Most miles driven/ridden in one go?
Discussion
I knew a couple that were in the states a few years back seattle, on holiday / work trip, they had family in Florida - her daughter and she was about to drop, first grandchild. Anyways they got word that baby was on way so had made arrangements to fly down to the sunshine state....
September 11th got in the way, George came out the garage with a map and said to his wife, its not that far...
48hrs drive 3,300 miles.... Quick call to the car rental and they said under the circumstances they would waive the out of state / mileage charges and they could leave it in florida if they didnt fancy the drive back.
So they did it, left seattle and it took them 54 hours to complete the 3,300 miles. doing it in shifts only stopping for fuel and food....
quite a drive if it wasnt such a terrifying time. they got stopped a couple of times by police for speeding but when they said what thye were doing the police just told them to get on their way and be careful...
September 11th got in the way, George came out the garage with a map and said to his wife, its not that far...
48hrs drive 3,300 miles.... Quick call to the car rental and they said under the circumstances they would waive the out of state / mileage charges and they could leave it in florida if they didnt fancy the drive back.
So they did it, left seattle and it took them 54 hours to complete the 3,300 miles. doing it in shifts only stopping for fuel and food....
quite a drive if it wasnt such a terrifying time. they got stopped a couple of times by police for speeding but when they said what thye were doing the police just told them to get on their way and be careful...
630 Miles in march this year.
Yes, only 630 miles but it was on a 25 hour day, thanks to the 2 timezones between Arizona and Nevada, USA.
I was in holiday and tought it would be possible to visit the Grand Canyon (Arizona), the Monument Valley (Utah) and then go to sleep at the 36th floor of our hotel in Las Vegas (Nevada).
About 6 hours visiting and the rest driving our rental Ford Mustang convertible. Awesome memory.
Yes, only 630 miles but it was on a 25 hour day, thanks to the 2 timezones between Arizona and Nevada, USA.
I was in holiday and tought it would be possible to visit the Grand Canyon (Arizona), the Monument Valley (Utah) and then go to sleep at the 36th floor of our hotel in Las Vegas (Nevada).
About 6 hours visiting and the rest driving our rental Ford Mustang convertible. Awesome memory.
The longest without a break was 650 miles around southern England years ago when I was a young car salesman. It was my job to drive the "tender car" on a complicated five way dealer transfer (back in the day when cars were driven rather than transported in a truck).
The absolute longest but in-admissable due to two ferry journies would have been Hereford-Portsmouth, ferry to Cherbourg, Cherbourg to Sainte Foy Le Grande. This was 150 in the UK and 450 in France. Memorable due to a few things; after 4 hours sleep I did the return journey as I wanted to get home for a wedding anniversary, the French were having a fuel strike, it was my first time driving abroad and I was driving a LWB Hi Roof ex Welsh Waterboard Leyland Daf van. 1200 miles, two ferries 42 hours. Quite a journey in those pre sat nav days.
These days I dont tend to do more than 450 miles a day as I find I cant concentrate properly for more than that.
The absolute longest but in-admissable due to two ferry journies would have been Hereford-Portsmouth, ferry to Cherbourg, Cherbourg to Sainte Foy Le Grande. This was 150 in the UK and 450 in France. Memorable due to a few things; after 4 hours sleep I did the return journey as I wanted to get home for a wedding anniversary, the French were having a fuel strike, it was my first time driving abroad and I was driving a LWB Hi Roof ex Welsh Waterboard Leyland Daf van. 1200 miles, two ferries 42 hours. Quite a journey in those pre sat nav days.
These days I dont tend to do more than 450 miles a day as I find I cant concentrate properly for more than that.
bobo said:
flew from London to Rome, drove back to London same day 900mls
Don't know what route you took but that sounds a bit more than 900.Because I clocked 940 starting from near Lucca,way north of Rome,done in one day too.
Have also twice driven from different bits of Sweden all the way to Calais in one go,approx 1000 + miles.
