Getting to America... will we, won't we?

[user 6862]

A mini travelogue

A few minutes after midnight 31 January 2022

Just had this idea of being 6 1/2 days away from getting on a United plane from London Heathrow for San Francisco and recording the mini travelogue we will make to do that.

Our destination is Chatsworth (CWT), Los Angeles, our goal is to arrive on Monday 7 February at around 9pm, a sort of cut down version of 'Around the world in 80 days'. Our time frame is 8 days from now.

Start point is deep in rural France. First transport a camper van to get us to England where we catch a train, not forgetting the camper will be on a train through the Channel tunnel, but that's getting ahead of the story.

Here goes. For the next couple of hours print all entry, vaccination and testing documents so we have paper copies as at least one port we pass through requires all back-up to be in paper form. This is an easy task, but what keeps us awake is the speed of change of regulation from one day to the next. We watch a lot of serious news tv and check on various government regulations to keep up to date!

Got to go.

 

[user 6862]

Day 1 - 31 January 2022

A few remaining camper service items top take care of, more regulation etc research with a littl printing too. Prepping the final stages of the camper for use, fridge on and down to temperature, enough water onboard to last 3 days and more.

Here's a photo of the travel document file so far, we used to pack our bags, grab the passports, a couple of tickets and were gone. Just being wistful as most of those documents are designed to keep us all safe so it is all worth it in the end.


Closing up all the old (very old mainly) outbuildings as secure as possible, packing for the US part of the trip and emailing too. We're still not quite ready but have until 3pm on Tuesday to be ready to pull out of the gate, we must leave around that time or it will be little or no sleep for the driver.

Here's Tuesday's route to Calais Eurotunnel, about 9-10 hours in a not so fast motorhome not, counting stops for breaks. We have to be at Calais Eurotunnel the very latest at 7am on Wednesday morning or the timing for the rest of the appointments for Wednesday will go awry. Today didn't feel like fun but Tuesday should, well the afternoon on anyway.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Maybe you'll give us your flight #/date and we can track you crossing the pond....and the big mass of land.

 

[Willbridge]

Chatsworth is infamous from the days of the not-so-friendly SP. As the northwest LA suburbs grew, local businesspersons proposed that the still-popular Coast Daylight stop there. (It ran non-stop between Glendale and Oxnard.) The SP's response was to tear down the station and remove the sign.

This story was told to me by George Wentzlaff, who lived in the area. Unfortunately, he's passed away, but whether it is true or not it tells something about how people felt about the railroad. (It likely happened in 1964 or 1965 when San Jose <> Los Angeles local Trains 151/154 were discontinued.)

 

[user 6862]

Maybe you'll give us your flight #/date and we can track you crossing the pond....and the big mass of land.

How's this: United Airlines ~ Sunday Feb 6 2022 ~ UA 900 ~ London Heathrow 01:35 PM - San Francisco 04:25 PM ~ Duration 10h 50m

Don't know much about flight routes, do we pass a long way to the north of you?

 

[user 6862]

Chatsworth is infamous from the days of the not-so-friendly SP. As the northwest LA suburbs grew, local businesspersons proposed that the still-popular Coast Daylight stop there. (It ran non-stop between Glendale and Oxnard.) The SP's response was to tear down the station and remove the sign.

This story was told to me by George Wentzlaff, who lived in the area. Unfortunately, he's passed away, but whether it is true or not it tells something about how people felt about the railroad. (It likely happened in 1964 or 1965 when San Jose <> Los Angeles local Trains 151/154 were discontinued.)

It's a very pleasant small station with an equally small museum in the waiting area. Roy Roger and Dale Evans will have used it? as they feature in the museum.

Chatsworth, CA (CWT) – Great American Stations

 

[AmtrakBlue]

How's this: United Airlines ~ Sunday Feb 6 2022 ~ UA 900 ~ London Heathrow 01:35 PM - San Francisco 04:25 PM ~ Duration 10h 50m

Don't know much about flight routes, do we pass a long way to the north of you?

Yes, looks like you’ll be a tad north of me.
This is the flight path it took yesterday.

Maybe you’ll fly over @oregon pioneer house

 

[user 6862]

Yes, looks like you’ll be a tad north of me.
This is the flight path it took yesterday.
View attachment 26969
Maybe you’ll fly over @oregon pioneer house

How good is your eyesight if we wave?

 

[PVD]

I'll look for a white 787, just wave the 787 has larger windows..... (just kidding, I live between Laguardia and Kennedy airports in NYC, not anywhere near that route) great plane for a long flight, the higher pressure and humidity help. Every once in a while a 767-300 rotates in.

 

[Eric in East County]

It's a very pleasant small station with an equally small museum in the waiting area. Roy Roger and Dale Evans will have used it? as they feature in the museum.

Chatsworth, CA (CWT) – Great American Stations

Chatsworth was a popular Hollywood location for filming Westerns so Roy and Dale might have made films there.

 

[user 6862]

Day 2 - 1 February 2022

Bad, we haven't escaped our home's orbit, just about getting up to escape velopcity and going out the door in 30 minutes, 5 hours late...

 

[Joe from PA]

Meanwhile, back in the "states", my wife and I just booked a August trip to England on the Queen Mary 2. We will fly home. Am looking forward to a train trip to York. Have you done that?

