Lenny HB
LIFE MEMBER
- Oct 18, 2007
- 53,590
- 150,647
- Funster No
- 658
- MH
- Hymer B678 DL
- Exp
- Since 2008 & many years tugging
Don't use toll roads and never had a traffic delay at Dover in 39 years.
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
I have never actually managed to sort this planning thing that others seem to doOn the topic of UK vs. wider European roads:
Considering a sample of the UK Infrastructure (M'way's, A and B roads) over a ten year period, in conjunction with memories of childhood holidays and the expereince of travelling with work. I would say these journeys were typically planned to consider, public holidays, Fridays, Monday Morning, what sporting events were on and where; plus, any other thoughts of how our journey time would be impacted.
We have only recently started to travel by road to Spain via the tunnel. We do plan, as we have dogs and take timely breaks and swap driving - but only on 12 months experience the planning for us is different than planning a UK trip.
Better vs worse - I'd say just different.
Subscribers do not see these advertisements
France,
aires are overnight parking places.. not sites and certainly not destinations. Popular ones are rammed out by late afternoon.. parked so close you may not be able to open your windows or get access to a garage .. has happened to us on many occasions.
There are many lovely rural aires by canals etc .. great if you love fishing. Many aires are free and for good reason, no one wants to spend more than a day in a deserted French village with two shops . Aires near tourist attractions and coastal towns are rarely free and many are now quite expensive.. €15 or more in some of the most popular
Camp sites in France near resorts are expensive and many are only open for the summer season.. Easter until end of August ..
Autoroutes are very expensive.. avoiding them will save money but you will spend hour after hour going through villages, endless roundabouts, traffic chicanes and the local traffic is not in a hurry.. after half a day and having covered less the 100 miles you submit and hit the Autoroute
Fuel is now more expensive than the UK
Getting across the channel is not cheap either.. ferry fares are now quiet expensive and if you have a pet that's another added cost, we have two dogs, so that's £68 ferry fare (£17 each dog each way ) and another £60 for worming coming back
Don't get me wrong, we have toured and enjoyed France for many many years but it's now so busy and expensive that we plan to spend more time in the UK..
UK.. don't go away on Bank Holidays or during School holidays .. avoid these times and it's a lot less busy.. CLs are a fantastic way to tour the UK, average £12 -15 .. many less than a tenner ..
There are no toll on Mways (except M6 bypass)
Avoid the over- hyped NC500 .. find your own secret places away from the tourist traffic ..
Don't go to the West Country July and Aug .. Wales is closer and has as many lovely coastal towns and villages and rarely packed out , even during summer.
Never noticed that road in Dover with signs to Paris & Lyon.Peage tailback..
Dover traffic delays
Peage tailback..
Dover traffic delays
..30 minutes in queue, then queuing on M42, no particular reason
Signs said A38 closed, take diversion........more queues..
.
I have only one comment for the Britain bashers, mind the ferry ramp doesn't hit you on the arse as you leave
D.
Subscribers do not see these advertisements
A few more years and miles and you will get the hang of it,,,Never worked my mileage out,,started 1962,,,300 to 500 miles a day until i retired,,,200 miles is a big day now,,,BUSBY,,In 39 years of driving I've covered more than 1.5 million miles, I simply don't feel the need to spend my holiday time adding large amounts to that. I'm happy to tour in the uk, whether that be doing 100 miles in a month or 100 miles in a day matters not, it's still touring.
D.
Thats why i don't use motorways if i can help it,,,BUSBY,,You should go to Germany, half the motorways are being upgraded with stupendous queues.
The real French roads....
View attachment 243054 View attachment 243055
We can all find photos to fit our view....
Europe, apart from big cities, roads are quiet
Are you saying you did 500 miles a day in 1962?.A few more years and miles and you will get the hang of it,,,Never worked my mileage out,,started 1962,,,300 to 500 miles a day until i retired,,,200 miles is a big day now,,,BUSBY,,
Subscribers do not see these advertisements
in total we lost seven minutes over our original eta.
300 to 500,,No tacos back then,,,,It was still possible without motorways,,,BUSBYAre you saying you did 500 miles a day in 1962?.
Plenty of D roads that are dual carriageway with a hard sholder & plenty of A roads in the UK that are so narrow you wouldn't want to take a Motorhome down.fair enough.. I spoke as I found .. some N roads maybe ok for making good time.. many I've tried were not, and D roads are just a joke... but ideal for cycling ..
and Brussels.
Subscribers do not see these advertisements
While touring the continent, its fine to have empty roads, in much of the country that's all they do have, Limousin anyone When on the road Try finding a decent pint of ale or a proper pint of fresh milk, you won't, I've tried for 40 years. How about buying a proper bit of bacon or having a nice cup of tea, you got no chance. Try finding proper sarcasm outside of these fine isles, best of luck with that. Here you'll find people who know how to queue, people who can laugh at themselves. People who will apologise to you, when you bump into them. On your tours abroad see if you can find people who moan as much as us, you won't, we're world champions. See if you can find people who pride themselves on their modesty as much as the Brit. you'll look but you have no chance.