My brother and I did a pan-euro mini tour which started off Day 1 in Hove and ended up that night in Stuttgart (600mls), the trip on Day 3 from Munich to Bologna (420mls) seemed much longer, but that might have been some nightlife previously... Even with regular trips from the Midlands to Aberdeen / Inverness in one hit, plus Le Mans and French GP (2007, Magny Cours) that first day is still the longest I've done in one hit. Not the most time spent in car in one go, granted, but I do about 3.5k a month...and that's only going to go up now!
I'm a rep and drive 300 ish from Ncle to our London office without stopping at least once a month. Occasionally there and back in a day.
Most memorable journey was the first time I drove my Griff... collected it from the previous owner in Kingston Upon Thames and drove it back to Newcastle upon Tyne.
The first 40 miles in stop start traffic on the M25 on a HOT June day with the roof on (i hadn't yet figured out how to fit it into the boot)... not the best introduction to TVR driving but the car behaved perfectly and still does 7 years on.
Most memorable journey was the first time I drove my Griff... collected it from the previous owner in Kingston Upon Thames and drove it back to Newcastle upon Tyne.
The first 40 miles in stop start traffic on the M25 on a HOT June day with the roof on (i hadn't yet figured out how to fit it into the boot)... not the best introduction to TVR driving but the car behaved perfectly and still does 7 years on.
1,400km from Paris to Rome in my Peugeot 205 GTI.
Started off in Maisons-Laffitte, north west Paris, at around 2pm, and got to Via Grazia Deledda in north east Rome at 5am the following morning. Except for fuel stops, I didn't take a break. That was in 2001 when I was 22 year old. Not sure I could do that now.
Tried to drive the trip non-stop when I returned 15 months later, but nearly fell asleep at the wheel about 2 hours south of Paris at about 3am. Had to stop and grab a 2 hour nap.
Started off in Maisons-Laffitte, north west Paris, at around 2pm, and got to Via Grazia Deledda in north east Rome at 5am the following morning. Except for fuel stops, I didn't take a break. That was in 2001 when I was 22 year old. Not sure I could do that now.
Tried to drive the trip non-stop when I returned 15 months later, but nearly fell asleep at the wheel about 2 hours south of Paris at about 3am. Had to stop and grab a 2 hour nap.
1049 miles solo drive to Oviedo in Spain.
15.2 hours driving time, via the tunnel.
Averaged 69mph @ 41.6mpg.
Top down all the way with a relaxed lunch en-route, and the sun slowly traversing from the eastern to western horizon until it finally set behind the Pyrenees up ahead. Far preferable to 24hrs on a ferry rocking & rolling through the Bay of Biscay, imho.
15.2 hours driving time, via the tunnel.
Averaged 69mph @ 41.6mpg.
Top down all the way with a relaxed lunch en-route, and the sun slowly traversing from the eastern to western horizon until it finally set behind the Pyrenees up ahead. Far preferable to 24hrs on a ferry rocking & rolling through the Bay of Biscay, imho.
I'm loving the posts, thanks!
Seems the perception of the task has much to do with the mindset of the driver(s), which makes sense. Bashing out 1000miles in a big comfy car with cruise control is no worse than a day in the office I guess (I'm not an office worker), so long as the traffic isn't too bad and you can stop for a pee. Clearly though, flogging a wheezy snotter halfway across europe takes guts! I've also found it more taxing being with other people, I think because my mind is doing more thinking about them. I did a lot of long distance stints on my own when I was setting up my businesses and always find it quite therapeutic if the going is good, but then again during that period I did a lot of 36 to 48 hour days just working and thought I was enjoying it at the time
Anyway, a few more pics...
Sept 2015. Me and the same mate who accompanied me to Morocco non-stop in the Series 3 Landy back in 2003, heading to the start of GOME for a rip round the alps. This time York to Geneva in one run (plus euro tunnel). We ran out of fuel on the M25 when I was in passenger seat as the gauge looked fine from my side (my car so I was used to looking at it from the right - whoops), then missed our tunnel slot so had to wait over an hour till 3am train. Then non-stop to Geneva. Thought we'd got away with it all the way there until about 2 hours outside Geneva, when the heavens literally opened. Nothing like soggy balls to dampened the spirits. Note the distance from the exhaust exit to the drivers ear, but he still managed to fall asleep in the passenger seat! Luckily the car then decided that the South of France was the place to stop, so we all took the easy way home!
