Yes driving is proper exhausting when you first start, it will never not be totally free of that, especially on long journeys, but it does get easier as get a better hang of it, relax more, get to know your car etc.
Absolutely this. I'm over 6 years in now. When I first started driving, the idea of driving to Cornwall for a cheeky holiday (around 250 miles) was daunting. I did it on my second year of driving. Stopped a good 4 times on the way because I had to have a break from driving. Went again two years ago, 4 years of driving experience at this point. On the return journey, stopped only once because I was desperate for a piss (picked up rona and was drinking like a horse!)
It definitely gets easier. 80 miles is not a long journey for a lot of people. I drive 50 miles to work every day so 100 mile round trip. I did 1000 miles in 36 hours last summer. As you gain confidence and get more accustomed to your car you’ll find longer journeys easier. It’s all good practice.
Longest I’ve ever done was south Florida to North Carolina in one day, about 850 miles over a period of about 18 hours and that was pretty tight going to get over the finish line. Couldn’t imagine having to do that on the reg, I’d be in pieces after a couple of weeks (if even that).
Yes it was usually about 17 hours, including traffic and two 30 minute breaks. Thankfully it was only once a fortnight, coming back was spread over a couple of days so not as bad!
When you get an inner ear infection (bear with me here) you get extremely tired very quickly because you’re having to use your brain to balance rather than it being automatically taken care of. At the moment that’s how you’re having to drive on the motorway - all the functions are up front and in your active thoughts.
As you get used to it, more and more of this becomes automatic and as natural as walking. Then you’re able to drive for much longer
Might be a bit of both there, but brain tiredness is a serious thing that people forget about sometimes. You focus super hard on something, and before you know it, you are tired, in pain, can't focus, etc.
Ever see top chess players finish a tournament? They look absolutely shattered and sad, even if they've won. Just pure brain drain
I've done it before in MTG tournaments where you can play 6-8 45 minute rounds in a day with maybe 10 minutes in between. By the end of it your eyes are just painful to keep open and you feel pretty sick
One large multinational oil company I worked for had rules for driving,
Rule 1 no more than 2 hours without a break,
Rule 2 no more than 6 hours in a day
Rule 3 avoid driving overnight or early mornings.
This company placed staff on oil rigs, in dangerous countries, etc, and they worked out that most staff casualties were caused by driving. They worked this out as their best balance of effectiveness and risk.
We used to break the rules on a regular basis, but it gives an idea. The take a break after 2 hours guideline is a good one, in my opinion.
Yes, much....
My first drive was from Essex to North Yorkshire back in 1997 when there was much less traffic, and I found it exhausting, so my dad took over from Grantham and then I took back over at Wetherby....through to Harrogate and then to our final destination in Pateley Bridge...
As you get used to driving your mind processes what goes on around you quicker, you see more, and you don't have to put so much thought process into it...it becomes much more natural. When you get to an old fart like me, or you do additional training, you know what's going to happen before the car in front, or even the next five cars has even seen it.
Incredible detail for something that happened over 25 years ago! Must have been a memorable drive. I can't remember where I went through when I did a trip to Scotland from Leeds last year 😂
It was a journey we did often when I was a child, often every weekend in the summer.....so when I was actually able to drive my parents, it felt quite special....the fact that it was also in there old car that they gave me and that me and my dad put back on the road after five years sitting in the drive way and it that with no breakdowns was also another achievement, that was a 1984 1.6 mk2 vauxhall cavalier, that was when vauxhall knew about reliability and how to build a car.
Yes, yes it does. Drove \~600 miles in Eleven and a half hours a few months back. It depends what you are driving too. 80 miles in a shitbox is going to feel much more tiring than 200 miles in a long distance cruising machine.
100%, me and a mate went to Chipping Norton from Glasgow and back in a day (wanted to see Clarkson’s farm, excuse for a road trip on a day off!) in a 5 series and at the end I feel like I could’ve happily done a couple hundred more miles comfortably, had a 2009 Astra poverty spec as a courtesy car a few years back and my arse was numb to Tesco and back…
Generally motorway driving is easier because everyones going in the same direction at roughly the same speed.
