1,000km in a day?

Big Nasty

inforfun wrote: »

I am from Holland .....but lots of that can be won back by using the rather large boot of my car...

:eek::D:eek:

unkel

I've done it a good few times and it is very doable (especially if you drive in day light hours). A few tips:

-be well rested before you start
-drink plenty
-stop for 10-15 minutes every 2 hours

And if I plan to cruise at say 130km/h, I'd start my journey doing about 150-160km/h for about 15-30 minutes. Then slow down - it increases my concentration and makes my drive more relaxed somehow.

bazzachazza

Did just short of 900km's in France two years ago. Its very doable make sure someone in the car is awake to talk to you though as it can get a touch boring at times.

Make sure you start your journey that day in Calais first thing in the morning, not on the UK side as with the added hour, check-in time and crossing time you will have wasted 3 hours in the blink of an eye with no huge benefits. That was our mistake we got the half eight ferry and next thing it was half eleven and we were only just starting off from Calais.

I agree stop every two hours it gives you a target and with doing 130k's an hour the k's quickly disappear. I did Disneyland-Roscoff two weeks ago in exactly 6 hours including 2 breaks totaling 30mins.

rebel.ranter

I don't think the distance will be an issue, very doable in a day. However you'll probably find when you get there you'll be in no mood to do anything the next day, e.g. sight seeing, etc. Also when you get home you'll be knackered after your "break".

bazzachazza

I got up the next day did another 350k's picked up the wife and friends got our canal boat, shopped and sweated like a pig while we got the boat ready. We did how ever have a 12 hour break in our overnight hotel so we had chilled out.

I however was well pissed off some local had cracked my windscreen so we spent an hour looking for someone to fix it before we left. Didn't get it fixed till we got to Lyon on the way home as Volvos are not that common in France.

inforfun

MCMLXXV wrote: »

:eek::D:eek:

pa990

600 miles is very do'able

just make sure that when you stop for fuel, that you take the time to stretch your legs and relax,

let the passengers pump the petrol, and get coffee, water and snacks in the petrol stn.

also..keep the speed handy, Going fast requires more concentration and wears your out quicker, and going 20km/h faster wont make a huge difference to your arrival time, when you consider that you will be caught in traffic at some stage or another, and when going faster you will burn more fuel, meaning more fuel stops. (easier said than done)

Bandara

I did 1100 MILES in one day once.

Only stopped for fuel.

Obviously not a good idea but I had to get to Brisbane to catch a plane.

Wasn't feeling too good afterwards though. POicked up several speeding tickets too !

freighter

Often did over 1300km in a day driving. Start at 2am and finish at 11pm:). You feel like **** the next day though.

Anyway if the op is so concerned about the long drive stop some of the way overnight... That would spoil my holiday thinking about the long drive

dunsandin

nanook wrote: »

To do 1000 in a day is tough. I clocked 785 kms yesterday. Would have done it in 8 hours but bad crash in Limerick put nearly 2 hrs on journey.

If you leave early enough and get a couple if coffee stops it is acheivable.

Having a bad crash will always add a bit to your journey time. You were lucky you could continue:D

Ive driven 1000km in a day a few times, and its no picnic, but can be done no bother. Lots of coffee. Biggest problem is stopping your #ss from going numb.

g0g

Thanks for all the replies! It's not that I was concerned to start with. I planned the route first, and then afterwards wondered if maybe it might be too much. But it's great to read other people who have covered similar or more in a day. No auto or cruise control on the car, but as someone pointed out you might be better off without them to stay more focused on things!

We need to be in Verona by night 5, so we're gonna do day 1 Dublin-Calais, day 2 Calais-Munich, days 3/4 relax in Munich, day 5 Munich-Verona. I know it sounds like a long way down to Italy instead of through France, but we want to head over the Alps via Brenner Pass and see some of Germany, plus we'll be coming back via France on the way home. Yes maybe I won't be full of energy the first day in Munich, but it's not the main stop on the holiday (we've a week or so in Italy) so I don't mind too much.

The alternative would be Day 2 Calais-Frankfurt, Day 3 Frankfurt-Munich, Day 5 Munich-Verona. To me that's too many days spent driving, so if I can combine the middle part then all the better!

Appreciate the replies anyway, and I'll bring lots of fruit! :pac:

dunsandin

Sounds like a great trip, have fun and best of luck-make sure your cars serviced and fettled.

peasant

g0g wrote: »

head over the Alps via Brenner Pass

boooooooooooooring

THIS is where it's at

not too much out of your way either

dunsandin

Gad dammit, I feel a road trip coming on!

keithclancy

You guys are mental .. I do 280 km / day and thats enough for me !!

Autobahn is much much safer than irish roads though imo... people are much more predictable except for the odd micra.

dunsandin

Did 620km today, and have to be up to work tomorrow! I must have beeen a bad sod in my last life. I will do about 1500km over the course of the long weekend. But the scenery is soo good here in ireland

g0g

peasant wrote: »

boooooooooooooring

THIS is where it's at

not too much out of your way either

Thanks peasant, that looks like a great idea, and as you say it's not too much out of the way either! Perfect place for lunch at the top of the pass!

mumof2

inforfun wrote: »

Off topic a bit but i am curious about how much that trip to Rotterdam would cost?
I am from Holland and always fly back when i have to. Going by car will be more expensive of course but lots of that can be won back by using the rather large boot of my car...

