Are you travelling over Christmas?

[davesgcr]

It's going to be a tough Christmas this year seeing as I've lost both my mum and my sister in law since I was last sat around the festive dinner table in Cardiff

But I now what you mean about crossing the border

The triumph of a Welsh return from Huw Griffith (1949) - his first words there was "Home" (deep breath of Welsh air) - great film.....one of my faves .....

 

[l'Otters]

Yes.


Travelling by train, with an N95 respirator on. Stupidly early train but at least it avoids being crammed into a crowded carriage.

 

[Elpenor]

Driving from Devon to Reading on 23rd - planned to see mates (almost certainly off now) and stop in a hotel that night.

Then to Kent Xmas Eve to see my Dad dropping in on friends on the way. Back on 28th /29th, maybe seeing another friend on the way back.

Would rather be stopping at home but my Dad wants to go ahead and he’s now bought the food etc. I floated the cancelling idea and he dismissed it.

 

[l'Otters]

.

For people who are driving, how are the roads?
My prior experience of driving this time of year has been dire, hectic motorways full of idiots, white knuckles all the way. I’m very much down with the train driver doing all the hard work for me this year.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

For people who are driving, how are the roads?

can't speak for specifics, but how long a journey / what sort of time can you travel? in general, my approach to driving is to try and do it at times when not everybody else is, so either early morning or later evening depending on circumstances / preferences.

my xmas journey is probably in the opposite direction (in to inner london) compared to most people, my current plan is set off round 8 pm or a bit later on xmas eve, from past experience that's fairly painless (one year - must be about 10 years ago - my car was snowed in at work until xmas eve so there wasn't all that much choice...)

 

[Supine]

This is the only time of the year when I don’t travel. Three weeks at home. Bliss!

 

[l'Otters]

can't speak for specifics, but how long a journey / what sort of time can you travel? in general, my approach to driving is to try and do it at times when not everybody else is, so either early morning or later evening depending on circumstances / preferences.

my xmas journey is probably in the opposite direction (in to inner london) compared to most people, my current plan is set off round 8 pm or a bit later on xmas eve, from past experience that's fairly painless (one year - must be about 10 years ago - my car was snowed in at work until xmas eve so there wasn't all that much choice...)

I think early evening on the last Friday before Xmas eve in 2019 was the worst drive ever. Getting from one side of London to the other would have been quicker and safer walking.
Exact times and routes evade me right now but definitely been some very hairy M1 and M6 between 26-30th December in previous years.

This year it looks like I can do everything by train. With driving a backup option if the railways stop working.

Given a choice I’d do any long distance driving in the night, at least at that point it’s mostly lorries and they know what they’re doing.

 

[Riklet]

Nah my family have gone away to Devon and I didnt feel like it for various reasons... mainly the distance/drive is too much with my long covid. Also working til 23rd. So im staying at home with my housemate (he's Spanish and also working over xmas) and got some mates/waifs and strays coming for xmas here. I will be cooking and have a massive turkey. Im looking forward to it but also feels a bit precarious.. one guy already cant come cos he's got covid. Fingers crossed.

Last xmas I spent ill at my parents' house by myself drinking lukewarm liquid food through a straw. Then I was sick on xmas day. This year can only be an improvement!

 

[Puddy_Tat]

This year it looks like I can do everything by train. With driving a backup option if the railways stop working.

check a few times - think national rail enquiries should have the correct data by now, but some train companies are having problems with train crew going off sick / self isolating (some are better than others at posting on their websites / tweeter etc) so i wouldn't rely on anything too infrequent...

early evening on the last Friday

early evening on any friday is a mistake. the friday rush hour usually starts round lunch time and starts to wind down round 8 pm...

 

[l'Otters]

Oh I know. I’d never actually plan to drive at that time. It was a massive fuckup & I’ve not forgiven the perpetrators for it yet.

 

[spanglechick]

If my sister and her family stay healthy the I will be driving to Twickenham. From south London to south west London suburbs on my own in a car. I don’t even need petrol. The actual “travelling” bit, then, seems uncontentious.

 

[5t3IIa]

My only plan to leave town is driving to Loughborough on the 29th as my best mate from Brighton is visiting her in-laws and that counts as halfway up. Staying in an hotel for one night but gently suspecting that might be off due to a lockdown…?

 

[QueenOfGoths]

No we're at home. My parents were going to come down from Yorkshire but decided not to risk it as they'd be making the journey by train.

