How far in a day?

Hi everyone,

I'm planning a bit of a road trip this summer - to Scotland and back over a month! I just wondered what kind of miles people like to do in a day? Especially if you are an aircooled bus with kids in the back! Short distances over lots of days or big days of driving with more drive free days in between?

All recommendations welcome,

Cheers

EJ

HI EJ
Of the longer trips we have completed with Scooby we drive no longer than 4 to 5 hours a day.
Obviously you will stop for fuel sooner than that
Such stops can break up the journey for 30mins or so.
Scooby does also like to 'wander' too - Going A to Zee rather than A to B
You will be surprised at what you may encounter when off the beaten track!
Motorways are the worst, but obviously the fastest routes.
Try to mix both Motoways and A roads would be our advice.
Particularly if you have the time - which you doo!
Sounds a FAB trip - take lots of pics
All the best
Roo b Roo

Longest we have done in one day is 1000km almost on the dot. Carcasonne to Antwerp 7am to 2am next morning with a two year old and a 7 year old at the time. Stopped roughly every two hours four 45 minutes. But normally we aim for 200 k per day set off about 8:30 am stop for cuppa at 10:30 and picnic at 13:00 then find a site at around 15:00 - 16:00 is a normalish day for us during the summer

Personaly I would use the journey as part of the trip. Stopping off for a day here and there en route

Your BraziBay will want you to give it a rest every 2 hours - it likes a rest for 30 mins every 2 hours of cruise. Which is good for you too.

I prefer longer drives with less pitching. With kids onboard they'll want to be settled a bit more than perhaps an adult would. That's my experience.

Our regular trip with our van goes like this.
7 am Debark overnight ferry from Shetland in Aberdeen and drive 100 miles south to Perth.
9 am Arrive Perth for breakfast
10 am Depart Perth driving south. Forth road bridge around 12 then Edinburgh ring road which takes just under an hour then A 68 which we prefer to the A1 as its less busy and more picturesque for late lunch at the Flat Cat in Jedburgh around 2
2.30 Leave Jedburgh for Newcastle arrive after 4pm.
We usually spend the night in Newcastle or Gateshead to be precise then make for Oxford the next day which takes 5 hours. We usually leave around 9 and break for lunch at Wetherby.We generally arrive in Ox late afternoon.
Our water cooled VW knows this road well. Motorway driving can be tedious and a bit of strain if we're stuck between arctics in the inside lane. Mrs and I take turns driving.
She tends to give the van more welly than me. I'm happy to stay around 60.
I know you 'll be coming the other way but I hope this gives you an idea.
Have a good trip.

Thank you everyone for your detailed and informative replies! They are all soooo helpful :-)

That really has helped my thinking and planning. Will keep you posted of the big trip nearer the time.

Cheers All, here's to an exciting summer for us all!

PS This site and everyone on it rocks! :-)

All part of the service EJ

Indeed!

Skooby (Simon) did a long trip to Scotland last year. See his blog here. Skooby's Blog

4 hrs is about the most we would want to drive in a day, any more and we would look for a convenient layover spot.

From Reading that gets us down into Cornwall or up into Cumbria.

Really interesting ideas. I was thinking around 250k a day would be enough. Appreciate the comment about going from A to Zee and that they are not motorway cruisers. that suits us, but I guess we all have journeys with little alternative to motorway miles. In our case it is getting through the North West conurbations to head for Scotland or north England.
Scotland would be a great trip, just watch those midges!