Hello everyone, I hope you're all doing great and thank you for watching the video today. I'm back with regular Sunday uploads. 🎉 Thank you for your patience with the videos the last few weeks, there has been a lot going on! I've also been very busy filming lots of videos these last few weeks and I'm looking forward to sharing them with you over the next few weeks! What's the longest road trip you've ever done? Let us know below! 👇🎉
I like very much that you select a route you have not been before. Reminds of a poem that ends that making such a choice “has made all the difference”! You’re speaking my language.
Ruth, that route you took is the way people from the North have travelled to the South since the Neolithic. Dere Street, Ermine Street (now the A1) , then Watling Street to Canterbury and Dover. The Romans paved these roads, but they'd been there for a long time when the Romans came! Love your channel!! ❤
A tip I always do is find supermarkets on route, which are usually just off the motorway, you can get your fuel much much cheaper Ruth. A trip like that can save you £40 or €46
I will be travelling almost exactly 400 miles from my house in North Yorkshire to Ullapool in the North West Highlands of Scotland in TWO DAYS TIME (!!). Probably about 8 hours behind the wheel (plus stops at Perth & Kinross and at Dingwall's Tesco - fuel, coffee & toilet stops). Can't wait because we weren't able to go there in 2023.
I came across this video by chance and it reminded me of the better days when I could still drive long distances. Age and ill health mean that I cant do that any more but watching this brought back great memories of driving all over Europe on my holidays! Have loads of fun!
I remember having to drive the works van full of kit from Northampton to Aberdeen. We got to Glasgow and thought not far now, hours later we were still driving. I don't think we sassenachs realize just how big Scotland is and how long it takes to get anywhere. Now have a friend in Huntly who explain that a 20 mile journey can take a while.🤪 Thanks for all the time and effort you put into these videos.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I remember when we visited England in 2016 and I told my relatives that we would be driving from Cornwall to the Lake District in one day and they were flabbergasted. We are used to driving long distances here and I thought nothing of it. It took about eight or nine hours, with “pit stops” but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Keep making great videos. Cheers
@@ruthaisling Well Ruth, you did manage to bypass all the lovely areas of England away from the motorway you were on! The lake district, the Pennines, the Yorkshire moors, the Fens..........
2018- Edinburgh to Exeter. Solo. Wonderful. From beautifully grey hues to blue water and sand/sun in August. Dawn to dark. Destination’s accommodation wasn’t booked either. Pre-pandemic. Much preferred the A-highways to the M- motorways. A for scenery. M for a to b. Safe travels!
great driving! I used to try and go as fast as possible, now I jus bimble along at 60, inside lane, much less stressful, and better fuel consumption! You sensibly made plenty of breaks also, makes it more relaxing.
Same here and it doesn’t really take that much longer than trying to do 70 as there are so many cars on the road - much less stressful this way and way better fuel consumption is a bonus. I find that, on motorways, as soon as you go into the far right lane you end up having to go above 70 to keep up but if you aim to stay in the far left lane at 60 as much as possible you usually only have to go into the middle or outer lane to pass HGVs and then only up to 70 then back in again as soon as possible. Also on two way roads I used to be trying to pass cars all the time but am now more often than not happy to nimble along behind slower cars as long as they are doing a reasonable speed only passing slow lorries where safe. Getting old?
That's not what I found. Yes, the slower speed is less stressful. When the road was clear enough, I found speeds above 100mph do use no less fuel than at 60. At least not enough to notice, and over these sorts of distances too.
Great video Ruth. You should not be suprised however that Wetherby service station is rammed. I have travelled there many times on a Manchester to Newcastle trip. There are 15 million who live in the North of England. Scotland has a small population in comparison.
Nice video and very authentic. That's exactly how we know the UK. We bypass Lonon with our Camper widely to avoid the low emission zone. Our overnight destination before or after crossing the Channel is the official parking space in Canterburry. Regards from Germany :)
One job I had in outback Australia I had to travel for 6 hours to go to the supermarket- now it’s only 4 hours. So much better 😄😄😄 I love your videos Ruth. They make me smile so often. 🌸🙏🏽✨
Hi Ruth Love your videos. I am a Aussie but lived in North London just inside the M25 in 1999. I have Scottish roots and would take my family regularly to Stirling or Dundee for the weekend. I loved the great roads, the courteous drivers and the fast speeds you could do. We usually did the drive in 6 hours. Of course this was 25 years ago and being Australian that was not a big drive for me. ( all my English workmates thought I was nuts).
@@ruthaisling lol, I went for Dalek parts. Most Dalek Builders are down south so if you live in Whittonstall it's quite a drive for parts. But love them so I'll do anything.
My longest trip by bus took about 22 hours from east to west in my country when i was child. You have breaks during long journeys coz the essential things are needed. Thank u for this different content which i wasn't expecting, Ruth.
Just keep doing what you are doing. Your stories bring happiness and adventure to this world…. And that is a good thing. Safe travels. Many more adventures ahead!
Hi Ruth, recently discovered your channel and watching video by video from the start. Loving your content. If you're doing the Scotland to south coast route again, I'd highly recommend Stamford and nearby Rutland Water as a great stop-off halfway :-)
My wife and I got married in Gretna Green although we live in Norfolk. Something that nearly went horribly wrong is that there is more than one Blacksmith's Shop with subtley different names. We used to do some very long trips around the UK, there is so much to see. Generally we would not pre-book places to stay, so there was always a hasty search online for deals. A mixture of camping in a pop-up tent and hotels, great fun.
@@ruthaisling we booked the wedding venue online, about a week before the wedding we trundled up and were buying souvenirs in the gift shop. We mentioned that we were getting married there the following week, they checked their book and we were not on the list. I believe there are actually 3 different venues with confusingly similar names. If you Google search you will see some.. enjoy your travels!
My initial comment on seeing your video pop up was “good luck” 😮🥴😂 Such a journey is not for the faint hearted. It can go either of two ways. Fingers crossed that you don’t have bad traffic delays. Now to settle back to watch your journey.