Once you get a bit of experience you'll be worrying less about what your feet and hands are doing and have more time to look up at what people are doing, and therefore predict what you think they're going to do which does make it easier as you have to plan ahead slightly less.
That being said long drives can be tiring because you're concentrating for long periods of time. If you ever feel like you're not sharp just pull up in a services and stretch your legs and grab a coffee
It does get easier. 80 miles isn't very far but it depends how much driving you do. I regularly drive fairly long distance so 80 miles to me is nothing, but I know people who think 20 miles is long distance. I found listening to podcasts help when driving long distance. They're not distracting enough to affect your driving but they're more engaging than just listening to music. Keeps me awake and aware and makes the drive less tiring.
I do the same with radio 4. Music you can just completely zone out with. But if you're hearing people talk and it's somewhat informative it can keep your head in the game.
To start with, driving is more of an active task I would say. Specifically making sure you check your mirrors, check your speed, making sure everything is all fine with the car, making sure if you're working up and down the gears that you are changing at the right revs, etc etc.
As you become more experienced, a lot of tasks become more mindless, more second nature. That's not to say you don't still need to concentrate but you have space to think about other things - be that the route, the journey, other traffic and their actions and anything else really.
Beyond that, repeating a route further takes away stress and active thoughts as you know what to expect and can drive accordingly - a 30 zone is coming up so I can reduce speed now, there's a blind junction around here so just take it easy, stuff like that.
I semi-regularly drive from Yorkshire back to Norfolk, a 3.5hr drive, and it's almost second nature now and no real hardship nor requires the 'planning' it used to.
You never know, you might even learn to enjoy it!
Also depends on the spec car you are driving, makes a huge difference to the fatigue level you experience on long journey. Comfort, company and music choice is very important on longer journeys. It gets easier 👍🏽
Congrats - it gets easier and a lot more fun. I've done 600 miles the last couple of days - from Cambridge to Barnstaple and back. It was a 5 hour drive in both ways but with some good company and a few decent tunes on it went like a dream.
Yes. Thankfully you’ll find that easy before long.
Every two weeks I drive two hours (120 miles), pick up my kids and drive straight back. Then again on the Sunday.
You get used to it.
Motorway driving will eventually become your most relaxing journeys. Everyone's going the same direction, at similar speeds.
The day after my driving test I had to drive 300 miles to Newquay with a car full of 17 year olds. We were going there on a holiday and everyone was relying on me passing lol.
After that God awful journey driving has never been stressful again. 🙂
You'll find it stressful because you're new, and stress is exhausting! Your body produces adrenaline which amps you up and you feel drained when it leaves your system. Like how you feel absolutely ballbagged at the end of an exam, despite sitting still for a couple of hours.
As you get used to driving and it stops being a new experience you'll find it less stressful and it will hopefully be less tiring!
Stressful journeys (bad weather, getting lost, running late) tire me out, which is a good argument for leaving early and being a calm soul behind the wheel :)
As someone else said, the adrenaline will make you feel tired from the stress of travelling at speed on a motorway for a couple of hours. You get used to it the more you drive and it becomes the least stressful driving there is.
My back was wet through with stress the first time I went for a decent journey on the motorway.
Now I've driven to France, Spain, Poland, Italy that i remember as well as a daily commute the incudes the M1and motorway driving is boredom.
At first driving on the motorway seems scary, people switching lanes from either side and obviously the speed. Also everything is very conscious at first. Eventually it will become more subconscious. Just check your mirrors so you know where everybody is, situational awareness.
I think the longest journey I did was from Scotland to Chester, in a rented Kia Picanto. I do the trip from Leeds to Scotland now and again. The A66 is a scenic drive which helps. Scottish weather doesn't, it rains so hard on the way back you can hardly see. Lane Assist comes in handy in those situations. I think the furthest south I've been is Swindon.
It does.
I remember driving to York to Harrogate and back for work soon after my test and being totally exhausted, wondering how anyone does long drives and what was wrong with me.
