Annual 1000mile drive starts at 4am

[aarondbs]

My annual 1000mile trip starts tomorrow morning at 4am. Should be interesting as its the first time we've done the trip in a vehicle such as the Amarok. Previous trips to South of France have been 530i, Mercedes C220CDi, Citroen C5 Tourer, Audi 2.5TDi and, a long time ago in a Rover 620SLDi..

We normally do the trip in one hit from North Derbyshire to South of France leaving in the afternoon but this time we are taking a tour down to Bourges and then to Gorges du Tarn taking in the Milau Bridge along the way from there to final destination.

I'm a little concerned that it will feel an awful long way in the truck (and not so kind on the pocket either)...

[GroundEffect]

Is it not cheaper to fly then rent for the days you need the car?

[aarondbs]

GroundEffect said:

Is it not cheaper to fly then rent for the days you need the car?

Camping for 5 days in the Gorge and then have a place booked in South of F. All four Bikes with us too...

[matts4]

Is the Amarok your new daily driver?

Enjoy that 1k mile drive, I had to do something similar in May when I went from Norfolk to Monaco in one hit...knackered at the end, but was worth it.

Only reason I ask about you pick up is that I often have a rush of blood and think it would be fun to own a Navara/L200/Hi Lux type vehicle for awhile. A steady drive, but pretty good fun to have the practicality of throwing camping stuff and bikes in the back.

[Pilsner]

I've just completed a 2500+ mile roundtrip through 5 countries and wouldn't dream of doing any more than about 600 in one go. Was bloody knackered after each leg. How one can do 1000 miles in one sitting is beyond me! Including piss/fag/food breaks you're looking at, what, a solid 18-20 hours at least? Admittedly I did it solo, maybe a passenger makes a difference, but oh boy... my hat is off to you Sir.

[aarondbs]

matts4 said:

Is the Amarok your new daily driver?

Enjoy that 1k mile drive, I had to do something similar in May when I went from Norfolk to Monaco in one hit...knackered at the end, but was worth it.

Only reason I ask about you pick up is that I often have a rush of blood and think it would be fun to own a Navara/L200/Hi Lux type vehicle for awhile. A steady drive, but pretty good fun to have the practicality of throwing camping stuff and bikes in the back.

It is. And the rush of blood came on string when I saw the Amarok. So different from everything else I have driven. Was amazing in the snow but is normally RWD. In 4WD in the dry the diff is locked and it cant be parked or driven in tight circles without 'wheel jump'.

I got 43MPG today over Woodhead going to Manchester and back mainly due to M1 50mph limit and traffic and cameras over the top. Normal use is around 33MPG on a mix of country, town and Motorway.

Make sure its a 180BHP and it is nippy though never fast. It takes a new style of driving as it bounces a little unladen. It is generally comfy though and well equipped and put together.

I often tow a boat too so its great for that. Chuck anything in the back (except loose shopping bags) and it is extremely useful.

Would have to fit your lifestyle to make sense though. Fortunately we have the Swift Sport and Alfa at home too for other occasions (thoygh currently no RWD except the Amarok which doesn't count in this regard).

[aarondbs]

Pilsner said:

I've just completed a 2500+ mile roundtrip through 5 countries and wouldn't dream of doing any more than about 600 in one go. Was bloody knackered after each leg. How one can do 1000 miles in one sitting is beyond me! Including piss/fag/food breaks you're looking at, what, a solid 18-20 hours at least? Admittedly I did it solo, maybe a passenger makes a difference, but oh boy... my hat is off to you Sir.

Last year it was ferry at 8pm after driving down and arrival in Port Grimaud at around 8am the next morning. Different this year as above. Was a great easy way to get all our stuff down there with the kids (and wife!!) asleep overnight without the interminable 'are we there yet'...

[Pilsner]

aarondbs said:

Last year it was ferry at 8pm after driving down and arrival in Port Grimaud at around 8am the next morning. Different this year as above. Was a great easy way to get all our stuff down there with the kids (and wife!!) asleep overnight without the interminable 'are we there yet'...

Thinking about it, I suppose the ferry does break it up quite a bit - so much so that I didn't even count the milage I had to do in the UK; including which the first and last legs would've been more like 800 miles, so I guess I can now see where you're coming from.

The hat's still off to you though. Wouldn't want to do it myself.

