Planned your 2017 road trip(s)yet?

[Bobby Dazzler]

Road trip season is approaching, and as the calendar ticked over into March I realised I had been a bit tardy with the planning for a road trip this year.

We normally have a European tour of some description, but this year we're whizzing down to the South of France, with just one stopover in each direction. Still really looking forward to it though

So what have you got planned, anywhere exciting?

 

[wemorgan]

Nothing as exotic as a European tour, but a drive through mid Wales then on to Pembrokeshire, once my convertible arrives in a few weeks - cue the rain.

 

[Meldrew2]

Our first proper road trip was only a couple of years ago, and grew because I booked a 4 night short cruise from Southampton.

It became a 3 week holiday, taking in Llangollen, Telford, Barry Island, the Isle of Wight, Milton Keynes and Alfreton, giving us trips on steam trains and horse-drawn canal boats, visits to Bletchley Park, the National Tramway Museum, the Black Country Living Museum, Ironbridge Gorge, locations from "Gavin and Stacey" and the Bombay Sapphire distillery.

Last year we took a week's cruise from Mallorca and hired a car to tour the island for the following week, with hotels in S'Arenal, Cala Ratjada and Port de Soller.

I've enjoyed all the planning, and this year we have two road trips to look forward to.

The UK road trip takes in Penrith, Carnforth, Hebden Bridge, Masham, Chester-Le-Street, Pickering and Holmfirth. This route lets us visit:

. Brief Encounter at Carnforth Station Visitor Centre
. Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
. Black Sheep Brewery Tour
. Beamish Open Air Museum
. Goathland ("Heartbeat" locations)
. Eden Camp
. "Last of the Summer Wine" locations

The Canadian mini road trip is in two sections - on our way to and from visiting family. To get to their local airport it is usually 3 flights, while we can go directly to Calgary from Gatwick. It's about 10 hours drive to Indian Head from Calgary, so it's an opportunity to take a few days over the journey.

From home, we start with two nights in Telford, then on to an airport hotel.
Once in Canada, we pick up a rental car at Calgary Airport, and drive via Brooks and Moose Jaw to Kapetwa Lake which is close to family at Indian Head.

On the return leg, we drive via Moose Jaw and Medicine Hat to Banff where we will have a couple of nights before dropping the car back at Calgary Airport and flying home.

 

[219]

Mine wasn't planned , but since the sun shone today , and I had planned to do an oil change ( prompted by Tesco currently offering GTX at £6/bottle ) I took the car for a run to warm the old oil beforehand ; roof down , to Ardrossan harbour , lots of yachts in the marina , then down by the South Beach , which was very busy , passed a gent in his SLK with the roof up ( why would anyone drive a convertible roof up on such a nice day ?? ) , then a young lady in a Peugeot convertible roof down , who smiled and gave me a thumbs up , on through Saltcoats where a group of young boys turned and pointed ( probably commenting on my rust heap ; couldn't hear ) , then down by Stevenston and back up through Kilwinning , passing the elderly gent washing his W124 E250D on his drive , and who looked up as I passed , finally back through Dalry , where I exchanged waves with a family in a nice W123 saloon out enjoying the sunny weather .

Reminds me that on Friday , having finished work early , I was passed in queuing traffic on the M8 by two W124 coupes within 10 minutes

 

[400ixl]

Not sure what ours will be this year. Last tear it was San Francisco down the Pacific Coast Highway to LA and then across to Las Vegas.

This year may be Tampa, up to Atlanta, across to Nemphis and then on to Austin in Texas.

 

[Red C220]

Road trip season is approaching, and as the calendar ticked over into March I realised I had been a bit tardy with the planning for a road trip this year.

We normally have a European tour of some description, but this year we're whizzing down to the South of France, with just one stopover in each direction. Still really looking forward to it though

So what have you got planned, anywhere exciting?

I really like the idea of this.

We've never done a road trip before and with a new car incoming in the next couple of months we've decided this (or something like it) is going to be our holiday and run the car in at the same time. Devon/Cornwall had been earmarked but I really fancy driving in Europe.

The South of France really appeals to me (I've been to Nice and Monaco on a short break before) and the idea of a Road Trip is again more appealing when your partner has mobility issues and all the paraphernalia that comes with it. Airports are just hard work so throwing everything in a car and going your own way sounds like a fine idea.

What kind of route/schedule do you have for the South of France?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I really like the idea of this.

We've never done a road trip before and with a new car incoming in the next couple of months we've decided this (or something like it) is going to be our holiday and run the car in at the same time. Devon/Cornwall had been earmarked but I really fancy driving in Europe.

