Anyone Remember?

[emjaiuk]

When touring Europe could be an adventure? Was discussing our first continental trip. We travelled Dover - Zeebrugge, in 1966 I think, and the linkspan was mounted on a barge moored in the entrance to the Baudouin canal which they had to pull out of the way when a barge wanted access. We were on our way to Italy, petrol coupons and change given in sweets!

 

[Landy Andy]

No. Wasn't born till 10years after that.

But touring Europe can still be an adventure. My wife will definitely say it is.

 

[Brains]

My first trip by vehicle to the mainland was in 1968.
It was still pretty basic, but it was a normal roro ferry (SeaLink) to Calais.

However I have cine film of my Dad and his aunt and uncle going to France and Switzerland in a Morris 1000 in 1948.

They craned the car into the hold of the ship for the trip across the Channel, and once in France most of the roads were either cobbled or un-tarmacked, anymore than 100 miles in a day was not really possible as top speed was 30-40 mph.

At one point they ran out of fuel (a lot of fuel shortages at the time) and were towed to the next fuel station, by shire horse, to the await the weekly petrol delivery next day.

 

[stevewagner]

i first went in 1963 with my parents. My dad had a Morris Isis which he took the engine out and reconditioned it. He had me grinding valves for hours on end. My sister, brother and me spent the school summer holidays with a plank on our laps on the settee making the little pull part of zip fasteners. i think we made about £200 in 6 weeks which paid for the car, holiday and an ex-army bell tent. We had a fabulous time!

 

[Burgo]

I remember well change being given in small boiled sweets in Portugal even in the 70s as well as the hassle of using travellers cheques.

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[barsteward]

My first ever trip to mainland Europe was in 2014. Was it an a adventure? Yes. I think everything is relative. When I was quite a bit younger I thought it was adventurous to explore whilst in Acapulco, to be honest it led to one or two (on reflection) dangerous situations. Would I do it now? definitely not just as at one time I would have relished attempting "The long way round".
Life moves on and you should enjoy the memories but be realistic about the future and try to enjoy it as an adventure

 

[sedge]

First time abroad for me was 1969, but my then fiance drove from Brum to Playa de Aro the previous year on a lads holiday, in his dad's Zephyr 6 with 3 others lads - very intrepid. We both still remember the 'V' form which severely limited the amount of spending money we could take - even though it didn't affect us to any degree as no way could we possibly have scraped up any more money anyway! Food, booze, taxis and fags were cheap - we enjoyed ourselves!

 

[Spriddler]

I remember when Penguins and Wagon Wheels were nearly twice the size that they are now, but It's odd that there didn't seem to so much obesity in those days.
Maybe it's because sweets were still on ration until I was 7 years old.

 

[bobnick]

Or maybe it's because kids used to play out in those days not sat in front of a console playing vid games.

 

[Casper46]

Just before we were married (1973) we put a tent, a little gas stove and lots of tins of Campbell's meatballs into the boot of himselfs Vauxhall Viscount and caught the ferry from Hull. 3 weeks and 4000 miles later we arrived home via Holland, Germany, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Austria and France.
Not touched meatballs since.
We spent £50 on fuel and we were not allowed to share a cabin on North Sea Ferries as we were not married. We both had to share with strangers.

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[jongood]

My first trip was noticable because it was on the Hovercraft. About 1975, school exchange trip Ramsgate to Calais in 20 minutes, could hardly see a thing for the spray but WOW!!

 

[Nyvern]

My first trip in 1970 London to Kabul, 6000 miles in a mini van. This must qualify as one of the smallest "camper van" ?

 

[Odd-no-more]

The first trip on a ferry that I can remember, was in 1956 when we moved from Paris to Sheffield, the first trip as an adult was in 1975 when I drove a friend and his girlfriend back to their flat in Brussels, in my MG midget, it was a bit of a squeeze but nobody said anything back then. Can you imagine trying that now

 

[Mr and Mrs O]

I remember when you could cut out a £1 voucher from the newspaper load up your car with sleepy kids and all, just turn up at Dover hand over your voucher and bon voyage! On your way! Simple times!!!
Wow nostalgia I must be getting old

 

[emjaiuk]

I can't remember which country, either Spain or Switzerland, but somewhere you weren't allowed to import instant coffee for some reason. We spent ages moving ours to the bottom of our pile of camping gear in the back of our Herald convertible. We also drove to Spain a couple of times at the height of the ETA troubles, and some of the armed roadblocks in the mountains were pretty scary.
Another truly amazing thing from those days were the AA travel guides. Every turn and crossroad listed from home to the Italian Riviera, and all without computers!

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[deleted79651]

First time abroad for me was 1969, but my then fiance drove from Brum to Playa de Aro the previous year on a lads holiday, in his dad's Zephyr 6 with 3 others lads - very intrepid. We both still remember the 'V' form which severely limited the amount of spending money we could take - even though it didn't affect us to any degree as no way could we possibly have scraped up any more money anyway! Food, booze, taxis and fags were cheap - we enjoyed ourselves!

You didn't mention the small stamp applied in 2 columns of your passport by the Bank; one to 'validate' the handwritten amount of Foreign currency you were taking, the other to confirm that the Exchange Control procedures had been explained (and leaflet issued) under EC12 of the Exchange Control Act ...

If I had £1 for every one of those procedures ...

Steve

 

[Spriddler]

You didn't mention the small stamp applied in 2 columns of your passport by the Bank; one to 'validate' the handwritten amount of Foreign currency you were taking,

I've still got mine........

I must've been wealthy to take £60 in 1966............

 

[Odd-no-more]

I've still got mine........

View attachment 525043

View attachment 525040

I must've been wealthy to take £60 in 1966............

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That's posh, I only had a visitor's passport issued by the post office, it was years before I got a "real" one

 

[busby]

Or maybe it's because kids used to play out in those days not sat in front of a console playing vid games.

And the only fast food was fish and chips.Rekon I probably consumed two bags of crisps a year back then.Mind you it's still only three or four now. In BUSBY.

 

[Bubba]

And the only fast food was fish and chips.Rekon I probably consumed two bags of crisps a year back then.Mind you it's still only three or four now. In BUSBY.

Kids play outside now and some silly old fart complains of kids making noise in the street kicking a football.

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[Spriddler]

That's posh, I only had a visitor's passport issued by the post office, it was years before I got a "real" one

Ah, well, in 1966 I was 21 and had finished my 5 year apprenticeship in the motor trade and became a much travelled export salesman for various British consumer electronics companies for the next 7 years, experiencing the demise of British electronic manufacturing., Luckily I joined the U.S.A. based Duracell Battery Company at the beginning of the portable consumer electronics products boom and retired after 13 years as Export Marketing Director, so I got through a lot of passports.

 

[busby]

Kids play outside now and some silly old fart complains of kids making noise in the street kicking a football.

I was never in and my kids were the same.What happened? BUSBY.

 

[bobnick]

Ditto, almost out at dawn back at sunset for food. Oh the trouble we used to get into.
At 8 years i died after falling in the cut canal, bloke pulled me out. Hospital job. Made headlines in Manchester Evening News. Found fame at 8.