[matts4]

Pilsner said:

I've just completed a 2500+ mile roundtrip through 5 countries and wouldn't dream of doing any more than about 600 in one go. Was bloody knackered after each leg. How one can do 1000 miles in one sitting is beyond me! Including piss/fag/food breaks you're looking at, what, a solid 18-20 hours at least? Admittedly I did it solo, maybe a passenger makes a difference, but oh boy... my hat is off to you Sir.

The trip I did was tiring, very much so.
Left Norfolk at 7pm, arrived Dover at 10pm. Ferry at 10:30pm and arrived Calais at 1am. (clock adjusted)
Drove for 5 hrs, 1 fuel/p1ss stop and then had 30 mins kip.
Drove from 6:30am till arriving at Monaco at 2pm, had 2 more stops for fuel and toilet break in between. I was travelling with a mate who didn't fall asleep, so we were chatting all the way.

On the way back, left Monaco at 8am and got to Calais at 8pm. Literally a 12hr drive, stopped for fuel 3 times (one we combined for lunch).
If the car didn't do 22mpg at the average speed of 85mph we maintained, we could have got away with one less fuel stop.

Would I do it again? Probably not in one hit, but then I doubt we'll get offered last minute luxury yacht tickets for a weekend watching the Monaco Grand Prix again.
If we did, I'd be out there again with 24hrs notice, just like this year

[aarondbs]

Pilsner said:

Thinking about it, I suppose the ferry does break it up quite a bit - so much so that I didn't even count the milage I had to do in the UK; including which the first and last legs would've been more like 800 miles, so I guess I can now see where you're coming from.

The hat's still off to you though. Wouldn't want to do it myself.

You always forget what a chore it is until you get halfway down the following year... many a moment spent drinking espresso 'somewhere in the middle of France' at a crappy service station sometime in the night...

This year much easier though with 6 days to do it in...

[aarondbs]

matts4 said:

The trip I did was tiring, very much so.
Left Norfolk at 7pm, arrived Dover at 10pm. Ferry at 10:30pm and arrived Calais at 1am. (clock adjusted)
Drove for 5 hrs, 1 fuel/p1ss stop and then had 30 mins kip.
Drove from 6:30am till arriving at Monaco at 2pm, had 2 more stops for fuel and toilet break in between. I was travelling with a mate who didn't fall asleep, so we were chatting all the way.

On the way back, left Monaco at 8am and got to Calais at 8pm. Literally a 12hr drive, stopped for fuel 3 times (one we combined for lunch).
If the car didn't do 22mpg at the average speed of 85mph we maintained, we could have got away with one less fuel stop.

Would I do it again? Probably not in one hit, but then I doubt we'll get offered last minute luxury yacht tickets for a weekend watching the Monaco Grand Prix again.
If we did, I'd be out there again with 24hrs notice, just like this year

That sounds just about the perfect reason to do it... brilliant...

[matts4]

aarondbs said:

It is. And the rush of blood came on string when I saw the Amarok. So different from everything else I have driven. Was amazing in the snow but is normally RWD. In 4WD in the dry the diff is locked and it cant be parked or driven in tight circles without 'wheel jump'.

I got 43MPG today over Woodhead going to Manchester and back mainly due to M1 50mph limit and traffic and cameras over the top. Normal use is around 33MPG on a mix of country, town and Motorway.

Make sure its a 180BHP and it is nippy though never fast. It takes a new style of driving as it bounces a little unladen. It is generally comfy though and well equipped and put together.

I often tow a boat too so its great for that. Chuck anything in the back (except loose shopping bags) and it is extremely useful.

Would have to fit your lifestyle to make sense though. Fortunately we have the Swift Sport and Alfa at home too for other occasions (thoygh currently no RWD except the Amarok which doesn't count in this regard).

Lifestyle could potentially fit in, my kids would love it and it would be practical for dump runs, garden stuff etc (I like having a reasonable size garden, but boy does it create a load of rubbish every week).
I've got a Mk3 MX5 for trackdays/summer etc and my wife has a Golf Gti, so we are not really short on cars for other occasions.

I might miss the V8 for noise though. (fuel consumption at anything over an average of 20MPG would be an improvement too!)

My mate runs a couple of Amoraks with his business, I might see if he'll let me borrow one for the weekend.

