drive in the dark, cars that haven't been on a long run in months. It's like a whole sub-species of motorist. And they're all shit.
23rd, Fife to Norfolk but have half a mind to stop half way and leave on the 22nd (campervan). Peak district 3 day stop off on the way back.
Most people very rarely do long drives so you get all these very infrequent motorway drivers, people who rarely drive in the dark, cars that haven't been on a long run in months. It's like a whole sub-species of motorist. And they're all shit.
This!
Plus a family will take the Big Car, which inevitably gets driven by the person who doesn't usually drive it. And that person (I'm gonna say it - the wife) isn't used to the car, AND doesn't often drive distance. And when they do, it's middle lane all the way.
Since we had 3 kids, we've stayed put. The world can revolve around us and our overactive loins.
Might walk up to the high street for a pre-lunch pint in the pub. Haven't done long-distance Xmas driving in a long time. Chris Rea can F right off.
MiL comes to us after she has done the BiL in the AM and all is good.
24th has been fine for us from Dumfries to Leicester for two years, doing it again this year, not through choice.. In fact Xmas eve is always pretty quiet in the last few years when I’ve been working on that day, apart from around shopping centres and large supermarkets.
On the other hand , the return on the 27th has been deadly, but we did leave around 10am, it’ll be 7 am this year.
All local driving here, I'll go see the kids at their mum's in the morning then the afternoon I'll get my mum and we'll have a bit of lunch followed by the evening heading to the other half for the night. On the 26th I'll pick up the kids and take them to mine on the way home.
We once drove down on the 27th and I swore (a **** ton) that we'd never travel on the 27th again. That may also have been the year it was snowing when we left Scotland.
1000 mile drive starting on Boxing Day. Taking the back roads from Thredbo to the Sunshine Coast with a camping spot along the way. Traffic shouldn’t be an issue.
my driving home for Christmas days are over thankfully--it seems now there is no quiet time on the roads, especially the matorways, they always seem busy whatever day of the week or time of the day!
good luck to all those travelling, allow lots of time and take snacks 🙂
My Christmas travel will involve my stairs at home, and not much more 😀
last weekend I had to collect my son and his bike from York and drive back to NI, it was a windy and wet drive in a loaded Passat estate, him and his girlfriend, bike and gear, so I took it slowly, like 55mph to 65mph on the motorways, a bit less on single carriageways like A66, and it was a much less stressful drive, tootling along all the crazies come flying by, and in the 225 miles home there were no 'incidents'--aka noobs with horns blaring, lights flashing, tail-gating, brake checking, bunching etc--so it definitely pays to allow lots of time, go easy, and avoid the stress!
Leed to Leicester on Christmas day evening. Then boxing day set off for the Pyrenees, stopping in Orleans boxing day night.
good luck to all those travelling, allow lots of time and take snacks
Wise words.
A few years ago, driving down to London on Christmas Eve. It was middle of the night when I'd left mine; back then I'd leave at 2am, arrive about 6am, there'd be almost no traffic.
Going down the M1, got to a crash that had only just happened, motorway blocked. Traffic backed up, we all just turned the engines off and waited. We were there for 4hrs, eventually the police started turning people around but because I was right at the front of the queue, it took forever for everyone to turn around and drive the wrong way back up the motorway to then get off at the previous junction.
I was starving, freezing cold, absolutely shattered - I'd not been able to sleep much in the car cos it was so cold and the flashing lights and sirens had kept me awake.
So yes - pack food, water, blankets and a large "receptacle" bottle in the car...
Wise words.
I've just opted to stop overnight in Appleby in Westmoreland Monday night. Not in the mood for a drive that starts and finishes in darkness.
Does Madame Educator win the thread for doing 840km on winding main roads with some farmer blockaded autoroutes (just cause no reproach), starting at 9 last night and still underway having charged the Zoe five times (merci Elon) which did have the merit of providing nap stops.
Got a 900 mile 20 hour epic down to the Massif Central to do on the 28th. Hoping that as it's a Sunday it won't be too bad.
Had to come back to London for work this week and am now at Luton airport waiting for a flight back to Ireland. It's already showing a 40 minute delay 🙁
Luton airport is fairly busy but not rammed even though the dart shuttle was as I've ever seen it. Security wasn't too bad though.
Hangover is also abating
Does Madame Educator win the thread for doing 840km on winding main roads with some farmer blockaded autoroutes (just cause no reproach), starting at 9 last night and still underway having charged the Zoe five times
Chris Rea never sang about any of this stuff!
Whenever I drive home (Aberdeen to Manchester), I just drive through the night. Set off at 7pm or later and the roads are deserted. Very occasionally there will be an overnight motorway closure to deal with.
Normally I can stroll through check in and bag drop in a few minutes at this time in the morning but today it's really quite busy!
Ugh, van has a "doesn't even try to start" electrical fault. The omens are not looking good, really wished I hadn't booked accommodation now 😕
The radio was claiming yesterday to be the busiest day but the M1 southbound was pretty empty for us in the afternoon, certainly better than when I commute on it. Northbound looked a bit rubbish though.
It looks like big queues and IT problems relating to the Dover ferries.
We're well into flag land now, just onto the M5 and having lunch. Less than 100 miles to go.