As for motorhoming, Our CL and CS Network is for the most part as good or better than the Aires system, unless of course, you love dusty carparks which make up far too many of the aires in France and maybe you enjoy Frenchmen parking so close your door hits their step. We have a thousand pubs you can park up at eat drink and be merry. We've got pub gardens, ever see one of those on the continent? No, you haven't, though in France a bit of concrete complete with dog poo and a large ashtray might pass for one. You haven't even got a decent pub, though I know some of you enjoy the pretend pubs on the continent, "Jock's Bar" "The Red Lion" they are awful, pale imitations of the real thing.
Yes our roads might be busier, but that's because this place is more popular, it's better We don't charge you a fortune to use our motorways which for the most part always moving. We have got some of the finest coastlines in the world, we are an Island. We've got the Millenium stadium, We are the home of Soccer, Cricket, Rugby, Golf, Rounders and Badminton, The spiritual home of Music and theatre and these days some the best food in Europe; eaten in France lately? (Yuk) We have the best telly so much so that when touring people spend a fortune on equipment so they can watch it wherever they (ever watched Spanish telly ) We've got accents, so many you could spend a lifetime learning. we call complete strangers love, darling or me-duck. We've got THE Queen. We've got stunning majestic Scotland, we have James Bond, don't forget Beautiful Wales with campsites that have the best views in the world. Three Cliffs on the Gower anyone? Monty Python. Nothing Johhny foreigner has can compare, and even if it looks good, in summer you always have the whiff of open-sewer, in fact that's how I know I'm in Spain.
Not many are caught at Dover trying to stowaway to the mainland. Why is Britain more popular? Well it's just better that's all. And the more moany old expats that leave us the better it gets
Looking at the world through Rose Tinted Glasses comes to mind,,,I have never had a problem getting fresh milk or decent bacon in France,,in fact i bring a certain brand back home with me,,Think the main reason other than this year there isn't dust in UK parking places is because it gets damped down by all the rain we normally have,,,As others have said everyone to their own,,BUSBYWhile touring the continent, its fine to have empty roads, in much of the country that's all they do have, Limousin anyone When on the road Try finding a decent pint of ale or a proper pint of fresh milk, you won't, I've tried for 40 years. How about buying a proper bit of bacon or having a nice cup of tea, you got no chance. Try finding proper sarcasm outside of these fine isles, best of luck with that. Here you'll find people who know how to queue, people who can laugh at themselves. People who will apologise to you, when you bump into them. On your tours abroad see if you can find people who moan as much as us, you won't, we're world champions. See if you can find people who pride themselves on their modesty as much as the Brit. you'll look but you have no chance.
As for motorhoming, Our CL and CS Network is for the most part as good or better than the Aires system, unless of course, you love dusty carparks which make up far too many of the aires in France and maybe you enjoy Frenchmen parking so close your door hits their step. We have a thousand pubs you can park up at eat drink and be merry. We've got pub gardens, ever see one of those on the continent? No, you haven't, though in France a bit of concrete complete with dog poo and a large ashtray might pass for one. You haven't even got a decent pub, though I know some of you enjoy the pretend pubs on the continent, "Jock's Bar" "The Red Lion" they are awful, pale imitations of the real thing.
Yes our roads might be busier, but that's because this place is more popular, it's better We don't charge you a fortune to use our motorways which for the most part are always moving. We have got some of the finest coastlines in the world, we are an Island. We've got the Millenium stadium, We are the home of Soccer, Cricket, Rugby, Golf, Rounders and Badminton, The spiritual home of Music and theatre and these days some the best food in Europe; eaten in France lately? (Yuk) We have the best telly so much so that when touring people spend a fortune on equipment so they can watch it wherever they (ever watched Spanish telly ) We've got accents, so many you could spend a lifetime learning. we call complete strangers love, darling or me-duck. We've got THE Queen. We've got stunning majestic Scotland, we have James Bond, don't forget Beautiful Wales with campsites that have the best views in the world. Three Cliffs on the Gower anyone? Monty Python. Nothing Johhny foreigner has can compare, and even if it looks good, in summer you always have the whiff of open-sewer, in fact that's how I know I'm in Spain.
Not many are caught at Dover trying to stowaway to the mainland. Why is Britain more popular? Well it's just better that's all. And the more moany old expats that leave us the better it gets
one reason i avoid the uk news@email.parkdeanresorts.co.uk
Subscribers do not see these advertisements
Try finding a decent pint of ale or a proper pint of fresh milk, you won't, I've tried for 40 years. How about buying a proper bit of bacon or having a nice cup of tea, you got no chance
Think its only Lidl of all the supermarkets in France that don't stock fresh milk,,but they do in Spain,,,Weird,,BUSBY,,If you ever come this way again O Blessed Leader, I can show you where to obtain these items...
Took some time to train up the local traders but (mostly) sorted now...
JJ
Emigrate if Britain is so awful
What's stopping you, work, family, language???
Can't be that bad then.
As for having to plan or book - not so, done quite a few trips just Britstopping...
but still faster than an open road in the UK and with the knowledge that when completed you'll probably be able to travel flat out if you wantYou should go to Germany, half the motorways are being upgraded with stupendous queues.
If you ever come this way again O Blessed Leader, I can show you where to obtain these items...
Took some time to train up the local traders but (mostly) sorted now...
JJ
Subscribers do not see these advertisements