[jke11y]

The French don't do crappy petrol stations, they are all a magnitude better than UK! I did the drive on Monday but had split it 2/3 1/3 - for the sake of a 44eur campanile on Tuesday night we were still by the pool in St Paul De Vence by 11am on Tuesday...

[matts4]

aarondbs said:

... many a moment spent drinking espresso 'somewhere in the middle of France' at a crappy service station sometime in the night...

ha ha, how very, very true. (the espresso drinking, not necessarily the service station reference, albeit there was dog st on all the grass wherever we stopped)

[aarondbs]

matts4 said:

Lifestyle could potentially fit in, my kids would love it and it would be practical for dump runs, garden stuff etc (I like having a reasonable size garden, but boy does it create a load of rubbish every week).
I've got a Mk3 MX5 for trackdays/summer etc and my wife has a Golf Gti, so we are not really short on cars for other occasions.

I might miss the V8 for noise though. (fuel consumption at anything over an average of 20MPG would be an improvement too!)

My mate runs a couple of Amoraks with his business, I might see if he'll let me borrow one for the weekend.

Sounds almost a mirror image. My four year old boy thinks its a Monster Truck (and requested a RC Car for his Birthday on Sunday that looked like Daddy's car). Living in the sticks with it I am now almost wishing for the snow in winter...

Looks like I am just missing the MX5 or similar...Can feel a swap coming on for one with the Alfa... would miss the Busso V6 though

[aarondbs]

jke11y said:

The French don't do crappy petrol stations, they are all a magnitude better than UK! I did the drive on Monday but had split it 2/3 1/3 - for the sake of a 44eur campanile on Tuesday night we were still by the pool in St Paul De Vence by 11am on Tuesday...

I didn't mean to disrespect the French Service Stations, just that any stop in these circumstances makes you feel that way...

[Pilsner]

aarondbs said:

You always forget what a chore it is until you get halfway down the following year... many a moment spent drinking espresso 'somewhere in the middle of France' at a crappy service station sometime in the night...

This year much easier though with 6 days to do it in...

I didn't really do the Espresso drinking I'm afraid, so can't relate, but rather found myself taking sizeable gulps of various deplorable energy drinks whilst fist pumping and miming to whatever was on the radio each time I passed a new cow/town/city/county/region/country. Must've been quite a sight.

Edited by Pilsner on Thursday 8th August 16:22

[Limpet]

Pilsner said:

I've just completed a 2500+ mile roundtrip through 5 countries and wouldn't dream of doing any more than about 600 in one go. Was bloody knackered after each leg. How one can do 1000 miles in one sitting is beyond me! Including piss/fag/food breaks you're looking at, what, a solid 18-20 hours at least? Admittedly I did it solo, maybe a passenger makes a difference, but oh boy... my hat is off to you Sir.

We did north Hampshire to Lake Garda (947 miles) in one hit (overnight) a couple of years ago. Never again. 18 and a half hours, and the last half dozen were just hell. And that was between two of us. The idea was that whoever wasn't driving would sleep. It didn't happen. We ended up getting to our destination having effectively not slept for 36 hours, and in foul moods through being completely exhausted.

We did the same route last year, but added an overnight stop in the south of Germany. It transformed the experience. A full day in the car with plenty of rest stops, then a nice meal and a couple of beers at the hotel, a moderate lie in, a spot of brekkie next morning, and a lazy 4 and a half ish hour trundle down to our destination, arriving completely refreshed. The fact that day 2 started pretty much in the Alps made it especially pleasant.

700 ish is as much as I would want do in a day nowadays, even sharing with one other driver.

Edited by Limpet on Thursday 8th August 16:20

[jep]

What a fab trip I'm sure the Amarok will be just as good as the others for that length of journey, and Honest John does rates them for refinement...

5 of us drove down to Saint Sorlin d'Arves (near Bourg d'Oisans) the other week to see the Alpe d'Huez stage of the TdF in my Disco, and we broke the trip down there with a night at le Lac d'Orient near Troyes. Did the run back to Dover in the same day though and only just made the ferry... The trip totalled 2k miles in a week, and a couple of us contemplated a day trip to do the Millau bridge which I wish we had have made the effort to do...

[Major Fallout]

GroundEffect said:

Is it not cheaper to fly then rent for the days you need the car?

Are you sure you're in the correct place.