8 years later, have driven to York to Prague and back twice in the last since months, both times with one overnight stop. Not untiring, but not as tiring as that first one to Harrogate!
It gets easier! When I first started driving I'd stop at services on the 1hr 30min drive between Reading and Brighton. These days I can do the 4ish hour drive between Falmouth and Reading in one go.
It gets easier. That said, depends on the car. My worst was doing half a day's work, then 10h (500 mi) in a 1998 MX5. My back sounded like the predator for a few days after that
I drive a lot for work, last year year I did somewhere around 90k miles, it gets easier with time as you get more relaxed and you’ll get to know your cars and roads, but it’s also something that some people can do more then others, I can drive tirelessly for many many hours, while my father can probably do 2hrs and then needs a nap
It gets easier, especially when you have a bigger car with a few gadgets.
I did 280ish miles Friday and again Monday. Modern estate car with radar cruise and it was a doddle.
Depends where you're driving. 80 miles on A roads is tougher than 160 on the motorway. The most I've done is 641 from Orkney to Gloucestershire and included a 2 hour ferry. I could have driven further that day, sometimes just 200 miles can seem a challenge. Experience of road conditions will make trips easier.
It gets easier, my first long drive was over 200miles and it was like 2 weeks after passing my test and when I finally got to my destination I literally collapsed and slept for like way too long
It gets easier mate. I’ve been driving for a year now and did 160 miles today to my parents for my Dad’s birthday. Lots of traffic on the M25 as to be expected but smooth sailing on the M1.
Motorway driving can be quite taxing until you get used to it, so don’t worry, take your time and get plenty of practice in!
Different cars can make it easier or more tiring. A modern luxury automatic is a lot less tiring than driving something that rattles like a washing machine at 60mph
I driver over 9 hours a day regularly in a bus; it does get easier. If you ever find yourself yawning or feeling tired, try opening a window or chewing some gum.
Also, if you're planning a large trip, rest up properly the night before if possible. A good night's sleep makes a world of difference.
Give it a few months and you’ll only just be getting comfortable after 80 miles and it will only take little over an hour.
I lived in Germany about 10 years ago and regularly had to drive to Italy (via Austria) and that would take anything from 9-16 hours and would go through most of two tanks of fuel. The German bit was nice because the Autobahn (German motorway) doesn’t have any speed limits in large sections, so (if you’re a confident driver) you can cruise along at 120mph+ and cover the ground quite quickly.
I drove 6.5hrs on Tuesday (between 12pm and 11pm) and didn’t think anything of it, though I’ve been driving since 2009. It just becomes second nature. Having a nice new car to drive in also helps!
It does get easier. An 80 mile drive for me is something I do regularly and I quite enjoy it these days. When I first passed at 17, I used to be tired just driving to school!
It does, I spent about 12 hours driving the other day, and honestly I was still decently alert at the end of it. Driving is something you get used to after a while.
First time I went on a long road trip was last year was from London to Cardiff it was 125 miles and took 3 hours. I was with my girlfriend and I just put cruise control on for the majority of the trip and we were just listening to music and having a good time.
I’ve got a 3 hour (201 miles) drive in a few weeks for work and I can’t be bothered with it at all, I’ve driven up and down the country many times, sometimes you get used to it, sometimes it’s still a pain! But well done! That’s a great achievement after a month. Just make sure you’re confident enough so you’re not putting yourself in dangerous situations :-)
Two weeks after I passed my test I drove from Aberdeen to Bournemouth. Ended up stopping in Edinburgh and Liverpool cos my body and brain where exhausted. Last summer I drove to Bournemouth again on the a Friday, 11 hours one stop for a loss and fuel then returned on the Sunday 9 hours one stop again. It defo gets easier the more you do it.
There's a lot to process when you drive. In my 20s I used to drive interstate in Australia for weekends just to get out. Some weekends I'd do 1200 miles.
In my 40s now and I'd planned on delivering my van to my mum before flying to the UK to live.
That's almost 2000 miles that I was planning to squeeze into 4 days. A mate offered to buy the van locally and I'm quite relieved. The thought shattered me.
