Tell Me Something............Anything!

[Beobloke]

Well, I've been driving abroad (going from Glasgow to Italy, through various countries to get there) since the mid 90s, when I was working like a dog building up my business. So working's got little to do with it, mate. If you want to do something, you just do it!

In fact one time, I remember finishing work at 11pm, having been at it since 8am that morning, driving down through the night, all the way down to Dover (approx 500 miles), to catch the first ferry into France, then when arriving at Calais, driving a further 3 hours before stopping at a hotel to stay there overnight, all en-route to our family home in Tuscany (we usually spent 3 days getting there, so that the remainder of the journey was reasonably leisurely)...

I simply wouldn't have had it any other way, as the journey itself, through all sorts of lovely places in France and Switzerland, then into Italy, being able to stop when you liked at nice hotels or restaurants and buy some lovely food and wine en-route, was a joy, and also part of the holiday itself (we were usually away for 3 or 4 weeks in total)

As an aside, I always wondered why you never got a driving licence... Don't you like driving, or what? As owning a car would've given/would still give you now, so much more freedom. So why no driving licence for the Maccster?

Marco.

It’s funny - I can’t think of anything worse than that. Obviously if the aim of the game is a driving/touring holiday then fair enough, but if you’re just looking to get somewhere then if has to be flying every time.

I love the fact that I can jump out of my bed at 4am, head to Heathrow and be in Munich before the High End Show opens at 10:30. Then, the next day, I head off after the show for a leisurely dinner and a pint at the airport and am back in my own bed by midnight!

Equally, I’ve only ever driven and taken the ferry to Ursula’s parents in Ireland once and it was a dreadful 10 hour slog. Normally we leave for Southampton airport at 5:30am and are in Athlone for 10:00. Give me the aeroplane every time!



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[Marco]

It’s funny - I can’t think of anything worse than that. Obviously if the aim of the game is a driving/touring holiday then fair enough, but if you’re just looking to get somewhere then if has to be flying every time.

I love the fact that I can jump out of my bed at 4am, head to Heathrow and be in Munich before the High End Show opens at 10:30. Then, the next day, I head off after the show for a leisurely dinner and a pint at the airport and am back in my own bed by midnight!

Equally, I’ve only ever driven and taken the ferry to Ursula’s parents in Ireland once and it was a dreadful 10 hour slog. Normally we leave for Southampton airport at 5:30am and are in Athlone for 10:00. Give me the aeroplane every time!

Totally get that, Adam, and if we just wanted to get somewhere quickly, or didn't have a lot of time, we'd fly, as we did recently for our 25th wedding anniversary to Austria. However, summer holidays are different. That's where we'll take advantage of Del's lengthy (and well-earned) teacher holidays, and go to Europe in the car, usually to France and/or Italy, or Germany, for 3-4 weeks.

Like Martin, we can't stand the crowds and hassle of busy airports, so would always avoid that when possible, and as I've said before, a big thing for us is being able to bring back loads of goodies home, which is impossible when you're flying. In fact, even if we flew somewhere on holiday, as long as it was for more than a few days, we'd always hire a car in the destination country, so we could tour around the area and not be stuck in one place, as having that type of freedom is vital to our holiday enjoyment.

The other, rather important point, is that I *love* driving [in the Brabser, as it's such a fun and comfortable car to drive or be a passenger in for long distances] - especially abroad, well off the beaten track. Rural France is great for that, when you can travel MILES on fantastic roads, surrounded by beautiful scenery, and hardly see another soul!

Then, when the mood takes you, just stop at some lovely little family-run restaurant for lunch, and have the most amazing meal, for not a lot of money, or at a lovely quaint town and go round the local market, or do some shopping. Del gets a lot of her clothes in France too, as she's petite. The styles there in designer boutiques suit her, and I'm pretty much fluent in French, so there's no language barrier either to contend with.

It's great fun, mate - far better than flying!

Marco.

[Macca]

Ha - I forget what the answer was!

Was it a secret?

Marco.

No but it makes me sound like a wuss. I was in a couple of very bad collisions (as a passenger) in quick succession. I was fine both times, just minor injuries but the outcomes for the other people were not so good and it sort of put me off. Didn't fancy having the responsibility of something like that happening. Not bothered about travelling in cars, even at speed, but I won't drive them.

[Pigmy Pony]

Lol you asked me that not so long ago in the mod room.

Cool, I didn't know you had a mod room. You talk much about scooters?

[Macca]

Quite a lot, yeah.

[Pigmy Pony]

Like Marco, I much prefer driving holidays to flying. My favourite hols were spent driving round Europe with no destination set in stone, apart from ending up at my brother's place in Agde (that's south of France). If I could afford it we would do many more parts of Europe, but it's just too pricey for us these days. Mty best ever holiday day was spent canoeing through the Tarn Gorges, stopping at one or two (or three) watering holes along the way.

Simple pleasures, and done to our timetable, not someone else's

[walpurgis]

Cool, I didn't know you had a mod room. You talk much about scooters?

Marco is the token rocker though.

[Marco]

No but it makes me sound like a wuss. I was in a couple of very bad collisions (as a passenger) in quick succession. I was fine both times, just minor injuries but the outcomes for the other people were not so good and it sort of put me off. Didn't fancy having the responsibility of something like that happening. Not bothered about travelling in cars, even at speed, but I won't drive them.

Not in my book, bro. As much as I love driving, and am a confident (and I think) skilled and careful driver, I *hate* being a passenger when someone else is at the helm, unless I trust their driving implicitly. Nothing worse than having an (inconsiderate) arse at the wheel, driving like an idiot, trying to 'impress' his mates, especially when he ultimately puts their lives in danger in the process!

So no, given the bad experience you had, you're not a wuss. If I'd went through what you did, I may well have ended up being the same.

Marco.

[Marco]

Like Marco, I much prefer driving holidays to flying. My favourite hols were spent driving round Europe with no destination set in stone, apart from ending up at my brother's place in Agde (that's south of France). If I could afford it we would do many more parts of Europe, but it's just too pricey for us these days. Mty best ever holiday day was spent canoeing through the Tarn Gorges, stopping at one or two (or three) watering holes along the way.

Simple pleasures, and done to our timetable, not someone else's

Yup, and that last bit sums it up... The first bit in bold is *always* how we do things. Nothing, or very little, is planned in advance - we simply act spontaneously, as the mood takes us.

For me, in order for a holiday to be enjoyable, it must be as relaxing and stress-free as possible, doing things at your own pace, well away from crowds, queues/excessive busyness, and with no need to watch the clock, or be a slave to anyone else's timetable. And using overcrowded major airports these days, anywhere, especially at peak times of the year, is anything but relaxing and stress-free!

Often when flying abroad, you need another holiday, to get over the holiday you've just had.... So fuck that pish - I'll take the car instead!

Marco.

[Roy S]

Often when flying abroad, you need another holiday, to get over the holiday you've just had.... So fuck that pish - I'll take the car instead!

But you can't drive to the Caribbean