Travelling to the old country!

Yesterday, we set off from Guide2MidiPyrenees towers, heading for Calais and a visit back to the UK.

A long drive lay in front of us, but I had no concerns as the French roads are normally quiet and relatively traffic free.  The trip was positively uneventful and we arrived in Calais after twelve hours on the road, ahead of schedule and managed to get an earlier ferry than the one booked.  Result!

A short drive later and we arrived at my parents house in Kent ready for a drink or two!

The following morning, we were heading up to Stowmarket to visit the in-laws.  This involves going through the Dartford crossing, a notoriously busy stretch of the M25.

Before even getting this far, I was quickly reminded of the benefits of driving in France.  The traffic was nose to tail and everyone was desperate to take advantage of even the smallest of gaps, lane swapping and undertaking.  In short, it was frenetic!  In contast the previous day in France had been a joy.

Reaching the M25, we joined the queus waiting to pay the £1.50 toll to get across the River Thames.  Again, everyone is jockying for position and the slightest advantage over their "opponents" in the queue.

The traffic crawled through the tunnel and we slowly headed for the A12.  I was hoping for a bit of relief once I got off the M25, but the traffic seemed to be no better.

We are in the UK for a week, but I am already looking forward to the drive home and the peace and quiet of the French roads.
 
Posted by: Martin Parker on 15 April 2010