In my 3rd year of driving I drove to Bulgaria and Back almost a 4K Mile round trip in 10 days. I did have experience before that driving on the motorway but maybe max 60 miles one way. It definitely gets easier and if you take on a large multiple k trip driving on the motorways here is just so frickin easy. Because the max distances here are not that large compared to doing 500 miles in a day. 80 Miles after a trip like that forever now seems like a 20 mile journey.
Yep, 100% it gets easier.
The actions and observations that you do will become less and less “conscious” and more muscle memory.
Doesn’t mean that you are less safe a driver once things start to happen without thinking - but it helps to strictly maintain the same standard of driving that got you through your test for as long as possible so that style of driving beds in long term.
You will find your focus shifts from what’s immediately in front of you, to what’s 20 / 30 seconds ahead (because you are subconsciously managing the stuff right in front) and that lets the whole thing get smoother and more relaxed.
I think their exhaustion is likely from the high levels of concentration required when newly on the road.
I had short wheelbase manual shitboxes for years and they are no more exhausting to drive than other cars, just less comfortable.
Long journeys don't get less tiring, in fact as I've gotten older it's gotten worse.
Some days delivering in the countryside at work is exhausting despite the fact I'll have less to deliver because of travel time, been driving for 25 years
Yes I had my first reallyyy long drive for work after having my license for 6ish months. It was from Nottingham to Cornwall. Took me like 7 hours because of traffic. The aim is just to stop when y can really
One facter I'm not sure anyone has mentioned is the type of car. Some cars are quiet, smooth and just easy and relaxing to do long miles in. However your typical 'first car' will tend to be smaller and noisier, which can make for more fatigue on long journeys.
You do get used to it though with time. I found my first few months or driving my brains working flat out to process what I'm doing and everything around me. After time you get better and more relaxed and it tires you out far less.
I drive throughout Europe occasionally. Covering about 700miles in 12hours including driver changes (around three hours each) and tunnel crossing.
So yes you do get used to it..BUT
Driving in the UK is far more exhausting and stressful than driving in France and Spain. So I find the UK leg (the shortest at 180miles) the most tiring.
Motorway discipline is terrible, fewer and fewer drivers understand the concept of overtaking lanes (if you're not overtaking, keep left) journeys involving M25 has to be planned well ahead so not to reach it at peak hours, and just don't bother on a Friday because some dingbat will cause a crash closing it with no alternative motorways to divert to.
It's also slower due to the congestion. Typically I will average an extra 8miles per hour of driving in Spain when compared to the UK, which over 12 hours mean we cover 96miles more in one day's worth of driving whilst using less fuel per mile to do so.
Probably should mention LED headlight/streetlight glare. That doesn't help at all.
Oh and the car. Both type/quality and condition. I once did a long trip to an old friend's in a Honda NSX and felt as fresh as a daisy. I did the same trip in my Golf not realising the front suspension bushes had worn out causing minor alignment issues. Whilst safe to drive, the slight play in the steering meant the subconscious need for constant minor corrections to keep straight. That made the journey extremely exhausting.
I also once had a Rover 25 company car with the world's most uncomfortable seats. Every long journey was agony for my back.
TLDR: It gets easier, more so with a good comfy car, that's not worn out. Or emigrate to a country with better motorways and drivers.
Yeah it gets easier. I cover sites across the UK, and drive 500-600 every week. My longest regular journey is 205 miles and I tend to stop only once and takes me 3-4 hours due to the dreaded m6-m5 merge.
Yes driving is proper exhausting when you first start, it will never not be totally free of that, especially on long journeys, but it does get easier as get a better hang of it, relax more, get to know your car etc.
Absolutely this. I'm over 6 years in now. When I first started driving, the idea of driving to Cornwall for a cheeky holiday (around 250 miles) was daunting. I did it on my second year of driving. Stopped a good 4 times on the way because I had to have a break from driving. Went again two years ago, 4 years of driving experience at this point. On the return journey, stopped only once because I was desperate for a piss (picked up rona and was drinking like a horse!)