Good afternoon Ruth you sure had a long trek but it’s wise to stop along the way glad your van wasn’t leaking and you you will be off to France forgot to tell you loved the longest night in Scotland take care and journal like your mom said 😘👍🌺🌿🚗
I often drive a round trip from near Folkestone to Edinbourugh then next day return via Carlisle Another option rather than the A66 is to take the A57 Snake Pass, you need to keep your wit's about you, but the scenery is breathtaking
Done the same myself, a few times, but not for more than 20 years. Folkestone to Stenhousemuir, generally the same route as Ruth took south of the border. I prefer a roadside greasy spoon to a motorway service area, any day.
@ruthaisling Luckily not in a lorry, in a car. Depending on which way round I go, I either spend the night in Edinburgh as its a really nice place, or near Carlisle, Gretna Green as I'm in to Astrophotography and the skies are dark near there.
Hi Ruth..that is one heck of a journey, I have done that route several times..I always feel drained after a long motorway journey..and you probably will do too..I hope you get the GB sticker..and a good nights rest..In case you haven't been told, you will also need headlight converters..they stick on the headlight glass so an easy fit..Bon voyage!
We e been doing this for the last few years Scotland to south France / Italian Riviera then back up Through the alps etc Thinking of going to Portsmouth this year getting the ferry to Santander in northern . Spain then doing the Pyrenees/Basque region .
You forgot to mention the M25 around the east of London . The busiest bit, especially getting to the bridge over the Thames. Did this exact route June '23. Took us 8 hours with wee stops.
Well done Ruth, your friend probably hates the A1 m because he remembers it when it was just the A1 basically just o dual carriageway. Back then there were plenty of wee places to stop. As an old lorry driver in the good old bad old days before all the electronic monitoring. I've driven for 24 hours. Good thinking to keep your tank topped up.
The A1 is still a pretty horrible drive but really dont know why.i think you are right about the old days before it was modernised but we remember how bad it was especially in a truck.
@@ruthaisling aye Ruth, driving hours are closely monitored now, 9 hours a day or 49 hours a week. When I was a young driver with two boys to feed and clothe and every hour worked was paid for, there were some firms turned a blind eye to regulations.
Well done, Ruth! Having driven that same route by myself, I can confirm the backache pains too! As always, a nice informative dialogue to accompany the video. Please keep them coming😀😍
In 1976 I drove with an engine in a trailer from Glasgow to Lancing, near Worthing on the South coast and back in a day 982 miles and through London both ways !
I use the A1m a lot 9 years ago travelling from Suffolk to Durham house hunting. It is a good road if traffic is light. Was driving solo too but only 1 break midway. One tip to stay alert is have wine gums or sweets to chew on helps staying awake. Also open window to let fresh air in occasionally works for me. But if you feel tired or sleepy ALWAYS stop at Services to take a break or nap, which I did too. Stay Safe !
I can't say that I've travelled the length of England in one go but, splitting our time between mine and my girlfriend's parents at Christmas, we did Gretna to Nottingham in 3 hours one Christmas morning in the early 90's. Exactly the same route you took until you get to north Notts. Clear day, no traffic, the beautiful A66 on a crisp winter morning. Fantastic!
HGV driver and many ordinary motorists do this journey regularly. Belfast to Cairnryan , Cairnryan to London A75-M6 M1, or A75 M6 A66, A75, A66, to Middlesbrough, York area then A1 to London to Dorset, Bristol. Carirnryan to Glasgow to London, all in a day however I must state usually night driving. I do admire your endurance and efforts. Stay safe and enjoy.
I did Stoke on trent to John O'Groats and back again in 26 hours (after doing a full days work) has to be said, The farther north you go, the nicer the UK gets
Well done, that A1M is always busy. Did you get your UK sticker and did you get CritAir sticker for France ? I had to get one last year for France. My Hiace is the same year as yours and diesel. Safe travels 🚐
❤❤🎉😊. Excellent vlog Ruth. Your route down made the most sense rather than going to the west via heathrow etc. Funnily enough in 1998 i did the same route in reverse from London to Glasgwo when i moved to Scotland for two years whilst studykng & flight training at Scone whilst living in Paisley. Good times & so many lovely memories of Scotland. The A1M is one of the busiest roads and has a reputation for delays & serious accidents so you did very well indeed. Looking forward to your vlogs of the crsooing & from France.😊🙌🙏
Don't envy you the drive. We used the channel tunnel in October whilst heading to the Netherlands and day 1 was a straight run from Peterhead down to Folkestone, following the same route as you from Gretna onwards. Hope you enjoy (enjoyed!) your trip to France.
Hello Ruth-san, It was so long driving by yourself, wasn't it? I'm looking forward to watching next You-Tube of Euro tunnel, I hope you will not get into a traffic accident.
Hi Ruth, my longest journey was from Diss in norfolk to Edinbane on the lsle of skye. That took over 12 hrs with stops . You came the best way👍. Enjoy your break over there.
We moved to UK from South Africa where we were used to travelling long distances. Every Friday after work in UK we set off and drove the length and breadth of UK returning home late Sunday night. Travelling to Edinburgh became a regular trip, even just my elderly mother and me! The A1 is a quieter road, but slower than the M1.
@@ruthaisling It’s understandable given the different road conditions, lack of population density, and distances between things. I had friends visiting from the UK once, and we were going about 3 hours up the road for an event. They packed an overnight bag, and had their minds blown when I said we would be driving back after it. They were exhausted despite being passengers the entire time. Happy travels in Europe, it’s a nice country. 🤪🤣🤪
Great Video! Glad you made it close to the time you projected! Better to take your time when you’re traveling so far and like you said you’re the only one driving. Looking forward to France in the next video! My husband and I took the train under the English Channel to get to France too! It didn’t take long. So exciting! ❤
Fill up before departure and if you do need fuel - exit the motorway to an ASDA and fill up. You won't lose much time, and will save a bundle. The ULEZ zone is mostly revenue-earing exercise. Near Folkstone- plenty of supermarkets for fuel at Ashford.