Ha ha, I know what you mean about the big boot in the car - last trip I did to Holland, I couldn't fit another orange into the boot!! Customs opened the boot in Calais, and asked if it was all mine - to which I replied yes, and he slammed the boot closed!! Only had about 10 blocks of cheese in there!!

Im from holland myself btw........must try the hull rotterdam route too sometime.:D

By the way OP, use common sense. It can be done if your used to such driving, but I definately would stop plenty of times, as the motorways are so long and monotonous that dozing off is inevitable. Good luck, and safe driving.

Alun

mumof2 wrote: »

Im from holland myself btw........must try the hull rotterdam route too sometime.

I only did it once (in December) ... force 10 winds, 10m waves and one engine broke down. Took about 2 hrs longer than normal and they had to close the toilets half way across because ..... well, you don't want to know, really

After that I'd drive to Calais and take the ferry from there, far better for the nerves and the stomach!

dr.fuzzenstein

Anan1 wrote: »

I did it in an Opel Kadett years ago, at 160km/h all the way. It is doable, but it'll be very tiring and probably a bit less than completely safe. If it were me i'd overnight somewhere nice.

I had a Kadett once, to be fair it was the 1983 model, I would have been deaf and it only achieved 160 in freefall.
Which one was it?
I once drove Frankfurt Kempten (visit the folks) and down to italy but that was over a few days.
Fun though.

dr.fuzzenstein

keithclancy wrote: »

You guys are mental .. I do 280 km / day and thats enough for me !!

Autobahn is much much safer than irish roads though imo... people are much more predictable except for the odd micra.

It's always the Micras, isn't it? Does this car attract a certain kind of driver (term used loosely) or does it have some kind of mind control device that turns everyone's mind into mush?

L1011

I've done 1000km in a day, in Ireland, while working. Once off admittedly, but expect to be VERY sore by the end of it even in a car with cruise control! Although admittedly Ireland then had drastically less motorways than the continent, or even now...

Yolande

I've driven 1,500miles (not kms) in 24hrs almost non-stop - family circumstances - several times. It is surely punishing -
ideally, share the driving;
certainly ensure there's someone with whom to talk - particularly where relatively unfamiliar roads are involved;
the advice about drinking plenty of water and/or coffee is excellent - if nothing else, it ensures/guarantees toilet breaks relatively frequently;
be very clear about the route/s involved - again, ideally have a good map-reader with you - especially for contingencies - road works/deviations/etc.; as anal as it sounds, I would often write/print out the route, with distances and time estimates - thank goodness for AA's route planner facility (at least for routes within Ireland and Britain!!).
Above all, remember the other road users - the old advice about expecting the unexpected - and if concentration is so blunted that one's level of anticipation is shot, then it's clearly time to stop....
Bon voyage!

heebusjeebus

I did Broome to Brisbane (over 4,000 ks) in 3 days with a mate. We took turns and changed when re-fueling. We easily did 500k a go. We were confined to driving during the day cos the stupid Kangaroos used line up on the road once it got dark.
Makes driving anywhere in Ireland seem like a short trip in comparison.

mal1

I did 1000km on a day along the west coast of Australia too. Different driving than Europe though. Hardly any traffic.

ToxicPaddy

Did it last year from Scheveningen, The Hague to Copenhagen.. including a 2 hour stop just outside of Copenhagen as the motorway was closed due to an accident.. in a clapped out golf.. so if you have a decent car and a few decent rest stops, then yer sorted..

g0g

peasant wrote: »

boooooooooooooring

THIS is where it's at

not too much out of your way either

Just thought I'd post a quick thanks on this one! Survived the return trip no problems in the end. The 1,000km day turned out to be grand as most of it was German Autobahns and average speed was about 160km/h which passed things a tad quicker than expected!

Anyway just wanted to say that pass was very impressive! A little cloudy at the top the day we did it but still a top notch drive! Came back home over the San Gottardo pass in Switzerland which I'd also recommend! The only catch with Timmelsjoch is that it leaves you a bit far from the main road when you descend into Italy!

keithclancy

ToxicPaddy wrote: »

Did it last year from Scheveningen, The Hague to Copenhagen.. including a 2 hour stop just outside of Copenhagen as the motorway was closed due to an accident.. in a clapped out golf.. so if you have a decent car and a few decent rest stops, then yer sorted..

WTF man, thats like saying

Douglas, Cork to Glasgow

Too many Trajectcontroles around theres too !

CiniO

g0g wrote: »

Just thought I'd post a quick thanks on this one! Survived the return trip no problems in the end. The 1,000km day turned out to be grand as most of it was German Autobahns and average speed was about 160km/h which passed things a tad quicker than expected!

To maintain 160km/h average speed, you would have to keep 200km/h at all times. It's the same as driving on any country roads in Ireland - you are trying to keep 100km/h, but average comes of something as 60 or 70 max.

I was going through Germany this January. Had 800 km to go through that country. First 400km was in the middle of the night in almost complete empty roads. I was trying to keep 180 - 200km/h at all times. Even this that 400km took me over 2.5h, so average speed was less then 160km/h.

Anyway - long distance traveling is a matter of practice. I work as a bus drivers, and very often I do over 600km a day on Irish roads.
During a winter a had a private journey of 2500km each way, and I did it in one go, with few naps on ferries and in the car on parkings. Wasn't too bad, but in the end I had to do breaks pretty often - every hour or two for 10 - 15 minutes.