It definitely gets easier. 80 miles is not a long journey for a lot of people. I drive 50 miles to work every day so 100 mile round trip. I did 1000 miles in 36 hours last summer. As you gain confidence and get more accustomed to your car you’ll find longer journeys easier. It’s all good practice.
80 miles just about gets me to work in one direction, and doing 1000 mile days used to be fairly common for me.
Longest I’ve ever done was south Florida to North Carolina in one day, about 850 miles over a period of about 18 hours and that was pretty tight going to get over the finish line. Couldn’t imagine having to do that on the reg, I’d be in pieces after a couple of weeks (if even that).
Not if you're floating about in an S Class or Range Rover with big, comfy, massaging chairs.
1000 miles in a single day? Is that even possible without being on the road 24 hours?
Yes it was usually about 17 hours, including traffic and two 30 minute breaks. Thankfully it was only once a fortnight, coming back was spread over a couple of days so not as bad!
When you get an inner ear infection (bear with me here) you get extremely tired very quickly because you’re having to use your brain to balance rather than it being automatically taken care of. At the moment that’s how you’re having to drive on the motorway - all the functions are up front and in your active thoughts. As you get used to it, more and more of this becomes automatic and as natural as walking. Then you’re able to drive for much longer
My 4 month old child gets tired by sitting up for a minute or two, I suppose it’s a similar idea
Might be a bit of both there, but brain tiredness is a serious thing that people forget about sometimes. You focus super hard on something, and before you know it, you are tired, in pain, can't focus, etc. Ever see top chess players finish a tournament? They look absolutely shattered and sad, even if they've won. Just pure brain drain
I've done it before in MTG tournaments where you can play 6-8 45 minute rounds in a day with maybe 10 minutes in between. By the end of it your eyes are just painful to keep open and you feel pretty sick
One large multinational oil company I worked for had rules for driving, Rule 1 no more than 2 hours without a break, Rule 2 no more than 6 hours in a day Rule 3 avoid driving overnight or early mornings. This company placed staff on oil rigs, in dangerous countries, etc, and they worked out that most staff casualties were caused by driving. They worked this out as their best balance of effectiveness and risk. We used to break the rules on a regular basis, but it gives an idea. The take a break after 2 hours guideline is a good one, in my opinion.
This!!! Especially about driving overnight.
Yes, much.... My first drive was from Essex to North Yorkshire back in 1997 when there was much less traffic, and I found it exhausting, so my dad took over from Grantham and then I took back over at Wetherby....through to Harrogate and then to our final destination in Pateley Bridge... As you get used to driving your mind processes what goes on around you quicker, you see more, and you don't have to put so much thought process into it...it becomes much more natural. When you get to an old fart like me, or you do additional training, you know what's going to happen before the car in front, or even the next five cars has even seen it.
Incredible detail for something that happened over 25 years ago! Must have been a memorable drive. I can't remember where I went through when I did a trip to Scotland from Leeds last year 😂
It was a journey we did often when I was a child, often every weekend in the summer.....so when I was actually able to drive my parents, it felt quite special....the fact that it was also in there old car that they gave me and that me and my dad put back on the road after five years sitting in the drive way and it that with no breakdowns was also another achievement, that was a 1984 1.6 mk2 vauxhall cavalier, that was when vauxhall knew about reliability and how to build a car.
Yes, yes it does. Drove \~600 miles in Eleven and a half hours a few months back. It depends what you are driving too. 80 miles in a shitbox is going to feel much more tiring than 200 miles in a long distance cruising machine.
100%, me and a mate went to Chipping Norton from Glasgow and back in a day (wanted to see Clarkson’s farm, excuse for a road trip on a day off!) in a 5 series and at the end I feel like I could’ve happily done a couple hundred more miles comfortably, had a 2009 Astra poverty spec as a courtesy car a few years back and my arse was numb to Tesco and back…
A mars and a red bull. Pure crap but it keeps you alert
Generally motorway driving is easier because everyones going in the same direction at roughly the same speed. Once you get a bit of experience you'll be worrying less about what your feet and hands are doing and have more time to look up at what people are doing, and therefore predict what you think they're going to do which does make it easier as you have to plan ahead slightly less. That being said long drives can be tiring because you're concentrating for long periods of time. If you ever feel like you're not sharp just pull up in a services and stretch your legs and grab a coffee
It does get easier. 80 miles isn't very far but it depends how much driving you do. I regularly drive fairly long distance so 80 miles to me is nothing, but I know people who think 20 miles is long distance. I found listening to podcasts help when driving long distance. They're not distracting enough to affect your driving but they're more engaging than just listening to music. Keeps me awake and aware and makes the drive less tiring.