Ruth you'd love York very old fashioned and historic and the lake district joins onto Scottish Borders I love it up north and I'm coming to live up near the Scottish Borders this year 😀 bless you there's a lot of nice places in England 🇬🇧 😊
Well done Ruth it’s a long run down the A1M and further on to Folkestone, you’ve down very well. We normally stop at Chesterfield on the way from Devon to Scotland. Bon Voyage, Cheers, Mike 🥃
It’s winter sun remember only about 14° but blue sky and sun. We are in the Costa Brava so not way down south, it’s just lovely to be out of the grey👍👍🥃@@ruthaisling
We also have roundabouts in New England in the US especially in Eastern Massachusetts near Boston where I live. However, they are not as common in the rest of the US. I found this a bit interesting as I drove from Truro to Inverness in 2010 not on a whim but while on vacation (holiday) to meet my Nanny who I had not seen since I was 15 a decade earlier. She had taken various forms of public transit down from the North and shortly after she arrived her Father took ill I agreed to drive her back at once my 1st time driving on the left scared the crap out me. However it was an adventure. Safe travels.
I always wondered if there were roundabouts in the States, so thanks for sharing about that! Driving on the opposite side is so scary for the first time!
We got excited thinking that you'd be passing near us in Cambridgeshire! We use the A1 up to Scotland too. Not beautiful but it improves once to reach the A66. BTW the photo you dropped in definitely isn't the Channel Tunnel. Think it's Denmark...?
@@ruthaisling some yes. They have constructed multi level roads to invest its transportation infrastructure to enhance convenience and connectivity within the city. Personally I like multi level roads because I would be circling around the roundabouts forever. hehe
Hello Ruth, this is the first time I leave a comment on your RUclips video but I always enjoy watching your videos thank you for wonderful and interesting works I’m Japanese and my husband is British and we live in Japan. We’re planning to go travelling to the uk with our friends and my husband will need to drive long distances there. The video you posted helps me to see how our journey will be and I’m looking forward to it 😊 and realise I need to practice to drive a manual transmission car because we hardly drive it in Japan 😅
Thank you for your comment! I am glad the video was helpful and you can see what driving here is like. If you are renting a car, you will probably be able to choose an automatic one.
Wetherby Services used to be a really nice overnight stop for truck drivers, but it's turned into a 'nightspot' for locals, who literally swarm the place at night!! I think it's waaay to close to the town, unlike most service areas!
When I was a student I worked for my dad in the holidays. One summer we had to get home to London in one day from seeing a client in Inverness. We left at the crack of dawn and were cruising down the A9 at what felt like a sensible speed but I happened to glance across at the speedo and we were doing 110 mph! Strangely because the landscape is so open you don't really get any sense of speed. No cameras in those days and the local plod were still in bed.
Funnily enough I'm driving to France and around some places in Europe next month, apparently it's a legal requirement in France that cars carry an NF approved alcohol breathalyser. Also it's required that we put something over our headlights called beam benders, heard of that?
Good luck with your driving in France. I have driven most of the UK at some time or another but never on mainland Europe although I have driven on Lanzarote daily for 2 weeks on holiday so I have experience of driving on the wrong side of the road. My longest drive was from Campbeltown to Dover and back over two days with a couple of hours sleep in the back of my 4x4 as the hotel in Dover was fully booked as I had not booked ahead and to complicate the drive further I was towing an empty trailer and had over 2 tons of steel on the way back which I picked up in the ferry port so had to show my passport at the gate so I was technically in France. The journey was just over 1300 miles. I have also frequently driven to London from Aberdeen to visit my Uncle and sister but I prefer to do night drives as it seems to be a bit quieter on the roads.
Wow, that sounds a long drive, especially from Campbeltown all the way round the Kintyre Peninsula! I like night time driving too, just need to watch out for deer!
When I lived in Stornoway the locals advised me to get a whistle like device fitted to the front of my car and I am sure I saw them at petrol stations along the West coast which in theory omitted a high pitched whistle that scared off deer. Seemingly a lot of the HGV's running the routes to the islands had them fitted. I never hit a deer but do remember one night driving from Campbeltown to Stornoway coming round a corner and finding 6 Stags sleeping in the middle of the road. Thankfully it was an undulating section of road full of sharp bends and my speed was low so no panic but it did raise the heartbeats a little. Also one night driving towards the Rest and be Thankful from Kintyre an HGV had hit a herd of Stags and there was carnage on the road like a scene from a war movie with body parts all over the road and blood everywhere. Not a pleasant thing to see.@@ruthaisling
Ruth, you really need to travel to Australia. An 11 hour drive here only gets to your front gate. Nice to see you back. Is that holiday traffic or normal? Maybe you could use those sample bottles of whisky to ease the back pain.
I probably should! When I lived in Australia, I lived in Melbourne so didn't do much driving! That was around the New Year period so maybe a bit busier than usual. Unfortunately, all the whisky samples are now finished! 😂
A couple of times a year, I drive solo from London, Ontario to my friends near Saint John, New Brunswick. It's a distance of about 1000 miles or 1600 km. It takes me about 18 hrs. By far my longest trip one day trip was with a friend from London, Ontario to North Sydney, Nova Scotia to take a ferry to Newfoundland. On that trip, we swapped driving duties, but overall it still took us a little over 24 hours to drive. That was a distance of about 2200 km or 1400 miles.
I usually take the M6/M1 because I loath the A66. It has lots of single lane each way sections. Did you see the bactrian camels just before Scotch Corner? I also use the M6 Toll. It's much quieter than going though Birmingham and there is a nice services half way along. It has a canal aqueduct with no canal. There is a plan to reinstate the canal so they put the aqueduct in place when they were building the M6 Toll.
If you go down the West coast, you can stop at Tebay services in Cumbria- worthwhile- but you do have to go around Birmingham which is bad for traffic.
I have driven down that way myself on a couple of occasions and it is a long way. Traffic jams very much the norm on parts of it. The Wetherby services are always crammed. Looking forward to your time in France.
A family emergency required that I travelled from Ullapool Scotland to Taunton Somerset only stopping for fuel. It took two lazy days to get over that! So you did remarkably well lass.
