driving time

[jpkelpe]

we are 61 and travel from about 8 to 4--however many miles it happens to be--depends on breaks stopping to see things, etc. about 2-3 pm we start to look in camground books and decide where we will be and call ahead to make sure there is a space. We will drive further if we will be getting home or someother place that is familiar to us. Very rarely will we travel after dark.

[Bill-N-Donna]

After reading this thread I feel we’re about the norm. I’m 53 and she is 52. When we travel we almost always have our grand-daughter with us so there are more stops and I have to stop to move around quite a bit as well. I usually start getting tired of driving after about 4-5 hours. We sometimes travel for 6-8 hours in a day. However, we also make stops for eating while traveling such as Cracker-Barrels’ etc… can’t hardly pass one of them up. It pretty much takes the bulk of the day for a 300 hundred mile trip for us. If I’m traveling and will be traveling the next day as well I always want to be in a camp ground by about 4 or 5 in the evening if possible. It doesn’t seem as tiresome for us to break up the day like that which gives us time to relax. I do all of the driving and that would probably help if she drove but I don’t think I could sit in the passenger seat while someone else drives. I just can’t relax at all on that side and it usually keeps me on edge.

[TLightning]

Leave around 8:30 to 9 AM, stop NLT 4 PM. At 62 MPH, with stops that works out to around 380 a day. I'm 66, another consideration is the type roads being traveled. Interstate vs hilly, curving, narrow two lanes are a factor.

[Allen in MT]

Well when I was by my self, before the wife retired I would leave home up here north of Missoula, Mt at about 4 in the morning towing the camper, I was finished with the big ham steak dinner at the Virgin River Casino in Mesquite, NV by 8 that evening, pretty much non stop except for fuel.
Now that my wife is retired we go as far as Tremmonton UT, spend the night, then on to St George UT for the night and then on to Dolan Springs, AZ, I just turned 61 and have been retired for 13 years, my wife is 55 and retired 4 years ago.
The last big trip we made together non stop was from Billings, MT to Albuquerque NM, she about killed me for that one. She has made me realize that we have all the time in the world to get where we are going.
Whats the hurry
Enjoying life with all the time in the world to get there.
Allen

[klash]

quote:Originally posted by tspoon

Well now that I'm 55 I find that I can't drive 13 hrs even if my wife is driving some of the time. So my question is how many hours do you drive a day and if you don't mind how old are you? This is one thing I'm learning as I get older.

[dsprik]

I am 57. We travel about 350-400 miles a day and that is about my limit. Could do more, but I usually plan out all my fuel stops and my CGs. I am getting ready to make a trip to see my new grandson in Saskatchewan. 1250 miles and I will probably take it easy and do two 12 hr days, which is much different and easier in my Park Ave. Could do it all in one shot, but I would not be any good for the three days I would be there, so we will split it up. In my younger days, I got practiced up as an oilfield engineer on 24hr call with a territory from Amarillo, TX to Dodge City, KS.

Pulling a Montana takes much more attention to detail... Watching that 8 ft width - especially in construction zones (anyone ever been in one of those, or am I the only one???) and turns is mentally exhausting after 6 hrs or so. I am amazed at how fast and hard I fall asleep at 9 pm once set up - as compared to my usual 12 midnight bedtime.

[David and Jo-Anna]

Agree with Dave & Betsy - we do 10am to 2pm

[Texas5er]

I'm 63, like to average 350 miles a day. We break every 2 hrs for 20 minutes or so. Have done the marathon thing a time or 2 but 350 miles is a good day.

[ARJ]

Man, what a bunch of young'uns on here!

We usually go 350-400. I have been known to drive over 500 but that is with little traffic and on the last leg of a trip (too short a distance to stop at a CG).

I'm 73 and do all the driving.