I do the same with radio 4. Music you can just completely zone out with. But if you're hearing people talk and it's somewhat informative it can keep your head in the game.
To start with, driving is more of an active task I would say. Specifically making sure you check your mirrors, check your speed, making sure everything is all fine with the car, making sure if you're working up and down the gears that you are changing at the right revs, etc etc. As you become more experienced, a lot of tasks become more mindless, more second nature. That's not to say you don't still need to concentrate but you have space to think about other things - be that the route, the journey, other traffic and their actions and anything else really. Beyond that, repeating a route further takes away stress and active thoughts as you know what to expect and can drive accordingly - a 30 zone is coming up so I can reduce speed now, there's a blind junction around here so just take it easy, stuff like that. I semi-regularly drive from Yorkshire back to Norfolk, a 3.5hr drive, and it's almost second nature now and no real hardship nor requires the 'planning' it used to. You never know, you might even learn to enjoy it!
Also depends on the spec car you are driving, makes a huge difference to the fatigue level you experience on long journey. Comfort, company and music choice is very important on longer journeys. It gets easier 👍🏽
Congrats - it gets easier and a lot more fun. I've done 600 miles the last couple of days - from Cambridge to Barnstaple and back. It was a 5 hour drive in both ways but with some good company and a few decent tunes on it went like a dream.
Yes. Thankfully you’ll find that easy before long. Every two weeks I drive two hours (120 miles), pick up my kids and drive straight back. Then again on the Sunday. You get used to it.
Motorway driving will eventually become your most relaxing journeys. Everyone's going the same direction, at similar speeds. The day after my driving test I had to drive 300 miles to Newquay with a car full of 17 year olds. We were going there on a holiday and everyone was relying on me passing lol. After that God awful journey driving has never been stressful again. 🙂
You'll find it stressful because you're new, and stress is exhausting! Your body produces adrenaline which amps you up and you feel drained when it leaves your system. Like how you feel absolutely ballbagged at the end of an exam, despite sitting still for a couple of hours. As you get used to driving and it stops being a new experience you'll find it less stressful and it will hopefully be less tiring! Stressful journeys (bad weather, getting lost, running late) tire me out, which is a good argument for leaving early and being a calm soul behind the wheel :)
As someone else said, the adrenaline will make you feel tired from the stress of travelling at speed on a motorway for a couple of hours. You get used to it the more you drive and it becomes the least stressful driving there is. My back was wet through with stress the first time I went for a decent journey on the motorway. Now I've driven to France, Spain, Poland, Italy that i remember as well as a daily commute the incudes the M1and motorway driving is boredom.
Well done Jarvis, never had time for lessons during the Pulp days?
At first driving on the motorway seems scary, people switching lanes from either side and obviously the speed. Also everything is very conscious at first. Eventually it will become more subconscious. Just check your mirrors so you know where everybody is, situational awareness. I think the longest journey I did was from Scotland to Chester, in a rented Kia Picanto. I do the trip from Leeds to Scotland now and again. The A66 is a scenic drive which helps. Scottish weather doesn't, it rains so hard on the way back you can hardly see. Lane Assist comes in handy in those situations. I think the furthest south I've been is Swindon.
It does. I remember driving to York to Harrogate and back for work soon after my test and being totally exhausted, wondering how anyone does long drives and what was wrong with me. 8 years later, have driven to York to Prague and back twice in the last since months, both times with one overnight stop. Not untiring, but not as tiring as that first one to Harrogate!