Hi Ruth, watched many of your videos as interesting.. It’s not always that windy down here in Folkestone, although it does rain a lot. 11 hrs for that journey !! Wow, it takes us a cringeworthy 7 minutes from home to the tunnel peage booth but then it’s 8 hrs to our cottage in SW France. Can I ask what pub you parked up overnight, or site prior to your crossing. Many Thanks Chris
Thank you for your hard work on your long trip in the UK. Next, the videos of your trip in France are about to begin. I'm looking forward to watching them. From Japan.😊P.S. I like driving, but even when I go far, it's only about 400km from where I live.😊
👍👏 However, if you had taken the western route, then anticlockwise (west and south) around the M25 you could have avoided the "Dart" charge - Dartford, QE2 bridge toll.
For ur way back, take the ferry departing in Amsterdam to Hall, if u calculate the fuel and time and nerve for 11 hours, better to sleep on the boat and wake up back in Scotland! Warming regards
Hello everyone, I hope you're all doing great and thank you for watching the video today. I'm back with regular Sunday uploads. 🎉
Thank you for your patience with the videos the last few weeks, there has been a lot going on!
I've also been very busy filming lots of videos these last few weeks and I'm looking forward to sharing them with you over the next few weeks!
What's the longest road trip you've ever done? Let us know below! 👇🎉
Well done….keep going.
We’ve done Loughborough to Lochcarron a few times. That’s quite a long drive in one day.
@@shieldaigbencher Long journey!
I rode a motorcycle 960km from Yamagata City to Marugame Castle in Kagawa Prefecture.
日本全体の約半分の距離です☺
（Approximately half of Japan's total）
I am a coach driver and the longest journey I have done is from uk to Italy
I like very much that you select a route you have not been before. Reminds of a poem that ends that making such a choice “has made all the difference”! You’re speaking my language.
Ruth, that route you took is the way people from the North have travelled to the South since the Neolithic. Dere Street, Ermine Street (now the A1) , then Watling Street to Canterbury and Dover. The Romans paved these roads, but they'd been there for a long time when the Romans came!
Love your channel!! ❤
A tip I always do is find supermarkets on route, which are usually just off the motorway, you can get your fuel much much cheaper Ruth. A trip like that can save you £40 or €46
Always!⛽
Good tip. I always seem to stop off at Carlisle Tesco on my way north or south!
Is there a " UK SUPERMARKET FUEL off motorways " map available anywhere ?
@studiosys you know what I was thinking just that about ten minutes ago
I will be travelling almost exactly 400 miles from my house in North Yorkshire to Ullapool in the North West Highlands of Scotland in TWO DAYS TIME (!!). Probably about 8 hours behind the wheel (plus stops at Perth & Kinross and at Dingwall's Tesco - fuel, coffee & toilet stops). Can't wait because we weren't able to go there in 2023.
The image of the island shown in the middle of the water is the transition point for the tunnel and bridge connection between Denmark and Sweden.
Bit of a detour, that. 🙃
Spot the green Porsche.
Whoops, really sorry for that mistake, thanks for letting me know!
I came across this video by chance and it reminded me of the better days when I could still drive long distances. Age and ill health mean that I cant do that any more but watching this brought back great memories of driving all over Europe on my holidays! Have loads of fun!
I’m glad the video could bring back all your memories! ❤️
I remember having to drive the works van full of kit from Northampton to Aberdeen. We got to Glasgow and thought not far now, hours later we were still driving. I don't think we sassenachs realize just how big Scotland is and how long it takes to get anywhere. Now have a friend in Huntly who explain that a 20 mile journey can take a while.🤪 Thanks for all the time and effort you put into these videos.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I remember when we visited England in 2016 and I told my relatives that we would be driving from Cornwall to the Lake District in one day and they were flabbergasted. We are used to driving long distances here and I thought nothing of it. It took about eight or nine hours, with “pit stops” but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Keep making great videos. Cheers
Have done this and more. Southampton to Dundee. Took 10 hours in all
That’s a very long journey too!
Tell me. More so in my last job. Dundee, Glasgow. Bangor(north Wales) and many other sites. Often drove over 3,000 miles in 5 days.
The UK is a compact place. I regularly drive from Kent to Aberdeen and it is easily doable in a day. A very enjoyable drive for the most part too.
Lovely scenery once you get into Aberdeenshire! 😍
@@ruthaisling Well Ruth, you did manage to bypass all the lovely areas of England away from the motorway you were on! The lake district, the Pennines, the Yorkshire moors, the Fens..........
I binged watched all of these France videos, it was like watching a film 🤗 Great stuff ❤
Thanks so much for watching all the France videos Chris!
2018- Edinburgh to Exeter. Solo. Wonderful. From beautifully grey hues to blue water and sand/sun in August. Dawn to dark. Destination’s accommodation wasn’t booked either. Pre-pandemic. Much preferred the A-highways to the M- motorways. A for scenery. M for a to b. Safe travels!
Thanks for watching!
great driving! I used to try and go as fast as possible, now I jus bimble along at 60, inside lane, much less stressful, and better fuel consumption! You sensibly made plenty of breaks also, makes it more relaxing.
I like the inside lane too! 😂
Same, much less stressful and you can drive for longer that way
Same here and it doesn’t really take that much longer than trying to do 70 as there are so many cars on the road - much less stressful this way and way better fuel consumption is a bonus. I find that, on motorways, as soon as you go into the far right lane you end up having to go above 70 to keep up but if you aim to stay in the far left lane at 60 as much as possible you usually only have to go into the middle or outer lane to pass HGVs and then only up to 70 then back in again as soon as possible. Also on two way roads I used to be trying to pass cars all the time but am now more often than not happy to nimble along behind slower cars as long as they are doing a reasonable speed only passing slow lorries where safe. Getting old?
That's not what I found. Yes, the slower speed is less stressful. When the road was clear enough, I found speeds above 100mph do use no less fuel than at 60. At least not enough to notice, and over these sorts of distances too.
Great video Ruth. You should not be suprised however that Wetherby service station is rammed. I have travelled there many times on a Manchester to Newcastle trip. There are 15 million who live in the North of England. Scotland has a small population in comparison.