I'm absolutely understand but am disappointed we won't see them in person.

Channel 5 are tormenting me by showing trailers for the Christmas "All Creatures Great and Small" which is filmed where I'm from and where my parents, brother and Sister-in-law are.

I haven't been there at Christmas for a few years now and though we weren't going there this Christmas a little bit was coming down to us.

 

[rubbershoes]

We normally stay at home and the relatives travel to us. But they're not coming this year for both covid and agedness reasons

 

[Dogsauce]

Cancelled our flights to Portugal last night, just felt a bit mental to be doing it despite likely being at peak immunity. Both of us had Delta in October and had booster jabs about a month ago, though fuck know if the kids have had it or not and got to be a fair risk of picking it up in transit or spreading to vulnerable relatives.

We weren’t that keen on going anyway as we have building works starting in a few weeks so could do with the time to clear things out and take stuff to storage, but the gf’s family offered to pay towards the expensive flights and have been putting a lot of pressure on, which has felt really unfair. Fuck knows what we do now, we don’t have any Christmas food in or solid plans, but all my family are local so will involve catching up with them.

 

[AnnaKarpik]

We are staying put because we have a family birthday planned up country for the end of next month. Now that's all up in the air, who knows what the rules will be by then.

 

[nagapie]

My boys will be catching a train from London to Devon with their dad. We've all been ill and mostly home the last two weeks, some of which was certainly covid although lots of negative tests, so I feel confident they'll not be taking any covid with them.
I'll be going to Kent. Forced my Christmas recipient to go get their booster yesterday cause they were being slack.

 

[quiet guy]

I'll be travelling on the morning of Christmas Eve from Derbyshire over to Wrexham to stay with my sister and my nephew's. Will meet up with my Dad on Christmas day and then return home on the 27th.
I know there will be some complete twats on the roads but have been seeing that since the easing after the last lockdown, with some people completely forgetting the basic rules of the road.

 

[miss direct]

Yes, I am. Three covid tests, three jabs and a partridge in a pear tree.

 

[Numbers]

Only out to Essex from London East, driving to family, staying 3 nights, driving home.

 

[quimcunx]

I was lucky/prescient enough to do the travel bit a few weeks ago so I'm here already.

 

[Supine]

Change of plan! Currently on a one hour bus journey (each way) to collect cumbria’s one remaining turkey for sale.

Not sure whether this is a travel update or should go in the food shortages thread

 

[quiet guy]

You have fallen for the oldest marketing con.

 

[nosos]

What would you do if you tested positive while you’re visiting relatives?

 

[Elpenor]

What would you do if you tested positive while you’re visiting relatives?

Good question that. I suppose my dad would leave food outside the door. The room i stay in has an en-suite fortunately. Would get bored though as the room just has a bed in; not much room for anything else such as a chair.

If I felt well enough to drive back the 5 hours to Devon in one go I’d consider doing that, but it would be a bit of a stretch even if well to not stop and very probably not technically allowed. I suppose I could do a wee at one of the A303 lay-bys

 

[Aladdin]

Nope.
Going nowhere.
Proper hermit here

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

Good question that. I suppose my dad would leave food outside the door. The room i stay in has an en-suite fortunately. Would get bored though as the room just has a bed in; not much room for anything else such as a chair.

If I felt well enough to drive back the 5 hours to Devon in one go I’d consider doing that, but it would be a bit of a stretch even if well to not stop and very probably not technically allowed. I suppose I could do a wee at one of the A303 lay-bys

You might need to test your eyesight

 

[ElizabethofYork]

We were supposed to be having a big family Christmas at my sister's house in Gloucestershire, but it's been cancelled due to us all wanting to keep our 85 year old mum away from covid possibilities.

 

[sojourner]

Given a choice I’d do any long distance driving in the night, at least at that point it’s mostly lorries and they know what they’re doing.

If I was driving any distance this xmas, this would be my choice - set off at midnight. You'll get any roadworks/shut junctions etc, but you'll miss the worst of the traffic.

We're only going to see his Mam in the next county on Boxing Day, in the car. Apart from that and driving himself round to care calls, won't be going anywhere.

 

[sojourner]

I know there will be some complete twats on the roads but have been seeing that since the easing after the last lockdown, with some people completely forgetting the basic rules of the road.

Oh my god this. The difference on the motorways! Especially now we have the 'smart' motorways, people seem to have completely forgotten what the lanes are for, and all drive at the same speed in every lane. It's been driving me fucking insane.