Anybody just hopped in the car and driven to Europe?

Oh, KFdancer, I feel for you.  I grew up doing road trips but I love them!  I have been to 42 US states and driven to all of them.  We were always visiting New York for the weekend (8 hours).  Then there were the trips to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota (16 hours done in one day).  It's just a great way to see the county.  That being said, I can't stand road trips in England because they always end up being road sits when someone has a fender bender and blocks traffic in both directions.  :/

That's really cool that you've been to nearly all the states - I'm very envious of that.

I guess it's just the route between Florida and Georgia was literally just a highway lined with trees on either side.  Absolutely ZERO scenery.  And I admit to not having gone more than a 2 hour drive from home when I lived in Colorado - which is beautiful.

Maybe we need a UKY road trip and you guys can show me how it's done!   

I guess it's just the route between Florida and Georgia was literally just a highway lined with trees on either side.  Absolutely ZERO scenery.

Stukeys!

Maybe we need to join Albatross at her Beer Festival!

That's really cool that you've been to nearly all the states - I'm very envious of that.

I guess it's just the route between Florida and Georgia was literally just a highway lined with trees on either side.  Absolutely ZERO scenery.  And I admit to not having gone more than a 2 hour drive from home when I lived in Colorado - which is beautiful.

Maybe we need a UKY road trip and you guys can show me how it's done!   

Best and most entertaining road trips for me was the 9 hour drive to the grand canyon through Navajo country and the trip from Western Colorado to Anaheim, CA... Disneyland!! 12+ hours one way.

That trip had a stop at In N Out burger on both legs of the journey.

Hi,

Ben - On that particular trip it was an E34 M5, semi track prepared, stripped out interior, racing seats and harnesses, mildly modified with better brakes & Fluid, lowered suspension. Still fully road legal as well;



The other was a very rare 1 of 6 in the UK and I think 42 made Alpina E39 B10S Touring's - not  got a good pic of the car though!

I have 2 E39's a daily drive Touring Diesel and an M5.

KFDancer - Understandable that plenty of people don't like road trips! I'm fine with very long distance driving and have done quite a few trips on my US visits. Not quite as long as some of the other's who've responded but still fairly substantial! Wish I had the M5 to have done some of those trips though - In rental cars, my 'record' stands at 6 Police Stops in one 10 day visit! got fined for 5 of them and 1 I got away with as the lady Cop was really interested in holidaying in the UK once she gathered I was from here!

The drive from Las Vegas to LA I've done quite a few times now and I've enjoyed them lots when in the daytime, not so much when I've been really tired and had to drive back at night. Some of the views are spectacular;






There's a few good driving roads in the UK, obviously a lot shorter but some great 'UK' scenery and vista's to see - the shortness of roads means they wouldn't really qualify as a 'road trip' though !

Lyonaria - I remember having In n Out coming off the I-15 and absolutely starving, it was packed out so a bit of a wait, but dam, that junk food tasted good !

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!

Am I the only one who hates road trips?   

No. I'm not thrilled about it either.

I am Texan so it's a long drive to anywhere in this state. My hometown of El Paso is 265 miles from Albuquerque to the north, 550 miles east to San Antonio, 320 miles west to Tucson and 230 miles south to Chihuahua, Mexico. You have to be prepared to drive and trust me, there's not a lot of scenic views on those long stretches of road.

I live in Houston now and just getting to either of Houston's two airports from my home is 50 miles each way by toll roads but due to heavy traffic, it takes over an hour to arrive. I often drive 130 miles west to Austin to catch flights to the UK since it's cheaper by hundreds of dollars and only a two-hour drive.

Basically, I'm totally over driving anywhere. I guess I would feel differently if I was in England though because it's more scenic and towns are a bit closer.


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Lorena, but in England it would take you a hell of a lot longer than an hour to go 50 miles!

But I can't imagine a road trip in Texas.  Isn't there a point in Texas that if you drive across it, it takes about 24 hours to cross?  I feel I would lose my mind!

Jesus, Dennis the Menace, you must have been driving like a maniac to be pulled over 6 times in 10 days.  Was this before the current trend of people getting shot and/or tasered during routine traffic stops?  I've certainly got a checkered driving history and can't lecture anyone, but even I would take the hint that I should stop doing whatever it was you were doing.

