Who loves a good journey?

[Playplayaway]

Does anyone almost enjoy the travelling more than the destination?

I love being in the car. Radio on. Sweets in the glove box. Picnic lunch in the back. A-Z on my lap when dh is driving. Looking around at people in other cars and wondering who they are and where they're going. Stopping at service stations and places of interest. Service stations give me a little buzz - seeing people piling off coaches and wondering where everyone is going, seeing people rushing in and out because they have to be somewhere - a plane to catch? To where? Kids in pjs. Those costa self service machines, the books in WHSmith.

Stopping at unexplored towns and villages just for a few minutes for a quick wander. A brief moment in time being somewhere I've never been and probably will never be again. If there's a garden centre it's a bonus. I adore a good garden centre. Dh knows he's lost me for at least half an hour if we find one.

Dh thinks I'm crackers. If it was up to him we'd drive 6 hours without stopping, but that's such a waste when there are interesting things to do on the way!

Yes! I’m the same.

I feel like this about airports, planes and air travel in general. I absolutely adore it. I could live in an airport - I might have made a top 10 list of airports around the world I could move to. The actual flights are lovely too though - even the long haul

I'm the complete opposite 😂 I would like instantaneous travel, teleportation basically.

Yes! I love it. I just feel free when I'm on a journey.

I don't especially love a drive or a plane but I love a train ride!

I'm with you OP! I love planning journeys around places to stop that I've read about, have always wanted to visit etc. Also, love garden centres and 'posh' service stations!

Love a journey. But which roads are best. I give you -

A303 driving West through Salisbury Plain
A30 Atlantic Highway
A7 through the Borders

Long time since I have been to Scotland.

I'm not so bothered about the garden centre but I love a road trip. I've done a few. Up and down and around England, Wales and Scotland and abroad - the West Coast of Ireland, the US, Mexico, France and Iceland. And it's just me doing the driving sometimes with the kids and sometimes on my own. The car, to me, is a symbol of independence. Tomorrow it's 6 hours from Northumberland to London via the Yorkshire sculpture park. Just me, sone snacks, the radio and podcasts and a couple of stops on the way....

I enjoy a journey when I don't have my children in the car with me!

Podcasts, snacks and solitude (or a bit of chat with DH).

I feel like this about long train journeys, as long as I'm alone. Can just put my headphones on and drift and spot wildlife out of the window. Feels really free like I could go anywhere.

Am an A to B person, hate travelling on motorways,

I love a solo long car journey, just me, my music/podcasts, and the Sat Nav. Lovely. No stopping though unless essential.
Quite like a solo train trip or flight too, with a book, sitting next to the window.

Travelling with others-nightmare.

I used to. Now I'm the one in charge - though thank god for satnav - it is not so enjoyable. I'm the driver, packer, holder of tickets/passports and money, navigator and peacemaker (when kids were younger and bickering). I'm also the one who has to make sure we make that ferry/plane/Eurostar. And driving, for the driver, can be tiring. I liked it more when this load was shared with my late husband!
However, I am driving three hours for a weekend away tomorrow, and we don't have a specific arrival time or any plane etc to catch. We are just going for a fun trip (wish I hadn't picked such a hot weekend though)! I get along very well with my companion so even though I'm still responsible for it all, I think it will be as fun as it could be.

I LOVE a road trip!!!

Fleet services is one of my favourites. There's the bridge to walk across the motorway. As a child I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Dh thinks I've just popped out for the loo but I'm having a quick walk over the motorway re living my childhood 😅

Green Welly services near Loch Lomond is another 'must do'!

Definitely me too! Love the car journeys that you describe, for all those reasons. Also very happy on trains, coaches and (most of the time) the bus.

I often have in mind the quote from Robert Louis Stevenson: "to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive".

Not just me either - all but one of the dogs I've had loved journeys too! We were once packing to go on holiday and my first dog disappeared. We looked everywhere - until we found her in the car, having wedged herself between bags in the passenger footwell, so keen was she to get going. She was the same for the journey home as well, excited and thrilled at the treat of a long car ride!

My most recent late canine sidekick, a very pretty Parson Russell Terrier, particularly loved going on the bus. Although that might have had something to do with the general profusion of older ladies who would tell her she was gorgeous, and their accompanying full shopping bags... Sadly, she passed away suddenly and unexpectedly almost four months ago. People on the bus still ask me why she isn't with me.

I accompanied my mum on a coach holiday recently with her WI group. The coach rides were my favourite bits.

And cn l say what a lovely thread this is!

I'm not really a fan of car journeys (I get a little motion sickness and DS is a proper puker 😩, so it's stressful).

However we do have a ceremonial stop to see the Scott Mills bridge at Fleet services as mentioned above 😂

I did discover this website though makemydrivefun.com

Ah yes should add my dc are older and dh and I are enjoying some trips away alone. I do sometimes glance in the back seat and miss seeing them there though, all excited about where we're going.

My issue with car journeys is that I'm the only driver and I hate it. I have fonder memories of car trips as a child and when there was a second driver.

@Qik The A303 is my favourite! Many happy memories associated with it. There's even a rather good book about the road, called A303: Highway to the Sun (by Tom Fort) www.amazon.co.uk/A303-Highway-Sun-Tom-Fort/dp/0857203266

(There's another one that I was slightly involved with through work about another road that passes locally, the A272.. That's supposed to be very good too). www.amazon.co.uk/A272-Ode-Road-Pieter-Boogaart/dp/1843680955/ref=sr_1_1?crid=EVSB3EB37SDH&keywords=A272&qid=1660206481&s=books&sprefix=a272%2Cstripbooks%2C57&sr=1-1

It depends on the circumstances.

Although I learnt to drive when I was 18, thanks to the combo of neurotic mum followed by controlling H, I didn't drive long distances until I was 41.

So tbh I always feel really proud of myself when I take long journeys, particularly this year as I did Yorkshire and back (6-7 hours each way) on my own for the first time.

I do enjoy the planning...picnic, playlist, sweets, checking out which service stations to stop at. Tbh the driving itself isn't always quite as much fun, but it's been an absolute Godsend to to know I can actually do it, especially this year as we've been doing uni open days all over the place.

Yes! Love a train journey in particular because I don't have to concentrate, I can just stare out of the window. Currently considering taking the train all the way up to Inverness (I'm in West Cornwall!). I'm doing a road trip today to meet up with a friend near Bristol and then go on holiday together. The M5 is a deeply dull road but I might take a detour through the Mendips to find a nice mid-afternoon stop.

It's nice when other people drive but it depends who's doing the driving - several of my friends are terrifying!

I also love travelling, preferably solo. I've done some amazing road trips in the USA and here.

If you love the journey as much as the destinations I thoroughly recommend reading Bill Brysons travel books. Not are they hilarious but he also love the journey and things he sees along the way

I need to get more into train travel but for it to be cost effective it takes planning to get advance tickets. Otherwise for two of us it's generally a lot cheaper to drive. Love a trip on a steam railway though.

I'm not that keen on planes. Once you're up there's not much to see and you're held captive with whichever random group of people is around you.

Love a ferry. We haven't made it over to France since the pandemic. The customs issues really put us off. Quite keen on doing Portsmouth- Bilbao one day.