I wasn’t used to all the people! 😂
Nice driving video of the island shown in the water is the transition point the tunnel and bridge.
Nice video and very authentic. That's exactly how we know the UK. We bypass Lonon with our Camper widely to avoid the low emission zone. Our overnight destination before or after crossing the Channel is the official parking space in Canterburry. Regards from Germany :)
Thanks for watching!
One job I had in outback Australia I had to travel for 6 hours to go to the supermarket- now it’s only 4 hours. So much better 😄😄😄
I love your videos Ruth. They make me smile so often. 🌸🙏🏽✨
I’m glad you’re enjoying the videos 😊
I drive 4 hours each way to a specialist appointment in a day.
I love how you drive: new routes and lots of breaks. Nice to know I'm not the only one. Lovely video. :)
Thanks, glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Hi Ruth Love your videos. I am a Aussie but lived in North London just inside the M25 in 1999. I have Scottish roots and would take my family regularly to Stirling or Dundee for the weekend. I loved the great roads, the courteous drivers and the fast speeds you could do. We usually did the drive in 6 hours. Of course this was 25 years ago and being Australian that was not a big drive for me. ( all my English workmates thought I was nuts).
I can imagine the drives in Australia are so much longer!!
Ruthie! There's a town near me in the states that's named Carlisle.
Oh that's interesting! I will look it up and try and see some photos!
@@ruthaislingThat would be in Carlisle PA.
I've driven to the South and North of England and back in the same day. Not bad going down but went on forever going back! No breaks either.
Wow, what a journey!
@@ruthaisling lol, I went for Dalek parts. Most Dalek Builders are down south so if you live in Whittonstall it's quite a drive for parts. But love them so I'll do anything.
My longest trip by bus took about 22 hours from east to west in my country when i was child. You have breaks during long journeys coz the essential things are needed. Thank u for this different content which i wasn't expecting, Ruth.
Wow, 22 hours is so long! Thanks for watching!
Just keep doing what you are doing. Your stories bring happiness and adventure to this world…. And that is a good thing. Safe travels. Many more adventures ahead!
Thank you, I will try my best!
Hi Ruth, recently discovered your channel and watching video by video from the start. Loving your content. If you're doing the Scotland to south coast route again, I'd highly recommend Stamford and nearby Rutland Water as a great stop-off halfway :-)
Thanks for the tip! I’m so pleased you’ve found the channel.
Speaking as a Sasanach leave England to the English it is a foreign and fearsome unfamiliar place, happy travels.
😂
My wife and I got married in Gretna Green although we live in Norfolk. Something that nearly went horribly wrong is that there is more than one Blacksmith's Shop with subtley different names. We used to do some very long trips around the UK, there is so much to see. Generally we would not pre-book places to stay, so there was always a hasty search online for deals. A mixture of camping in a pop-up tent and hotels, great fun.
Haha I didn’t realise there was more than one blacksmith shop! It sounds like you’ve had some great trips! 😍
@@ruthaisling we booked the wedding venue online, about a week before the wedding we trundled up and were buying souvenirs in the gift shop. We mentioned that we were getting married there the following week, they checked their book and we were not on the list. I believe there are actually 3 different venues with confusingly similar names. If you Google search you will see some.. enjoy your travels!
Well done Ruth for making the journey to folkstone in a day.
Good luck with your next leg of your journey through France 💚
Thank you! 😃
Some trivia, The Who played live at Leeds, 1970. 😀. Hope you know the group. Loved the video!
One of my favourites
Thank for watching, I'm not sure as I wasn't born then! 😂
The which 😂
My initial comment on seeing your video pop up was “good luck” 😮🥴😂
Such a journey is not for the faint hearted. It can go either of two ways. Fingers crossed that you don’t have bad traffic delays.
Now to settle back to watch your journey.
Thanks for watching!
@@ruthaisling So glad that you did eventually arrive. It’s such a difficult journey with so many “pinch points”. Bon Voyages 👍😎
Good afternoon Ruth you sure had a long trek but it’s wise to stop along the way glad your van wasn’t leaking and you you will be off to France forgot to tell you loved the longest night in Scotland take care and journal like your mom said 😘👍🌺🌿🚗
Thanks Linda, I need to fill it in, you just reminded me! 😂
I often drive a round trip from near Folkestone to Edinbourugh then next day return via Carlisle Another option rather than the A66 is to take the A57 Snake Pass, you need to keep your wit's about you, but the scenery is breathtaking
Done the same myself, a few times, but not for more than 20 years. Folkestone to Stenhousemuir, generally the same route as Ruth took south of the border. I prefer a roadside greasy spoon to a motorway service area, any day.
@sarkybugger5009 Motorway services have improved alot over the last 20 years, but Tebay services on the M6 are especially good.
I'll keep that route in mind for next time! That's a really long drive you are doing, are you driving a lorry?
@ruthaisling Luckily not in a lorry, in a car. Depending on which way round I go, I either spend the night in Edinburgh as its a really nice place, or near Carlisle, Gretna Green as I'm in to Astrophotography and the skies are dark near there.
Hi Ruth..that is one heck of a journey, I have done that route several times..I always feel drained after a long motorway journey..and you probably will do too..I hope you get the GB sticker..and a good nights rest..In case you haven't been told, you will also need headlight converters..they stick on the headlight glass so an easy fit..Bon voyage!
Thank you for the advice! It's a really long and tiring journey!
What an epic day ! And at the end you still look as fresh as a daisy 😁👍💪
Haha thanks, didn't feel fresh as a daisy though!
That's the route I would have taken, visiting the farm shop on the A66 for a bacon sandwich and cup of tea!
We e been doing this for the last few years
Scotland to south France / Italian Riviera then back up
Through the alps etc
Thinking of going to Portsmouth this year getting the ferry to Santander in northern . Spain then doing the Pyrenees/Basque region .
Sounds lovely!
You forgot to mention the M25 around the east of London . The busiest bit, especially getting to the bridge over the Thames. Did this exact route June '23. Took us 8 hours with wee stops.
