Well, we made it! The first journey (of more than 9 miles) in the Octy since I rebuilt it and had it MOTd since the accident that wrote it off...

Have to say I was a LITTLE bit apprehensive about driving nearly 1500 miles with no breakdown cover, carrying a wife, three kids, a roof box (ugh) and a boot absolutely crammed full of camping equipment; but we did it, and the car didn't miss a beat (although I wish I'd had the air con fixed and regassed before driving through 34degrees of heat on the autoroutes!)

Call me sad, but I'm quite pleased with myself! (apart from when some jealous c*** decided to key the back door when the car was parked at the beach at Le Grand Cote:mad:)

...and it was raining when we got off the ferry at Portsmouth!

Well done!

I did the trip myself in my Rover 400 last September and although it seemed to get out there and back no probs it started drinking oil while we were in Frejus... I think the heat was too much for it... by Christmas the headgasket was gone

Don't think I'll ever try the trip in my vRS, it'd be too expensive on petrol. My sisters just bought a diesel Leon though so we might take that this year, that will be super cheap

Well done!

I did the trip myself in my Rover 400 last September and although it seemed to get out there and back no probs it started drinking oil while we were in Frejus... I think the heat was too much for it... by Christmas the headgasket was gone

Don't think I'll ever try the trip in my vRS, it'd be too expensive on petrol. My sisters just bought a diesel Leon though so we might take that this year, that will be super cheap

Diesel is cheaper over there (but only just) and petrol is about 5% dearer, but there is virtually no difference between 95 and 98ron in France, and I managed an average of about 29-34mpg, even with a roof box!!

(That was on the journey back from La Rochelle via Le Mans, about 50% autoroute and 50% 'A' roads..)

We went over the week before last, managed to get 98RON pretty much everywhere, found some quite cheap stuff about 1 hour south of Calais on the way back, just off the motorway but other than that it was the same if not dearer than what I pay over here.

OT - Lucky you weren't here John as I understand the boys were kept busy with or traveling friends. :grumpy:

OT - Lucky you weren't here John as I understand the boys were kept busy with or traveling friends. :grumpy:

If I were to say... "I f*cking hate pikeys..." would that offend anyone on here?

You would be saying what I'm thinking

If I were to say... "I f*cking hate pikeys..." would that offend anyone on here?

Not me, It's an interesting film quote

Not me, It's an interesting film quote

Although, as the term "pikey" was mis-used in the film, it was a term of racist abuse, rather than a way of calling someone a cheapskate!