Road trip methodology

[Threviel]

Oh, and if it was unclear, rent a Winnebago and have a wonderful time!

[Duque de Bragança]

When the TGV makes is through the wild Basque lands, this will be probably less interesting, unless you need to move lots of stuff around.

Won't you have to worry about wild tribespeople cutting off your supply lines?

If they are like those seen on MacGyver, no worries. They are in Mexico right now.

[Duque de Bragança]

I got the bus from Paris to Coimbra once (and back obvs), really nice people on the bus, mostly Portuguese with fairly basic jobs in Paris. It took a long time but was very cheap.

Coach is significantly slower, sometimes stopping every two or three hours. I would not recommend it, but it was indeed cheap (not so much right now) but very long. With Eurolines and the like, you would sometimes get a bus with Spanish-dubbed VHS or DVD of Chuck Norris movies. 
Coimbra is farther south, so it's probably at least 20 hours or so, more if it was before motorways were built.

To Coimbra, time and money permitting, I would go by train.

I remember going to Bragança  by bus one summer and discovering just before leaving a resident of my building was going in as well, a Pole. He liked the landscape, but not the long and slow travel ie. 17-18 hours. No speeding through the Meseta.

But then train connections were really messed up in Spain, Medina del Campo or even Irún, the latter just at the border.

[Admiral Yi]

The time of nonstop marathons is long over for me.  Last time I did it was the mid 90s, DC to Detroit.

Last year I drove to the northern Chicago outskirts from Iowa City and that's about my limit.  5/1/2, 6 hours, several stops for gas, food, bathroom, smokes.

[Barrister]

I mean - all of them?

It depends on the trip.  Let's say we're going to visit family back home in Manitoba.  It's about a 16 hour drive through Saskatchewan.  I've driven through Saskatchewan a bunch of times, so it's just a hunker down and get it over with kind of drive.

But the flip side is I've road-tripped three times through Europe (no wait - 4 times).  Then absolutely it's a "stop and smell the roses" kind of trip where even just stopping at a gas station can be a different experience.  Or where you feel free to pull over because there was an interesting sign or something interesting popped up on your GPS.

Or driving the Alaska Highway through Yukon and Alaska.  I've now done that trip several times.  I did it once straight through (24 hours, sleep in shifts with Mrs B), but generally it's more enjoyable if you stop and break it up into a couple of stops.

[Valmy]

We drive for about 8 or 9 hours and then spend the night in a hotel and then drive another 8 or 9 hours. We have kids so the marathon drives are not really a thing for us. Also being able to have a real dinner helps.

[viper37]

I do recognize that this may be a primarily North American thing - and honestly, a center of NA thing - but I wondered how you guys treat long (more than 8 hours one way) road trips.

The Guy and I are planning a significant road trip from Central Illinois to NW Massachusetts for a few days, and then down to western Pennsylvania for a few days, and then back. It's ~17 hours to Massachusetts, five hours to PA, then another 10-11 hours back home. We have 10 days for this trip, and the plan is three days in MA, three days in PA, and the rest are essentially travel days.

I would very much like to "see the sights" on the road. We'll be driving for basically four days during this trip, and I get very bored going from Point A to Point B on major highways and zero breaks. I prefer to take the slightly longer road if it's prettier, and enjoy stopping at the odd roadside "experience". The Guy, however, is very much a "Point A to Point B, no dilly-dallying around" type. This vacation is going to be... interesting.

Anyway, which type are you?

it really depends on what I set out to do.  If I want to reach a specific place, than I'm stopping along the highway to grab some food, or a hotel stay if it's too long.

If I want to explore specific areas, than I plan accordingly, I search for what to visit and I get there.  But usually, it's your #2.  No unnecessary travel.

[Berkut]

[merithyn]

Were you not paying attention? I'm not allowed to stop. 

But yes, goofball, I was going to see if you were going to be around when we drive through/by. As if I'd drive that close by and not stop.    I'm not garbon after all.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Point A to B with one or two stops, including one hotel break. Last two times we did a long road trips were from VA to Florida, and we stopped at Wilmington (solely to see the USS North Carolina  ) and Savannah the first time and Charleston the second time. Then the kids were born so we just flew, and then pandemic happened so we haven't traveled.

[Berkut]

Were you not paying attention? I'm not allowed to stop. 

But yes, goofball, I was going to see if you were going to be around when we drive through/by. As if I'd drive that close by and not stop.    I'm not garbon after all.

When is this planned? You guys could come sailing!

[merithyn]

It's like you don't listen.

We'll be driving through June 26th or 27th, depending on when and where we decide to sleep. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to get him to stop for a meal with you. Forget sailing.

[Berkut]

It's like you don't listen.

We'll be driving through June 26th or 27th, depending on when and where we decide to sleep. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to get him to stop for a meal with you. Forget sailing.

He sounds lame. Dump him.

[Berkut]

I would be happy to meet you guys for dinner, or lunch, or whatever meal works for when you are passing through.

[crazy canuck]

When I was younger I was very much a point A - B directly and as quickly as possible.  Sleep is for the weak.

Then I married Mrs. CC - very much a smell the flowers along the way personality.

Thinking back on it, that was one of our biggest conflict points.

But she has moved me very much to her way of thinking.  The journey is very much more important than the destination now - but we still have a lot of fun when we get there.  So maybe the best of both worlds. 

How? How did she convince you?

30 years of marriage has an effect on a guy