Was this before the current trend of people getting shot and/or tasered during routine traffic stops?

Doesn't fit the profile?

Hi,

Lorenausuk & KFDancer - To make longer trips more comfortable and bearable, you need to have an upgraded audio setup ! When you have your favourite music playing, with a high level of quality, accuracy and punch, it literally transforms your driving experience. It's perhaps more difficult to do if you have a car full of nattering passengers/kids etc !

I get the distance thing over in the USA as well, many people start crying and moaning in the UK driving 10-20 miles for commuting, they'd have palpitations if they ever had to travel distances in the US!

Jimbocz - I wasn't driving like a maniac at all, just a little more 'swiftly' - that said, I wasn't doing silly speeds, I can almost remember all those citations on that particular trip! On other visits, I've had anywhere from 1-5 stops, sometimes none at all. I've never been stopped in a city or on local roads - always on the highway. Perhaps 60% of the time I drive the roads looked like this;




I remember 83 in a 65 ($275 ticket) 60 in a 45 ($120 ticket & licence confiscation), driving a bit too close to a lane hogger eating his supersize meal and drink and not looking in his mirror (no fine as lady cop wanted to know about the UK!!) 72 in a 65.. etc etc..

I've had plenty of times when just cruising at 60 in a 55 looking in the mirror and all clear, then looking a few seconds later and a Police Cruiser 2 foot off my rear bumper, crapping it and then watching as he pulls out and speeds past me to go find someone else.

In terms of times, this has been from around 2002-2012, with the most frequent US visits being 2005-2008. Given the very recent 'trend' of trigger happy Cops, next time I'm over I know 'if' I get stopped, I'll have nothing to worry about and I'll stick both my hands out the window if I do!

SoS - All my stops were after Sept 11th, I'm light brown skinned, so it has been a concern of mine to a minimal extent. Even though I got the fines etc, once the Cop spoke to me and I talked with them, they were all professional, friendly and wanted to know about me, the UK what my reason to visit the US was etc i.e, nice and absolutely no intimidation from them nor fear from me. On some of the car forums I'm a member of, also at car shows, when I speak to others who've never driven in the USA and are hiring faster cars, sports cars etc which I've never done, I've given them advice on what to do and not to do if stopped by the US cops!

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!

I guess it's just the route between Florida and Georgia was literally just a highway lined with trees on either side.  Absolutely ZERO scenery.  And I admit to not having gone more than a 2 hour drive from home when I lived in Colorado - which is beautiful.

Maybe we need a UKY road trip and you guys can show me how it's done!   

I might have done that route, probably read through it if I am honest.  Sounds like much of the trip through Pennsylvania.  It feels like the state that never ends!  Though we only drove through the pan-handle of Texas so perhaps I shouldn't speak yet...

  I would love to go on a western road trip, especially to the Grand Canyon!  We drove as far as Salt Lake City and turned around.  I love the scenery on drives in the UK, I just don't like doing them when other people are also driving.

I'll agree that I have always been treated professionally by every  officer who has pulled me over.  A highway patrol guy went out of his way to be nice to me after an accident. 

Once, "somebody I knew" was arrested and the cops went to the local cruising ground and arrested a random bugger.  Then they handcuffed this guy to my friend for no other reason than having a laugh and a wind up.  Too bad it didn't work!  Even then, the cops didn't mean any serious harm and otherwise treated him OK

What are you supposed to do if you get pulled over here?  I guess you are supposed to get out and walk back to the police car?  I guess it's a moot point as they tend not to pull people over here.

I watched 'the grand tour' (Top Gear) last night and they stay in Honfleur!

However, I am scared to drive around there after what I saw....very very tight roads and turns!

Don't fear French roads.  The motorways are a dream compared to anything in the UK.  France is empty compared to the UK, there's plenty of room to park and drive.  Plus, it's all happening on the correct side of the road. 

Just be aware that there is this one bizarre rule where a person joining a road from the right has the right of way.  If I ever have an accident, it will my be because of that.