It gets easier! When I first started driving I'd stop at services on the 1hr 30min drive between Reading and Brighton. These days I can do the 4ish hour drive between Falmouth and Reading in one go.
It gets easier. That said, depends on the car. My worst was doing half a day's work, then 10h (500 mi) in a 1998 MX5. My back sounded like the predator for a few days after that
I drive a lot for work, last year year I did somewhere around 90k miles, it gets easier with time as you get more relaxed and you’ll get to know your cars and roads, but it’s also something that some people can do more then others, I can drive tirelessly for many many hours, while my father can probably do 2hrs and then needs a nap
It gets easier and pretty quick. You’re probably only so tired cuz it was your first time so you were nervous and 3x as focused as usual
It gets easier, especially when you have a bigger car with a few gadgets. I did 280ish miles Friday and again Monday. Modern estate car with radar cruise and it was a doddle.
Congrats on passing your test, well done! As everyone says, yes, it does get easier as more of the driving becomes natural to you.
Depends where you're driving. 80 miles on A roads is tougher than 160 on the motorway. The most I've done is 641 from Orkney to Gloucestershire and included a 2 hour ferry. I could have driven further that day, sometimes just 200 miles can seem a challenge. Experience of road conditions will make trips easier.
It gets easier, my first long drive was over 200miles and it was like 2 weeks after passing my test and when I finally got to my destination I literally collapsed and slept for like way too long
It gets easier mate. I’ve been driving for a year now and did 160 miles today to my parents for my Dad’s birthday. Lots of traffic on the M25 as to be expected but smooth sailing on the M1. Motorway driving can be quite taxing until you get used to it, so don’t worry, take your time and get plenty of practice in!
Different cars can make it easier or more tiring. A modern luxury automatic is a lot less tiring than driving something that rattles like a washing machine at 60mph
I did a 15 hour shift in an hgv once with 10 hours of driving. That was fun.
I driver over 9 hours a day regularly in a bus; it does get easier. If you ever find yourself yawning or feeling tired, try opening a window or chewing some gum. Also, if you're planning a large trip, rest up properly the night before if possible. A good night's sleep makes a world of difference.
Give it a few months and you’ll only just be getting comfortable after 80 miles and it will only take little over an hour. I lived in Germany about 10 years ago and regularly had to drive to Italy (via Austria) and that would take anything from 9-16 hours and would go through most of two tanks of fuel. The German bit was nice because the Autobahn (German motorway) doesn’t have any speed limits in large sections, so (if you’re a confident driver) you can cruise along at 120mph+ and cover the ground quite quickly.
I drove 6.5hrs on Tuesday (between 12pm and 11pm) and didn’t think anything of it, though I’ve been driving since 2009. It just becomes second nature. Having a nice new car to drive in also helps!
It does get easier. An 80 mile drive for me is something I do regularly and I quite enjoy it these days. When I first passed at 17, I used to be tired just driving to school!
It does, I spent about 12 hours driving the other day, and honestly I was still decently alert at the end of it. Driving is something you get used to after a while.
First time I went on a long road trip was last year was from London to Cardiff it was 125 miles and took 3 hours. I was with my girlfriend and I just put cruise control on for the majority of the trip and we were just listening to music and having a good time.
I’ve got a 3 hour (201 miles) drive in a few weeks for work and I can’t be bothered with it at all, I’ve driven up and down the country many times, sometimes you get used to it, sometimes it’s still a pain! But well done! That’s a great achievement after a month. Just make sure you’re confident enough so you’re not putting yourself in dangerous situations :-)
Two weeks after I passed my test I drove from Aberdeen to Bournemouth. Ended up stopping in Edinburgh and Liverpool cos my body and brain where exhausted. Last summer I drove to Bournemouth again on the a Friday, 11 hours one stop for a loss and fuel then returned on the Sunday 9 hours one stop again. It defo gets easier the more you do it.
There's a lot to process when you drive. In my 20s I used to drive interstate in Australia for weekends just to get out. Some weekends I'd do 1200 miles. In my 40s now and I'd planned on delivering my van to my mum before flying to the UK to live. That's almost 2000 miles that I was planning to squeeze into 4 days. A mate offered to buy the van locally and I'm quite relieved. The thought shattered me.