Ah whoops! My van was chugging along 😂
Love your videos! Not sure why you were showing a photo of the Oresund Bridge / Tunnel between Denmark and Sweden though! x
Yep, whoopsie 😂
Yes that was a mistake, sorry! 😂
Well done Ruth, your friend probably hates the A1 m because he remembers it when it was just the A1 basically just o dual carriageway. Back then there were plenty of wee places to stop. As an old lorry driver in the good old bad old days before all the electronic monitoring. I've driven for 24 hours. Good thinking to keep your tank topped up.
The A1 is still a pretty horrible drive but really dont know why.i think you are right about the old days before it was modernised but we remember how bad it was especially in a truck.
Wow, 24 hours, that's such a huge journey. Is there a limit now on how long you can drive in one stretch as a lorry driver?
@@ruthaisling aye Ruth, driving hours are closely monitored now, 9 hours a day or 49 hours a week. When I was a young driver with two boys to feed and clothe and every hour worked was paid for, there were some firms turned a blind eye to regulations.
Well done, Ruth! Having driven that same route by myself, I can confirm the backache pains too! As always, a nice informative dialogue to accompany the video. Please keep them coming😀😍
Many thanks!
In 1976 I drove with an engine in a trailer from Glasgow to Lancing, near Worthing on the South coast and back in a day 982 miles and through London both ways !
Crazy long journey!
I had to drive with my head out the window to stop me falling asleep on my way back@@ruthaisling
I use the A1m a lot 9 years ago travelling from Suffolk to Durham house hunting. It is a good road if traffic is light. Was driving solo too but only 1 break midway. One tip to stay alert is have wine gums or sweets to chew on helps staying awake. Also open window to let fresh air in occasionally works for me. But if you feel tired or sleepy ALWAYS stop at Services to take a break or nap, which I did too. Stay Safe !
Thanks for the helpful tips!
A Scottish person going to England for the first time will face a culture shock like no other! Plenty of rain makes the experience more authentic.
😂
@@ruthaisling far less Tunnocks biscuits in England.
That's bollocks, mr Porter, unless ya've only heard the "lallans" all ya life.
Quite, the weather is the last of the shocks she'll encounter. Reckon the return journey will be much quicker...
Hope you enjoy your trip to France, thanks for my Sunday night video Ruth
Thanks for watching!
Awesome presentation once again ruth keep up with the wonderful work
Thank you so much 😀
I can't say that I've travelled the length of England in one go but, splitting our time between mine and my girlfriend's parents at Christmas, we did Gretna to Nottingham in 3 hours one Christmas morning in the early 90's. Exactly the same route you took until you get to north Notts. Clear day, no traffic, the beautiful A66 on a crisp winter morning. Fantastic!
Sounds great, love crisp winter mornings!
Great video! Great adventure! Well done! You are a good driver. 🚒🚒🚒
Thanks!
HGV driver and many ordinary motorists do this journey regularly. Belfast to Cairnryan , Cairnryan to London A75-M6 M1, or A75 M6 A66, A75, A66, to Middlesbrough, York area then A1 to London to Dorset, Bristol. Carirnryan to Glasgow to London, all in a day however I must state usually night driving. I do admire your endurance and efforts. Stay safe and enjoy.
Thanks, you must know all the roads so well!
It’s good to see you out traveling, and showing us new places.
Looking forward to your adventures in Europe!
Thanks!
I did Stoke on trent to John O'Groats and back again in 26 hours (after doing a full days work) has to be said, The farther north you go, the nicer the UK gets
Wow, that is one mega journey!
Well done, that A1M is always busy. Did you get your UK sticker and did you get CritAir sticker for France ? I had to get one last year for France. My Hiace is the same year as yours and diesel. Safe travels 🚐
I don't plan to drive in any areas needing the CritAir sticker, but I did manage to get the UK sticker, I'll show it in the next video! 😀
You are one brave lady.
❤❤🎉😊.
Excellent vlog Ruth.
Your route down made the most sense rather than going to the west via heathrow etc.
Funnily enough in 1998 i did the same route in reverse from London to Glasgwo when i moved to Scotland for two years whilst studykng & flight training at Scone whilst living in Paisley.
Good times & so many lovely memories of Scotland.
The A1M is one of the busiest roads and has a reputation for delays & serious accidents so you did very well indeed.
Looking forward to your vlogs of the crsooing & from France.😊🙌🙏
Thanks Sean, good to hear I chose a good route! Glad you had such a nice time living in Scotland!
Don't envy you the drive. We used the channel tunnel in October whilst heading to the Netherlands and day 1 was a straight run from Peterhead down to Folkestone, following the same route as you from Gretna onwards. Hope you enjoy (enjoyed!) your trip to France.
Wow, that's a really long trip from Peterhead!
Another wonderful video Ruth ❤
Thank you so much!
Hello Ruth-san, It was so long driving by yourself, wasn't it? I'm looking forward to watching next You-Tube of Euro tunnel, I hope you will not get into a traffic accident.
Thank you, video coming soon. Please look forward to it!
Hi Ruth, my longest journey was from Diss in norfolk to Edinbane on the lsle of skye. That took over 12 hrs with stops . You came the best way👍. Enjoy your break over there.
That sounds a huge journey!
Great stuff Ruth, keep up the good work 😊
Thank you! 😀
We moved to UK from South Africa where we were used to travelling long distances. Every Friday after work in UK we set off and drove the length and breadth of UK returning home late Sunday night. Travelling to Edinburgh became a regular trip, even just my elderly mother and me! The A1 is a quieter road, but slower than the M1.
Wow, what an adventure!
Australians: "6 hours and 19 mins? That's just down the road mate." 🙂
Wonderful video to watch and very informative. Thanks for making it.
Haha such a short journey compared to the distances you guys cover!
@@ruthaisling It’s understandable given the different road conditions, lack of population density, and distances between things.
I had friends visiting from the UK once, and we were going about 3 hours up the road for an event. They packed an overnight bag, and had their minds blown when I said we would be driving back after it. They were exhausted despite being passengers the entire time.
