NationStates Jolt Archive

To my colleagues in the UK, im planning on visiting soon and a number of my friends/family who have either lived or visited in the past seem to be bemused at my timescales.

One component of my trip may be a drive from Edinburgh to Cirencester, approx 600km (400mi i think), i have allocated 7 hours to this drive as it is all on freeways, with an outside estimate of 9 hours.

A number of people have said that this is not feasible, so therefore im hoping to get clarification from either recent visitors or residents as to their opinions on this, and how long it should take.

PS im in Australia so driving for 9 hours, while long, is not that excessive.

To my colleagues in the UK, im planning on visiting soon and a number of my friends/family who have either lived or visited in the past seem to be bemused at my timescales.

One component of my trip may be a drive from Edinburgh to Cirencester, approx 600km (400mi i think), i have allocated 7 hours to this drive as it is all on freeways, with an outside estimate of 9 hours.

A number of people have said that this is not feasible, so therefore im hoping to get clarification from either recent visitors or residents as to their opinions on this, and how long it should take.

PS im in Australia so driving for 9 hours, while long, is not that excessive.

If you don't stop at all. No toilet. I'd split accross two days myself, but then again, I can't drive.

If you don't stop at all. No toilet. I'd split accross two days myself, but then again, I can't drive.

In 'Straylya, we can make the 1100km between Brissy and Sydney in a day!

Bloody weak poms once again! No wonder you suck at cricket and rugby, can't even drive 600ks!!

It depends which way you take it. Its doable in 7 hours provided you don't take a break or run into traffic on the M6(you wish)

In 'Straylya, we can make the 1100km between Brissy and Sydney in a day!

Bloody weak poms once again! No wonder you suck at cricket and rugby, can't even drive 600ks!!

I'm a New Zealander, I don't have to spend hours crossing vast empty landscapes, and then going between the cities too.:tongue:

It's a doddle. It's about 350 miles from Edinburgh to Cirencester so don't worry about it. You can do it in 5 hours if you don't stop and stick to the 70 mph speed limit. Have fun.

In 'Straylya, we can make the 1100km between Brissy and Sydney in a day!

Bloody weak poms once again! No wonder you suck at cricket and rugby, can't even drive 600ks!!

Brisbane Broncos fan by any chance ?

Brisbane Broncos fan by any chance ?

nah, they're a bunch of knobs that couldn't find their own arse with a mirror on a stick.

Sounds about right - I have been on trips to Edinburgh from Leicester to Edinburgh a number of times. Took slightly longer because we took breaks. Does depend on hitting the Birmingham bit of the M6 at the right time.

It's only doable if you have absolutely no traffic whatsoever.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne to approx. Oxford (parallel to Cirencester) is around 300 miles, and takes 6 hours @ maximum speed limit travelling (which accommodated for the traffic) plus 1/2 hour total rest stops. And believe me, you'll need at least one of those... finding a parking space is hard enough, plus you'd need to eat to keep up your energy/spirits :)

So we usually gave 6.5 to 7 hours for that journey - and it was usually 6.5 hours. If you google-map it, you'll see just how much further Edinburgh is from Newcastle, and how much extra you'd need to add to your journey. I'm not familiar with Scotland, but I'd give your journey 8.5 hours to be on the safe side.

Edit: Realistically, you'd be looking at 7-8 hours for your journey.
Edit 2: The above poster mentions Edinburgh-Leicester. Leicester is by no means as far as Cirencester (the latter is probably about an hour further).

:pIn 'Straylya, we can make the 1100km between Brissy and Sydney in a day!

Bloody weak poms once again! No wonder you suck at cricket and rugby, can't even drive 600ks!!

Stop making it hard for the rest of the world to take Australians seriously Lapse. I'm sure that you were trying to be funny but you're just embarassing.:$:$
Anyone who has driven in Britain will tell you that the motorway is fast (except when there is a lot of traffic on it - a congested motorway can be a car park. If there has been an accident, of if there is a "Bank holiday" or if there are extreme weather conditions, a journey of 600 km could take well over twelve hours.
I would err on the side of caution and do two 300 km stretches. Book into a motel when you are getting tired.
The other thing about British driving is that once you are off the motorway, you may find the roads are narrower than you are used to and they can wind around the place and have lots of roundabouts. The AA sells good touring maps of Britain.

And lapse, how about you leave Brisbane and go on a world tour - it could help you to grow up and to discover yourself. (Or you could just remain a Peter Pan yelling out "C'mon Aussie come on!" from Bay 13 at the cricket with a tinnie in one hand and a pie in the other.
She'll be right mate - no worries!