[Dennis Korchak]

I am 61 and Jackie and I are both retired. We travel not more than 300 miles a day, sometimes more if we have to be somewhere at a certain time (very rarely this happens). We travel at about 55 to 60 mph, leave at about 8 to 8:AM and be at our destination at about PM with lots of stops in between.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

We have stopped less than 120 miles from home, in fact, many times when we have been able to escape winter snow and cold, we have only gone 100 miles to the first campground we know of that is open year round. Course, that is when the days are soooooo short and by 5ish it is dark already.

One reason we choose to stop even if we only have about 120 miles is that we are tired, and we keep remembering the old statistics that more accidents happen within 25 miles of your home. Course, snicker, that is probably where you do the most of your driving eh?

Lots of reasons to drive short easy days, smell the roses is one! Why hurry is the question. AHHHHHHH, no more 450 mile days! WAHHOOOO!

[Rondo]

On our way back from the Fall Rally we left the CG at about 10 AM drove 6 1/2 miles and stopped to see Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana. Didn't get out of there till around 2:30 or so and headed West down highway 10, a two laner. Hit rain off and on (mostly on) and finally pulled into a CG in Illinois about 5 PM. Didn't make much in the way of miles but had a good day touring the farm and even watched a calf being born. Brought back some fond and some not-so-fond memories of the days on the farm! We were totally set up by 5:30(in the rain non the less), had dinner and settled in for the night. That's when the power went out! That's a whole nother story! I'll post that in another thread! Anyway, we normally travel about 5-6 hours on the road with frequent breaks to stretch the legs and fuel stops and travel in the upper 50's to lower 60's for speed (best fuel economy there for us anyway). Now that DW has taken the driving course at the Fall Rally we may drive a few miles more but not much. We don't like to set up in the dark at all and like to relax when we get in as others have stated! I'm 62 and DW is --! If I typed that out she'd have my head! I'll say she is YOUNGER than I am!That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[boylanag]

We try to drive a max of 200 miles or 4 hours a day, whichever comes first. We don't always make it that far, either. There is no more rush and leaving a CG around 11:00 and arriving at the next between 2-3 is fine with us. Getting out of the "Vacation Mode" was hardest for us early in our retirement but now it seems great!

[greener]

We usually are pressed for time due to me still working, so we travel 4-500 miles the first day out. If going out west we do this at least 3 days in a row. Prefer to travel in daylight hours but we often get on the road before sunrise. When we have more leisure time I think we`ll drive shorter distances. Drew is 61, me ?

[NCFischers]

We're working also so some of our travel days are 400 to 450 miles. we try to do a long day and a shorter, 300 mile, day if we can. We can usually make it to our destination by dinner time. I'm 62 and Vickie is 51. I do the driving. I don't mind driving long distances if need be.

[Lije Baley]

We're learning to travel in retirement. As others have said, there no longer is such a rush to get there. We drove a little over four hours today, leaving Woodland and stopping in Yreka on our way to coastal Oregon tomorrow. Our speed was around 60 to 65 and slower as we climbed into the high plateau north of Mt. Shasta. I'm 60 and Mariana is a tad younger. We share the driving, 2 hours on, 2 hours off. Four to five hours is long enough. Less is better, if there's a place to stop, but more can be done if our destination is in sight.

Bill

[gkbutler]

56. Usually only drive about 300 miles per day. That takes us about 6-8 hours with aforementioned fuel and potty breaks. We did 500+ one year, and never again! Not in any hurry to get anywhere anyway.

[ols1932]

Didn't realize there were so many "young" people on this forum.

Orv

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by ols1932

Didn't realize there were so many "young" people on this forum.

Orv

Yeah, we're a bunch of whipper-snappers!

[BB_TX]

63 and 61 here.
If our primary destination is a long distance, we may go 10 hours or more the first day. That includes trading out driving, stopping every 2-3 hours for 10-15 minutes to let the dog out, stretch our legs, or to eat.
After that, I don't like to go more than 5-7 hours in a day.
Don't really plan it by miles.