Happy travels in Europe, it’s a nice country. 🤪🤣🤪
ルースさん、旅を続けてるのが嬉しいですよ🙌また日本にも来てください😊運転気を付けてね👋😁
ありがとう。気をつけます。
Great Video! Glad you made it close to the time you projected! Better to take your time when you’re traveling so far and like you said you’re the only one driving. Looking forward to France in the next video! My husband and I took the train under the English Channel to get to France too! It didn’t take long. So exciting! ❤
Very exciting to go on the tunnel! Video coming soon!
Fill up before departure and if you do need fuel - exit the motorway to an ASDA and fill up. You won't lose much time, and will save a bundle. The ULEZ zone is mostly revenue-earing exercise. Near Folkstone- plenty of supermarkets for fuel at Ashford.
Thanks, will do next time!
Ruth you'd love York very old fashioned and historic and the lake district joins onto Scottish Borders I love it up north and I'm coming to live up near the Scottish Borders this year 😀 bless you there's a lot of nice places in England 🇬🇧 😊
I'd like to visit York sometime! Oh lovely, where in the borders are you moving to?
@@ruthaisling I'm hoping to get a nice apartment for the rest of my life north of Preston Lancashire
I’ve driven from Edzell to London a few times back in 1973-1975. It usually took almost 10 hours stopping for gas and meals.
That's a long trip too!
Looking forward to more Ernie Journeys :)
More to come! 🚗
You drove the same route that I would have taken. The A66 is one of my favourite roads.
Well done Ruth it’s a long run down the A1M and further on to Folkestone, you’ve down very well. We normally stop at Chesterfield on the way from Devon to Scotland. Bon Voyage, Cheers, Mike 🥃
Thanks Mike, will check out that stop next time. Hope you're enjoying sunny Spain. 😎
It’s winter sun remember only about 14° but blue sky and sun. We are in the Costa Brava so not way down south, it’s just lovely to be out of the grey👍👍🥃@@ruthaisling
We also have roundabouts in New England in the US especially in Eastern Massachusetts near Boston where I live. However, they are not as common in the rest of the US. I found this a bit interesting as I drove from Truro to Inverness in 2010 not on a whim but while on vacation (holiday) to meet my Nanny who I had not seen since I was 15 a decade earlier. She had taken various forms of public transit down from the North and shortly after she arrived her Father took ill I agreed to drive her back at once my 1st time driving on the left scared the crap out me. However it was an adventure. Safe travels.
I always wondered if there were roundabouts in the States, so thanks for sharing about that! Driving on the opposite side is so scary for the first time!
We got excited thinking that you'd be passing near us in Cambridgeshire! We use the A1 up to Scotland too. Not beautiful but it improves once to reach the A66.
BTW the photo you dropped in definitely isn't the Channel Tunnel. Think it's Denmark...?
Whoops, sorry about the mistake with the photo. Thanks for letting me know! Where are you heading on your next travels?
@@ruthaisling we're currently sharing our New Zealand trip :)
We have a trip planned in Easter.....!
You are so darling, I’ve been enjoying your videos. Safe travels, cheers
Glad you like them!
I enjoyed your video that made me feel like traveling with you across England. There used to be a lot of roundabouts in Malaysia in the 70s and 80s.
Thanks for watching. Did they get rid of the roundabouts?
@@ruthaisling some yes. They have constructed multi level roads to invest its transportation infrastructure to enhance convenience and connectivity within the city. Personally I like multi level roads because I would be circling around the roundabouts forever. hehe
Hello Ruth, this is the first time I leave a comment on your RUclips video but I always enjoy watching your videos thank you for wonderful and interesting works
I’m Japanese and my husband is British and we live in Japan.
We’re planning to go travelling to the uk with our friends and my husband will need to drive long distances there. The video you posted helps me to see how our journey will be and I’m looking forward to it 😊 and realise I need to practice to drive a manual transmission car because we hardly drive it in Japan 😅
Thank you for your comment! I am glad the video was helpful and you can see what driving here is like. If you are renting a car, you will probably be able to choose an automatic one.
Wetherby Services used to be a really nice overnight stop for truck drivers, but it's turned into a 'nightspot' for locals, who literally swarm the place at night!!
I think it's waaay to close to the town, unlike most service areas!
I bet you’re excited about this trip looking forward to watching it😊👏
Thanks, really looking forward to it!
When I was a student I worked for my dad in the holidays. One summer we had to get home to London in one day from seeing a client in Inverness. We left at the crack of dawn and were cruising down the A9 at what felt like a sensible speed but I happened to glance across at the speedo and we were doing 110 mph! Strangely because the landscape is so open you don't really get any sense of speed. No cameras in those days and the local plod were still in bed.
Haha wow, 110mph, I don't think my van could even reach that speed! 😂
Funnily enough I'm driving to France and around some places in Europe next month, apparently it's a legal requirement in France that cars carry an NF approved alcohol breathalyser. Also it's required that we put something over our headlights called beam benders, heard of that?
I think the breathalysers were an old requirement. Yes, headlight beam converters are needed. I will introduce about those in the next video!
Good luck with your driving in France. I have driven most of the UK at some time or another but never on mainland Europe although I have driven on Lanzarote daily for 2 weeks on holiday so I have experience of driving on the wrong side of the road. My longest drive was from Campbeltown to Dover and back over two days with a couple of hours sleep in the back of my 4x4 as the hotel in Dover was fully booked as I had not booked ahead and to complicate the drive further I was towing an empty trailer and had over 2 tons of steel on the way back which I picked up in the ferry port so had to show my passport at the gate so I was technically in France. The journey was just over 1300 miles. I have also frequently driven to London from Aberdeen to visit my Uncle and sister but I prefer to do night drives as it seems to be a bit quieter on the roads.
Wow, that sounds a long drive, especially from Campbeltown all the way round the Kintyre Peninsula! I like night time driving too, just need to watch out for deer!