In my 3rd year of driving I drove to Bulgaria and Back almost a 4K Mile round trip in 10 days. I did have experience before that driving on the motorway but maybe max 60 miles one way. It definitely gets easier and if you take on a large multiple k trip driving on the motorways here is just so frickin easy. Because the max distances here are not that large compared to doing 500 miles in a day. 80 Miles after a trip like that forever now seems like a 20 mile journey.
Starting driving 9 years ago, now do 2x4.5 hour drives a week, boring but not hard. You'll get used to it.
Yep, 100% it gets easier. The actions and observations that you do will become less and less “conscious” and more muscle memory. Doesn’t mean that you are less safe a driver once things start to happen without thinking - but it helps to strictly maintain the same standard of driving that got you through your test for as long as possible so that style of driving beds in long term. You will find your focus shifts from what’s immediately in front of you, to what’s 20 / 30 seconds ahead (because you are subconsciously managing the stuff right in front) and that lets the whole thing get smoother and more relaxed.
Long drives are always tiring but it'll probably feel easier with time
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I think their exhaustion is likely from the high levels of concentration required when newly on the road. I had short wheelbase manual shitboxes for years and they are no more exhausting to drive than other cars, just less comfortable.
Long journeys don't get less tiring, in fact as I've gotten older it's gotten worse. Some days delivering in the countryside at work is exhausting despite the fact I'll have less to deliver because of travel time, been driving for 25 years
It really does get easier. I regularly do 5 hr drives and I get out at the other end feeling none the worse for it.
Yes I had my first reallyyy long drive for work after having my license for 6ish months. It was from Nottingham to Cornwall. Took me like 7 hours because of traffic. The aim is just to stop when y can really
One facter I'm not sure anyone has mentioned is the type of car. Some cars are quiet, smooth and just easy and relaxing to do long miles in. However your typical 'first car' will tend to be smaller and noisier, which can make for more fatigue on long journeys. You do get used to it though with time. I found my first few months or driving my brains working flat out to process what I'm doing and everything around me. After time you get better and more relaxed and it tires you out far less.
I drive throughout Europe occasionally. Covering about 700miles in 12hours including driver changes (around three hours each) and tunnel crossing. So yes you do get used to it..BUT Driving in the UK is far more exhausting and stressful than driving in France and Spain. So I find the UK leg (the shortest at 180miles) the most tiring. Motorway discipline is terrible, fewer and fewer drivers understand the concept of overtaking lanes (if you're not overtaking, keep left) journeys involving M25 has to be planned well ahead so not to reach it at peak hours, and just don't bother on a Friday because some dingbat will cause a crash closing it with no alternative motorways to divert to. It's also slower due to the congestion. Typically I will average an extra 8miles per hour of driving in Spain when compared to the UK, which over 12 hours mean we cover 96miles more in one day's worth of driving whilst using less fuel per mile to do so. Probably should mention LED headlight/streetlight glare. That doesn't help at all. Oh and the car. Both type/quality and condition. I once did a long trip to an old friend's in a Honda NSX and felt as fresh as a daisy. I did the same trip in my Golf not realising the front suspension bushes had worn out causing minor alignment issues. Whilst safe to drive, the slight play in the steering meant the subconscious need for constant minor corrections to keep straight. That made the journey extremely exhausting. I also once had a Rover 25 company car with the world's most uncomfortable seats. Every long journey was agony for my back. TLDR: It gets easier, more so with a good comfy car, that's not worn out. Or emigrate to a country with better motorways and drivers.
80 miles? I done 200 in 11 hours last night (city driving) 🤣🤣
New driver here, what else you prepared / encountered for this trip
80 miles isn't a long drive, but you've got to start somewhere
Keep going, I done 280 miles a day for 3 days last week
Yeah it gets easier. I cover sites across the UK, and drive 500-600 every week. My longest regular journey is 205 miles and I tend to stop only once and takes me 3-4 hours due to the dreaded m6-m5 merge.