Would you do it

No way Jose' !!!

I'd take the dog, but not the stranger!

No - and even if the person was female, all sorts of issues of personal safety could arise. They could also be carrying illegal substances .

No, driving that distance alone with the CD playing would be O.K. with frequent stops. Having to make conversation with a stranger would be a nightmare. I used to give lifts quite often, but I found the car often smelt unpleasantly afterwards, and I became wary of stopping for a single woman because there was often a man , or two, hiding behind the bush.
I would offer a lift to anyone thumbing me in the mountains, as I sometimes walk too far myself and have had plenty of lifts from strangers, but you can easily spot a genuine hiker.

On another forum that I was a member of, a sort of relay team managed to get someone's daughter home for Christmas when there was a problem with transport, but I don't think I would be volunteering for the journey you describe!

No chance! It'd be hard enough with family members, never mind a complete stranger.

Nah. People have a right to ask and you have a right to refuse.

I was once talked into taking a friend's friend and her two children back from Mombasa to Nairobi. Awful journey with two unruly kids, one of whom hurled a teddy from the back seat into my lap. I told him that if it happened again the teddy would be out of the window. Then I had a puncture and had to get the spare wheel out from under the boot which was filled with family paraphernalia - toys and buggy. The useless mum stood and watched while I did the whole job myself. I said never again and meant it. Still rankles 46 years later!

Certainly not !! how do you know you are not giving a lift to a mad axe murderer,anyway do you not have to undergo paperwork for the dog when you get on to the Continent or does that only work when you are coming into UK ?

So how many friends do you have that you would do that journey with?
For myself it would be 4. Having thought about that I think I'm lucky that I have 4 that I would do it with.

Not even that, petra. My best friend is a most appalling back seat driver and even a couple of miles with her as passenger is more than enough.

You choose your friends, presumably on the basis that you have things in common and like each other. Juragran and I spent 24 hours a day together on a holiday in Sharm this year. We never ran out of things to talk about (in case you are a new member, we are both quite good at talking!)
Then Anno came to stay with me for a week and I drove her around the Alps Again, it was just lovely to have company and we had no problem conversing from morning till night.
I am hoping to welcome some other members next year.

Spending time together like this is completely different from being stuck in a box with a stranger - what if you disliked them on sight?

About 5 years ago I came on holiday to our house in France with a close friend. She wanted to learn to drive in France so insisted we would take her car. By nature my friend was an outspoken feisty lovely Irish woman but, what I hadnt realised was she was a VERY VERY nervous driver.

Most of the trip went reasonably well but it was winter and our ferry home left after dark. We got the Cherbourg to be told that the ferry was cancelled and we had to drive to Le Havre in the dark, mainly on the motorway. Imagine driving 90 miles with someone who is only happy in the middle lane of three lane motorways (most French ones are two lane) following the red lights of the car in front(there were few) who ignores all road signs but expects the passenger to tell her at every junction that we dont come off here and treats kilometre speed restrictions as if they were miles and was on edge and snippy throughout the journey.

By the time we got to le Havre we were barely speaking and when we got home she had an email row with me, at least she rowed, I didnt bother to join in. Our friendship went on hold for about six months. I was glad I resumed it as she died suddenly two years later and I was able to be with her as the end approached.

On the other hand I went on holiday to Ireland for five days with a friend this year, I was slightly fearful, but we had a lovely time.

Not in a million years!

Never - what if they were the type who had no conversation - can you imagine miles and miles of silence (no well I can't either because all my friends are chatterboxes but you get the idea!) There would also be the safety aspect as well.

Wouldn't dream of doing it. Sounds like it could be a nightmare.

There are regular posts on my ex-pat forums offering or requesting lifts back to Britain. I don't know how successful they are. On the smaller, regional forums it is possible to get to know people and meet for lunches and parties and I did make some friends that way. I didn't take part in any car-sharing schemes though. I like to be able to stop when I want and go off on interesting diversions.

To be fair, if someone wanted a lift from Normandy back to Portsmouth and points north as far as Didcot railway station, it wouldnt be too bad, an hour and a half on the road both sides plus the ferry trip but not more than that.

Going off topic a bit, I know: but several of you have mentioned France and it has reminded of what we refer to as THE HOLIDAY FROM HELL.
This came about because a close friend thought that her sister and myself were very similar and would get on. WRONG WRONG.
There are so many things I could tell you (but too many) so I will just tell you what happened the night we met at her house in Portsmouth (to get the ferry)
We arrived. She asked if we would like a drink. Yes said I. A Gin and Tonic please. She got a key out, opened a cabinet, poured the drinks, put the bottles back and locked the cabinet!!!
And there I'm thinking: OH NO, IM GOING ON A CAMPING HOLIDAY WITH THESE PEOPLE FOR TWO WEEKS.
Is it me?

petra

Did she have a husband with a drink problem, Petra? Do tell us how the holiday continued!

No absolutely not, bad enough shut in car without having a stranger alongside.

No way. Not that distance.

Greatgran, you ask how the rest of the holiday went, here goes.
After the "drinks" we went out for a meal, 6 adults, 3 children. I don't know you but we always split the bill between everyone no matter who has what; not these 2: scenario: " you didn't have that, you didn't have a sweet, you only had one glass of wine.
On the ferry they bought ONE bottle of Campari (who drinks that) and proceeded to drink our gin when we got to the site.
They went to bed and we ate their crisps. We were told off in the morning because "they were for the whole holiday"
We were accused of spending too much money in the supermarket on food. It was so bad by this time that I told her she could teach Jesus a thing or two ( loaves and fishes)
She actually asked me how much I spent on petrol a year.
The OH copped out of it by drinking most of the day. Him and another friend were sent to the supermarket to get food and came back with just cream cakes. That didn't go down well.
Needless to say we didn't see each other again.