When I lived in Stornoway the locals advised me to get a whistle like device fitted to the front of my car and I am sure I saw them at petrol stations along the West coast which in theory omitted a high pitched whistle that scared off deer. Seemingly a lot of the HGV's running the routes to the islands had them fitted. I never hit a deer but do remember one night driving from Campbeltown to Stornoway coming round a corner and finding 6 Stags sleeping in the middle of the road. Thankfully it was an undulating section of road full of sharp bends and my speed was low so no panic but it did raise the heartbeats a little. Also one night driving towards the Rest and be Thankful from Kintyre an HGV had hit a herd of Stags and there was carnage on the road like a scene from a war movie with body parts all over the road and blood everywhere. Not a pleasant thing to see.@@ruthaisling
Ruth, you really need to travel to Australia. An 11 hour drive here only gets to your front gate. Nice to see you back. Is that holiday traffic or normal? Maybe you could use those sample bottles of whisky to ease the back pain.
I probably should! When I lived in Australia, I lived in Melbourne so didn't do much driving! That was around the New Year period so maybe a bit busier than usual. Unfortunately, all the whisky samples are now finished! 😂
A couple of times a year, I drive solo from London, Ontario to my friends near Saint John, New Brunswick. It's a distance of about 1000 miles or 1600 km. It takes me about 18 hrs. By far my longest trip one day trip was with a friend from London, Ontario to North Sydney, Nova Scotia to take a ferry to Newfoundland. On that trip, we swapped driving duties, but overall it still took us a little over 24 hours to drive. That was a distance of about 2200 km or 1400 miles.
Wow huge journey!
Easy. I did the south-east coast to Mancheester and back in a day once to pick up a car. 5-hours each way. Almost possible to do each leg non-stop.
I bet your time to get back home is much faster! Good on you to visit englandshire. 👍
Haha, I might take a different route home!
I usually take the M6/M1 because I loath the A66. It has lots of single lane each way sections. Did you see the bactrian camels just before Scotch Corner?
I also use the M6 Toll. It's much quieter than going though Birmingham and there is a nice services half way along. It has a canal aqueduct with no canal. There is a plan to reinstate the canal so they put the aqueduct in place when they were building the M6 Toll.
No I didn't see them, I'll need to keep an eye out next time if I take that road again!
@@ruthaisling It’s a sort of farm shop and petting zoo but you can usually see the camels from the road.
Another great video, you are amazing, pop into Essex on your way back 😊X
Thanks! Might take a different route back, let's see!
@ruthaisling pop in say hello 👋 😍
Ruthさんこんばんは。イングランドを南下しているんだな、やっぱりフランスに行くんだ。炭素いいそうですね。Bappa Shota 君がフランス入りした動画を上げていましたが、フランスで同行されるんですか？同行されるんであればすごく楽しみです。油が高いよ、高すぎじゃないのか？UKのステッカーが必要ですか、フランスでは必要なんだ、探してもなかなかないんだな、それは大変だ。トンネルの入り口で売っているって、チェックされるんやな。夜の運転は気を付けなければならないよ！
次の動画を楽しみにしています。気を付けて。
コメントありがとう。そうですね、UKステッカーを貼ることは法律で義務付けられているので、購入する必要がありますね。次回のビデオも楽しみにしていてください。
返事をありがとうございます。次の動画を楽しみにしています。@@ruthaisling
iイングランド縦断ドライブお疲れ様です。イギリス人のルースさんでもイングランドは走ったことがない道が多いのですね。ディーゼル価格は高いですね。フランス旅楽しみです。
僕はイギリスよりも日本の道路を走ったことがあるよ(笑)。
I've done Eastbourne (south coast) to Fort William, 12hrs with stops for coffee and wee 😂, great video 👍
Wow, that's a very long trip! Thanks for watching!
@@ruthaisling it's worth it though, stunning up there, love Scotland 😍
We used to regularly drive from Glasgow to my sister’s in Emsworth. Usually took us about 8 hours if I remember correctly!
Long journey too!
If you go down the West coast, you can stop at Tebay services in Cumbria- worthwhile- but you do have to go around Birmingham which is bad for traffic.
Bad in every other sense, too
😂
Last year (2022) I drove from Brighton to Edinburgh in an Electric car requiring 5 charging stops. A few weeks later I did it in a diesel one.
How many fuel re-fils did you need with the diesel car?
I have driven down that way myself on a couple of occasions and it is a long way. Traffic jams very much the norm on parts of it. The Wetherby services are always crammed. Looking forward to your time in France.
Couldn't believe how busy they were!
I prefer the west side route. No reason other than you get to visit Tebay services that way, it's the best service station in the UK.
Oh yes, it's really nice!
Ooooooh, welcome to my home county. Hope you had a fun trip :)
Thanks!
A family emergency required that I travelled from Ullapool Scotland to Taunton Somerset only stopping for fuel. It took two lazy days to get over that! So you did remarkably well lass.
Thanks! That sounds a really long journey you did!
Good journey ❤
Hey Ruth! Drive east to west across Texas sometime. It's nearly 900 miles from Texarkana to El Paso.
Just saying.
You have much longer distances over there!
Safe travel on your adventure! :):)
Thank you! 😃
Hi Ruth, watched many of your videos as interesting.. It’s not always that windy down here in Folkestone, although it does rain a lot. 11 hrs for that journey !! Wow, it takes us a cringeworthy 7 minutes from home to the tunnel peage booth but then it’s 8 hrs to our cottage in SW France. Can I ask what pub you parked up overnight, or site prior to your crossing. Many Thanks Chris
Thanks for watching Chris! I think the pub was called The Valiant Sailor
Thank you for your hard work on your long trip in the UK. Next, the videos of your trip in France are about to begin. I'm looking forward to watching them. From Japan.😊P.S. I like driving, but even when I go far, it's only about 400km from where I live.😊
Thank you! I really like driving in Japan!
👍👏 However, if you had taken the western route, then anticlockwise (west and south) around the M25 you could have avoided the "Dart" charge - Dartford, QE2 bridge toll.
That's true! I enjoyed seeing some of the east side of England though.
For ur way back, take the ferry departing in Amsterdam to Hall, if u calculate the fuel and time and nerve for 11 hours, better to sleep on the boat and wake up back in Scotland!
Warming regards
Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check it out!