The South of France really appeals to me (I've been to Nice and Monaco on a short break before) and the idea of a Road Trip is again more appealing when your partner has mobility issues and all the paraphernalia that comes with it. Airports are just hard work so throwing everything in a car and going your own way sounds like a fine idea.

What kind of route/schedule do you have for the South of France?

We're not doing a tour as such this time, we're heading to Monte Carlo for the week, but will stop off in a few places along the way.

We're taking the most direct route, stopping overnight in Reims on the way down, famous for champagne and the old Grand Prix track. Then the next morning, we'll carry on heading south, skim past Dijon and Lyon, and stop overnight in Cannes.

On the way back we're stopping over in Cannes again for a few days, and then heading North to Dijon for an overnight stop, and then back to Calais.

With the French toll roads so smooth and traffic free - except near Lyon around rush hour - it's a pleasure to do the driving.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Our favourite road trip so far was almost three weeks on the this route Calais > Reims > Monte Carlo > Riva del Garda > Venice > Riva del Garda > Stuttgart > Calais

That was a fantastic trip, we had originally planned to go down to the Amalfi Coast, but the rest of the family out voted me, and hence we went back to Riva del Garda instead!

 

[moonloops]

Planned your 2017 road trip(s)yet?

2016 = Home to chip shop, home to chinese takeaway, home to indian restaurant, home to pizza shop.

2017= just eat

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Following on from last year, im planning on another trip to the Nurburgring - will try and spent more time there. last year we did 1000miles in under 3 days.

 

[Red C220]

Our favourite road trip so far was almost three weeks on the this route Calais > Reims > Monte Carlo > Riva del Garda > Venice > Riva del Garda > Stuttgart > Calais

That was a fantastic trip, we had originally planned to go down to the Amalfi Coast, but the rest of the family out voted me, and hence we went back to Riva del Garda instead!

Do you pre book accommodation or just wing it?

 

[Dogbreath]

Our road trip is later on in the year to take in the Rally Legends in San Marino.
Calais down to Lyon for a sleepover
Lyon to Cannes for 3 days, then onto San Remo in Italy, then make our way to Rimini for 5 days to take in the Rally and then make our way back up to Rotterdam taking in a overnight stay in Frankfurt....!

Can't wait
Lee

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Do you pre book accommodation or just wing it?

We always pre-book, because we take our children, and even booking in advance we find it difficult to find hotels which can accommodate us in a one family room, suite, or two interconnecting rooms.

We have friends who wing everything, even their crossings,and they have children around the same age, but they're strategy is to "see where they end up" rather than have a destination in mind.

If travelling as a couple,you could just wing it though, for added excitement!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Our road trip is later on in the year to take in the Rally Legends in San Marino.
Calais down to Lyon for a sleepover
Lyon to Cannes for 3 days, then onto San Remo in Italy, then make our way to Rimini for 5 days to take in the Rally and then make our way back up to Rotterdam taking in a overnight stay in Frankfurt....!

Can't wait
Lee

That sounds fantastic. Some amazing views heading East from Cannes/Monaco over the border into Italy. Even on the motorway it's tunnel-bridge-tunnel-bridge-tunnel-bridge-tunnel-bridge for what feels like hours of driving

 

[Farmer boy]

Last year we did the trip along the coast from Cannes to Florence. Coast is beautiful the cost of constructing the motorway must have been very high with the bridges and tunnels. On our return trip we counted the tunnels recording 108 in total with a number of long ones in the mix. Fantastic sound in the tunnels when the more exotic sports cars go through.
Farmerboy

 

[Gary129]

Going to do one myself this year,Never done one before probably stay in the UK but do fancy one in France some time.

 

[Ben320cdi]

Driving down to Vias in Southern France in the summer. Calais via Evres to miss Paris. Stop over Bourge area. Then down the A75 over the Millau viaduct. A75 climbs 1000ft above sea level then drops down. Scenery is amazing. Can get busy near our destination but the drive is great. Did it in the c class last year. E class cab this year cant wait.

 

[Benzmanc]

We're off to Ontario this year, staying with friends and adding a road trip to Detroit , Chicago and then into Minnesota around Lake Rebecca. Should be fun

 

[Jonesy161]

It's a toss up between the North coast 500 and a trip round Southern Ireland.

Unfortunately, this year, we won't be doing much walking.

Any recommendations welcome.

 

[Londonscottish]

Going down to Normandy in a few weeks then down to Lacanau (near Bordeaux) in the summer.

Got to love the E Class estate - utterly brilliant for those trips.