To think the reason UK holidays can be shit is not the weather but the traffic?

[MrsBede]

....and it's much worse this year?

I went from the Midlands to North Wales a couple of weeks ago and it took twice as long as it should have both there and back. Just got back from London and it took about 90 minutes longer than it should have. For both these trips it wasn't just one delay, but several unrelated ones - for the former every step of the journey pretty much had long delays. For London it's just the M1 - that was slow going there for a long stretch and on the way back my SAtnav recommended a detour and that had delays too.

As well as this, my city is being dug up here there and everywhere - I can think of about 5 different local routes that all have roadworks on them and ensuing delays - one was the bloody slip road when I finally got off the motorway today!

It just spoils everything - we're going to Hampshire for a few days next week and the thought that the 3.5 hour trip is likely to be more like 6 is really putting me off and I half feel like cancelling, which is very unlike me indeed. I certainly expect some delays when going longish distances but AIBU to think this year has been worse than ever, and it's not fair! (Yes, I'm tired and very pissed off...)

It took us 4hrs to travel to Blackpool from Calderdale, quite simply because people struggle to navigate the Broughton interchange where the M55 converges with the M6.

Same last night coming back for the proms in York, people get themselves in a right pickle navigating the A1M1 Parlington interchange, same when drivers hit Lofthouse.

Derrrr which road shall I take...
Basically, wherever there is a junction/interchange people fail to get in the correct lane in plenty of time, some then fishtail across lanes.

We talked about getting a train to where we were going (and then potentially hiring a car there). Was far too expensive.

is there anyone on MN who has actually enjoyed theirs ?

Yes, a week in a fabulous converted mill in Wiltshire.
We made a point of avoiding the coast, avoid the typical tourist hotspots and avoiding the school holidays. The weather was warm rather than hot, and mainly dry - just the odd shower.

Also, when holidaying in the UK we make a point of booking nice accommodation because you can't guarantee the weather, and booking somewhere where there are lots of things to see and do that aren't weather dependent.

It all comes down to realistic expectations. A holiday doesn't have to be a beach holiday.

My conscience regarding my vehicles is clear!!

If others want to spent 4 times as much and take longer to go places, up to them & good luck to them!

We just had a lovely holiday in S Wales, the drive back was a nightmare, but at the end of the day - we were warm, dry & had the radio on.

Uk traffic this year is bound to be much worse in Holiday hot spots and arterial routes as a result of Covid. Indeed, even if public transport provision was adequate the risk of transmitting the virus is always going to be higher compared with being hermetically sealed in your own car.

As a society we have been geared up to the car for many decades with out of town shopping developments, business parks and so on and it's going to take a similar amount of time to change this physically and culturally for many people. Cost in terms of cash and time/convenience (and environmental) will influence people's choices for future holiday destinations.

It will be interesting to see how many who holidayed in the UK this summerinstead of travelling abroad decide to do the same thing next year?

Travel broadens the mind btw - at least that was what I was taught. Perhaps we will revert back to days when travel was only for the elite who could afford it and the time off work and the rest of us plebs will just have to enjoy travel in a virtual world?

Yes we enjoyed both the holidays we went on

Agree about the train prices. When I lived in France I didn't drive and used to take the train for holidays. My first trip from Paris to Lyon for a long weekend was €25 return. I currently live a 90 minute drive from central London and it costs £45 for a peak day return ticket with no underground travel.

Rather than "punish" all car drivers, we need to concentrate on the areas where public transport is a realistic alternative, i.e. the big cities. In those areas, we need more congestion charges, more parking restrictions/charges, etc. Really no point in hitting people who have no alternative because they live and work in smaller cities, towns and villages with inadequate public transport until public transport is improved.

@MilduraS

Agree about the train prices. When I lived in France I didn't drive and used to take the train for holidays. My first trip from Paris to Lyon for a long weekend was €25 return. I currently live a 90 minute drive from central London and it costs £45 for a peak day return ticket with no underground travel.

Yep, I took my son down to Wembley for a football match. We looked at doing it in a day by train, but the cost was ridiculous. Instead, we drove down and stayed overnight (2 nights). The cost of 2 nights hotel, petrol there and back, extra meals/snacks etc was a lot less than the train fare would have been. Completely crazy!

I was on a train to n Wales today. Normally I'd have driven. It was 5 cars and standing room only. Luckily, I was only on for a stop or 2, but it must have been pretty grim for all those with small kids and suitcases etc.

No but it is a fact that people cannot drive (and more to the point park) their massive SUVs properly

@igelkott2021 Eh? I’ve hired an SUV several times before and it’s no different to driving a normal sized car. How do you imagine it would be more difficult?

And in response to the OP, the answer is to do one of the following:

1. Drastically reduce the number of immigrants we take into this country (not actually an option as it would be morally wrong; if anything we should be taking more people than we currently do).

2. Build more roads over greenfield sites.

3. Improve public transport enormously.

I suspect it’ll be 2.

We got the train. Was definitely the weather that made our holiday shit

The good news is, all those who holiday abroad will hopefully be able to do so again next year, leaving the rest of us in (relative) peace and the roads more pleasant!

@lllllllllll

And in response to the OP, the answer is to do one of the following:

1. Drastically reduce the number of immigrants we take into this country (not actually an option as it would be morally wrong; if anything we should be taking more people than we currently do).

2. Build more roads over greenfield sites.

3. Improve public transport enormously.

I suspect it’ll be 2.

2 is the only feasible short term option. It took 50 years to dismantle the excellent, world beating, public transport system we had. And it will take 50 years to put it back into some kind of universal system suitable for all. New railway tracks/stations take around a decade, even short/small rail improvements, so don't hold your breath, considering there are only a handful of new lines/stations planned at the moment.

I drove to Devon this morning. A 4 hr trip. No traffic.

Yeah but it’s not changeover day today…

@MarleneDietrichsSmile yes it is. Monday, Friday and Saturday are changeover days.

Haha, well that shows I don’t know anything

I agree OP. Rail travel is so expensive here, especially if you need to have control over the times you want to travel because you have young kids or a reason to get home, and many places aren't accessible without a car anyway.

I love trips in the UK but regardless of traffic, it is SO expensive. Everything is so expensive here and it's hard to have a cheap break for a family as the cheapest way is to just get a hotel room but then you've got no cooking facilities to save money on eating out.

M5 is solid most days, I cross it 2-4 times a day on a local road/bridge. Even on a Tuesday lunchtime it can be slow going

Haha, well that shows I don’t know anything

I didn’t know about Mondays either. We always try to travel on Mondays rather than Sundays because the traffic considerably lighter. Monday changeovers can’t be that common.

@MrsFin

Have you ever driven across Europe? We've driven to Czech Rep a couple of times - the traffic jams are horrendous in some places. Also some French autoroutes in the summer holidays. Around Lyon as just one example. We've queued for hours there. Also round Paris.

At last, someone else who realises that these situations happen everywhere, people seem to think they only occur in this country!