It's motorways if you're talking about large roads not freeways. where the hell is cirencester?

EDIT: hard to say google says about 6-8 hours, i would factor in an extra 2 hours for breaks and maybe another hour for delays so maybe...9-11 hour journey.
you know it might be cheaper and quicker just to get a plane from edinburgh to a a airstrip nearby and getting a taxi from there...no?

that's certainly do-able, but traffic will slow you down for a good hour or two, as has already been said.

google seems to think you'll be able to do it in 6 hours http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=edinburgh&daddr=cirencester&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&dirflg=t&sll=53.83714,-2.81524&sspn=5.35621,13.930664&ie=UTF8&z=7 but it doesn't account for the traffic. round Birmingham is usually pretty bad. if you went by the M1 you'd be adding fucking days to your journey for the bad traffic lol :P

Well done Pure Metal! Good advice!
Aren't Google maps great?

Mind you, I often find the actual map part more useful than the specific directions.

And yes, avoid Birmingham in the afternoon.

To my colleagues in the UK, im planning on visiting soon and a number of my friends/family who have either lived or visited in the past seem to be bemused at my timescales.

One component of my trip may be a drive from Edinburgh to Cirencester, approx 600km (400mi i think), i have allocated 7 hours to this drive as it is all on freeways, with an outside estimate of 9 hours.

A number of people have said that this is not feasible, so therefore im hoping to get clarification from either recent visitors or residents as to their opinions on this, and how long it should take.

PS im in Australia so driving for 9 hours, while long, is not that excessive.

Heh good luck with all that. You'll get to experiance our massivly over crowded roads first hand, have fun man!:D

In 'Straylya, we can make the 1100km between Brissy and Sydney in a day!

Bloody weak poms once again! No wonder you suck at cricket and rugby, can't even drive 600ks!!

Much as I appreciate this is irony, I'd just like to register how much I'm looking forward to beating you again this summer.

Oh, and, to the OP, don't worry about the speed limit. Nobody else on the motorways will.

Oh, and, to the OP, don't worry about the speed limit. Nobody else on the motorways will.

Not much point worrying when you're crawling along at 2mph due to repairs anyway.

It would be more useful to point you to some good radio stations.

Yes, the ones that tell you what the traffic is like on the different routes.

And the good rest stops!

Well done Pure Metal! Good advice!
Aren't Google maps great?

Mind you, I often find the actual map part more useful than the specific directions.

And yes, avoid Birmingham in the afternoon.
lol, well, i do my best ;)

it'd be good to find something like what TomTom use, where it adjusts the time for how heavy the traffic usually is at certain times of day.... but google maps will do :wink:

never been to the uk, but road travel is the road to ruin generally. i mean not to feel guilty when its the ONLY way you have to go somewhere, as for many places in the u.s., away from overpopulated areas, it too often is. my point though, is paved roads and super roads for cars, and all that goes with reliance on them, has caused more devastation to every kind of beautiful and sacred place and thing, and people and ways of life, and diversity of life form habitation, then all the bombs and bullets of wars and terrorism and just plain criminals there has ever been.

where real and adequate alternatives exist, then yes it is something to feel guilty about to not make the most of them, and where they don't, to fail to promote their creation.

One component of my trip may be a drive from Edinburgh to Cirencester, approx 600km (400mi i think)
Nice. It'll take you circa 6 hours. Cirencester is a hell of an odd place to live in, not sure if a tourist will pick up on it, but it's very... eh... Victorian. Massive divide in rich and poor. Hardly anyone MC. Beautiful, mind, and the amphitheatre is a laugh to roll down.

It would be more useful to point you to some good radio stations.
RealRadio in Scotland, if Steve McKenna is on (2-6pm), otherwise stick to Radio 1 for music that's new, Radio 2 for music that's oldish and a bit lame, Radio 3 for whatever Radio 3 is for, Radio 4 for very UC people having irritating conversations, plus classical music, and Radio 5 for sports.

you should visit Stroud and Stroud Farmers' Market while you're in Cirencester :)

edit: Radio 4 also does great comedy shows. 12.30pm on a saturday afternoon for the Now Show. brilliant stuff.
Planet Rock if you have digital radio *plugs*

you should visit Stroud and Stroud Farmers' Market while you're in Cirencester :)
The farmer's market is excellent. It'll cost you, but you can get some of the best meat in the land there.