bruuuno 12:18 Thu Jul 27
Driving for 12 hours in a day
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I need to drive from bristol to Inverurie and back and want to go a slightly longer route through the Cairngorms. Including stops it will take about 12 hours. Up on the Saturday back on the Monday. Anyone driven this sort of journey? Am I mental? I reason that the scenery will make the journey enjoyable for much of the route
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Replies - In Chronological Order ( Show Newest Messages First)
scouse kid
12:23 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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If you need to ask WHO if you're mental to any kind of question then you probably know the answer already.
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Crassus
12:27 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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No problem mate
Just take regular stops, for me on a long one I stop every 2/3 hours and go again
Works for me on 24+ hour drives straight across the continent
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riosleftsock
12:49 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Depends what car you drive. If its an auto with cruise control, you can do 6 hours or so in a go. If its a manual without cruise and you get stuck in traffic, I can only do an hour or two at a time. Have also done that drive and driven across europe and find it harder as I get older
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J.Riddle
1:22 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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It will be a lot quicker if you take loads of empties so you don't have to keep stopping for a hot piss.
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Grumpster
1:29 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Once drove to Edinburgh from hornchurch to pick a mate up who had lost his wallet, turned round and came straight back home.
Took about 16 hours though I was about 20 then and only lived on 3 hours sleep a day.
Probably die trying that now, though thankfully have since upgraded from an old school beige metro 😂
Definitely nicer taking a scenic route, motorways send you to sleep.
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atb trev
1:48 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Did London to Inverness in a day. Did a days work. Back again the next.
Long drive. Take regular breaks.
Don't think you are almost there when you hit Glasgow. It's still a long drive from there. Make sure you've got lots of fuel on board after Stirling. The settlements and pit stops get very sparse. I didn't think you could drive hours and not see a settlement in this country until I did this journey.
Scenery is is spectacular, but you won't get to see it unless you leave early enough for it to be daylight when you get there. Although at this time of year there is still a bit of light beyond 11pm when you are proper up north.
Feels like an achievement to have done it. You get some sort of sense of the size of the country having driven the length of it in a day.
Best done with a passenger to keep you alert. Get on some lift sharing sites if you are going alone.
In summary it is doable, and you won't regret it, but take it easy. Don't push too hard. Take breathers.
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ludo21
2:48 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Once did a days work in the office then set off from home at about midnight from Hampshire to drive to Skye.
Arrived about 9am (I think) but was completely wiped out for the next day… wouldn’t do it like that again!
Have often done a 10 hour drive from Le Havre to Switzerland with no breaks other than a petrol stop or two and found those no problem, indeed quite enjoyed them.
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Alfs
4:39 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Have you not heard of aeroplanes?
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joe royal
7:31 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Depends on the car. Had an oldish bmw 330 that I could drive all day, the Astra I had after gave me numb bum after two hours.
We can only legally drive 10 hours a day in the trucks and I’m still ok after a long haul, suppose it depends how used you are to driving.
Chewing gum keeps you going, and take breaks every 3 hours or so.
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Mace66
8:53 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Make sure you take plenty of breaks, drink some water, eat some food and get someone to wipe your arse for you when you have a shit
Hth
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GBHammer63
9:00 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Drove from Leigh down to the Costa Blanca only stopping for re fuels, 1228 miles is a bit of a mission but reasoning was, if I drove for 600, I wouldn’t wake up and think lovely now I want to do another 600. Left at 5.00 and was done at 2.15 next morning. Packed lunch and crate of Coca Cola.
Lockdown time and had to bring the van back after 6 months, did the same leaving same time. Maximise daylight driving time.
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goose
9:41 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Drove to Sicily once as a kid.
I say Sicily but we basically drove to Genoa and got a ferry from there. Pretty sure the ferry had a swimming pool on it.
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joyo
10:34 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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goose the ferry was sinking you thick wop
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Willtell
10:56 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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I often do long runs on my motorcycles. Usually to WSBK or MotoGP or M/Cycle rally events across Europe.
We go in a group and stop every 100 miles or so for fuel and coffee. More than 300miles off motorways is our max level we plan to although usually around 250. We can and have done 500 miles a day on motorways but it's boring as hell on a bike.
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Moncurs Putting Iron
12:01 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Bru,
Regular breaks (Before you feel tired, as when you feel tired it is too late)
Food and drink intake little and often, nothing heavy.
Do some yoga on the grass at the services.*
* That was more in hope than actual practical advice, I think it would hilarious.
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bruuuno
12:08 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Ha, I fully intend to do some yoga when I stop, should give fellow travellers a chuckle if nothing else
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ray winstone
12:16 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Last year I drove from Upminster to Portgower, 639 miles. I set off at 4.30am, stopped on the A1 near Blyth for a coffee and wee, then again at Carlisle to refuel and a McD's brekkie.
Next stop was just past Stirling for a coffee and obligatory pee then headed to my destination, took just over 11 hours all in all and managed to listen to nearly all of a wonderful audiobook about forensic pathology, happy days.
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madeeasy
12:51 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Willtell 10:56 Thu Jul 27
It isn't any more fun in a car!
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joe royal
12:52 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Goose, that’s the ferry I took but as usual the hard working Italians cocked it up.
Six of us got the posh ferry with the pool, bar, shops etc.
The other six got the freighter with eff all on it apart from 220 channels of Polish tv.
Longest 24 hours in my life.
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iphammer
1:17 Thu Jul 27
Re: Driving for 12 hours in a day
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Will be lovely driving through the Caingourms this time of year.
Make sure you take a break and fill up with fuel before entering the national park and if you don't have a spare wheel make sure you have one of those tyre sealant inflation kits just in case and some jump leads. Once your on the national park you won't have a phone signal for miles.
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