16/1/2017
I caught the train down to Dover and then caught the ferry to Calais where I took a cab to Frethun station where I had a hire car booked, the cab ripped me off charging about €50 as he took the motorway, I found out when I was dropping the hire car off later in the week that it was only about 10km and the motorway was not needed.
I had hired a small Ford hatchback but they had a Mercedes for me and as there was a mileage limit I’d booked the car for almost 2 weeks to get the mileage allowance up.
The first problem was I’d managed to set the speed limit to 10km per hour while was looking for the indicators, lucky it was before I hit the motorway. It was about a 750 mile drive to where I left my bike, and planned on finding a hotel but after I’d made it through Paris in the rush hour I was making good time and stopped at about 2am to sleep in the back of the car.
17/1/17
After a couple of hours sleep I woke up and carried on driving arriving in port Vendres at about 11am where I checked in for the night, loaded up my bike and all my kit into the car and went to bed.
18/1/17
Up early and a long drive back to Calais, I hit the Paris rush hour hour again and this time it was a lot worse then the other day but eventually made it to Calais where I found a hotel and had another well deserved sleep.
19/1/17
I woke up early and Walked to train station to get an idea of train times to Calais from calais gare Frethun.
I unloaded car into lobby then went to fill up car with fuel and drive to drop off the car only 9km and less then 10 minutes drive.
Dropped off car and got train back to Calais to cycle to the ferry port train fare €2.40
I cycled to the ferry port, lots of barbed wire and totally different from when I was younger when you walked off the ferry into town.
When I reached Dover I cycled to Dover station and took the train to bromley south then Cycled back to meet up with Pippa who I left behind. The longest I’ve ever been separated from her.