Seems the perception of the task has much to do with the mindset of the driver(s), which makes sense. Bashing out 1000miles in a big comfy car with cruise control is no worse than a day in the office I guess (I'm not an office worker), so long as the traffic isn't too bad and you can stop for a pee. Clearly though, flogging a wheezy snotter halfway across europe takes guts! I've also found it more taxing being with other people, I think because my mind is doing more thinking about them. I did a lot of long distance stints on my own when I was setting up my businesses and always find it quite therapeutic if the going is good, but then again during that period I did a lot of 36 to 48 hour days just working and thought I was enjoying it at the time
Anyway, a few more pics...
Sept 2015. Me and the same mate who accompanied me to Morocco non-stop in the Series 3 Landy back in 2003, heading to the start of GOME for a rip round the alps. This time York to Geneva in one run (plus euro tunnel). We ran out of fuel on the M25 when I was in passenger seat as the gauge looked fine from my side (my car so I was used to looking at it from the right - whoops), then missed our tunnel slot so had to wait over an hour till 3am train. Then non-stop to Geneva. Thought we'd got away with it all the way there until about 2 hours outside Geneva, when the heavens literally opened. Nothing like soggy balls to dampened the spirits. Note the distance from the exhaust exit to the drivers ear, but he still managed to fall asleep in the passenger seat! Luckily the car then decided that the South of France was the place to stop, so we all took the easy way home!
Edited by Loaghtan Target on Wednesday 7th December 09:56
Edited by Loaghtan Target on Wednesday 7th December 10:01
762, Birmingham to Southampton, then to Dover for a Holiday in La Rochelle, slightly convoluted route but saved a fortune on the ferry that paid for the accommodation in savings. Didn't get to stop in Le Mans though! Gutted! Had had my 325i a week or so at this point, and it was great to spend more time with that lovely straight six.
According to Google Maps my longest drive was from Margate to Lloret de Mar at about 850 4 years ago in my Boxster. The drive back was particularly troubling as I had mumps come out and the glands in my face had swollen and I couldn't move my head to check in the mirror, just getting my girlfriend to check in the mirror for me.
Was assured that we had 'plenty' of pain killers for the return trip, this turned out to be three. Of those three she took two as she thought she might get a headache. It seems the French services don't sell pain killers either. Absolute hell at the time but has progressed into a fond memory!
St Tropez and Mayrhofen both around 800 complete my top 3. Love a good drive! Driving to Berlin for NYE, can't wait!
Was assured that we had 'plenty' of pain killers for the return trip, this turned out to be three. Of those three she took two as she thought she might get a headache. It seems the French services don't sell pain killers either. Absolute hell at the time but has progressed into a fond memory!
St Tropez and Mayrhofen both around 800 complete my top 3. Love a good drive! Driving to Berlin for NYE, can't wait!
I used to do the 970ish miles from Bath to Juan Les Pins (and visa versa) fairly often in single stints - never found it an issue (diesel A3) and could easily cruise at 90-100mph on the French roads with no issue at all. Always felt like hitting treacle the moment I got back onto the M25/M4 leg.
birdcage said:
London to Berlin, left at 6am and having dinner there later that day..
Also saw 175MPH on the Autobahn. Was a great day
I've done similar - Shropshire to Berlin (840m) last year, and Shropshire to Leipzig (790m) this year.Also saw 175MPH on the Autobahn. Was a great day
The latter was interesting because significant Eurotunnel delays meant we didn't get to Calais until 6pm despite leaving early in the morning, so had to 'make progress'. A derestricted F10 M5 was the perfect tool for the job. Saw 180mph indicated between Kassel and Leipzig.
Am planning to go to Poland next year in the car - my girlfriend has a university trip to Auschwitz (1170 miles) and wants to take the car instead of flying (good girl...). Will aim to break the outward journey in Berlin or Dresden and naturally the ring on the way back.
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