Your map is a bit hard to read. Do you live in L'Arverne? My wife and I did a Viking River Cruise on the Rhone about 7 years ago. It started in Lyon and we ended it with a few days in Marseille. We saw Paris as part of another trip. Keep us up to date on your trip.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Am looking forward to a train trip to York.

If you search for the “Man in Seat 61“ then go into his website, under the Train Travel in Britain section, he has a London to York by Train section with several pages of information.

 

[jis]

Usually for going from London to York I just show up and Kings Cross and take the next train heading that way at a reasonable price. There usually are scads of them.

 

[oregon pioneer]

Maybe you’ll fly over @oregon pioneer house

Nope, the dark green is the Cascade mountains. I’m out in the light green to the east of there. I think.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Meanwhile, back in the "states", my wife and I just booked a August trip to England on the Queen Mary 2. We will fly home. Am looking forward to a train trip to York. Have you done that?

Your map is a bit hard to read. Do you live in L'Arverne? My wife and I did a Viking River Cruise on the Rhone about 7 years ago. It started in Lyon and we ended it with a few days in Marseille. We saw Paris as part of another trip. Keep us up to date on your trip.

One of our members from England, Caravanman, took this trip from England to New York. He mentioned he got a great deal, and then rode Trains all over the US.

You might want to PM him for details and Google up his old AU trip Report !

 

[jis]

Nope, the dark green is the Cascade mountains. I’m out in the light green to the east of there. I think.

Actually the route they will fly on their day also may be quite different from the one shown. It all depends on which way the winds blow on that day.

 

[oregon pioneer]

Actually the route they will fly on their day also may be quite different from the one shown. It all depends on which way the winds blow on that day.

Yes, and given that we live in an area with relatively low plane density, we do often see north/south, high flying jets overhead that could easily be intercontinental polar route flights. If you’re flying over open valleys with conifer forested mountains and lots of snow, it might be eastern Oregon or northern Idaho.

 

[pennyk]

MODERATOR's NOTE: Please be reminded this is v v's travelogue. Discussion about transatlantic cruises are inappropriate in a member's trip report. Since the information provided in those posts may be of interest to some members (although off topic in this thread), they will be moved to a new thread in the Non-Rail Transportation forum. Thank you for your cooperation.

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/transatlantic-cruises.81029/
I believe Jamie will update us on his travels when he gets some rest.

 

[user 6862]

Day 3- 2 February 2022

Day 2 we left 6 hours late, Rosie snapped a few photos of Eurotunnel for this thread and we had a most unusual experience arriving at and travelling with Eurotunnel (please don't get excited as it was unusual but not really that interesting). More Thursday or Friday evening.

Today, Day 3 at 8:06 pm we are sitting in our camper eating a Rosie pre-cooked meal at a very spiffy campground just north of Newark on Trent, just off of the A1 road. It's the place we aimed to be this Wednesday evening, at the time we should be here, we are both quite tired though.

Will try to catch up tomorrow evening (another full day tomorrow), failing that on Friday when we receive the results of our UK Arrival Day 2 clinic Covid tests.

 

[Asher]

Was this all part of your master plan to use the RV to keep segregated and less chance testing positive the last week before flying out. Are you traveling in a major Hwy.

 

[user 6862]

MODERATOR's NOTE: Please be reminded this is v v's travelogue. Discussion about transatlantic cruises are inappropriate in a member's trip report. Since the information provided in those posts may be of interest to some members (although off topic in this thread), they will be moved to a new thread in the Non-Rail Transportation forum. Thank you for your cooperation.

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/transatlantic-cruises.81029/
I believe Jamie will update us on his travels when he gets some rest.

When I scanned this thread a little earlier it felt as though I was in the wrong place. Don't get me wrong, both Rosie and I enjoy a discussion about the QM2 as along with others (Caravanman is one) we have been lucky to have made the Transatlantic crossing and happy to swap opinions and information, but as PennyK writes it is out of place in a train related travelogue.

Maintaining this forum is a tough job, we are lucky to have Penny and Jis keeping us all in order and should go with them. Now where has she buried that QM2 thread hahaha.

 

[user 6862]

Was this all part of your master plan to use the RV to keep segregated and less chance testing positive the last week before flying out. Are you traveling in a major Hwy.

Yes and no. Camper is UK registered, it can only remain in the EU for 90 in 180 days since Brexit, so it travels back and forth. Yes getting back to Essex without having direct contact with anyone at all was part of the plan, that worked very well.
All of the few people we met in the UK today wore masks at our asking, all were considerate, a few had bought the best quality possible in part to help us, how nice is that?
So we can isolate further we are booked into a hotel in Essex for the 3 nights before we travel, although there are loads of places we could stay with offers from family and friends, but we are trying to remain isolated to the best level we can.

Taking the journey further I have also checked on accommodation for us in the LA area should either or both one test Covid positive after arrival, some of the offers took us aback, will write about that in a few days.

What does your last sentence mean?

 

[Asher]

Yes and no. Camper is UK registered, it can only remain in the EU for 90 in 180 days since Brexit, so it travels back and forth. Yes getting back to Essex without having direct contact with anyone at all was part of the plan, that worked very well.
All of the few people we met in the UK today wore masks at our asking, all were considerate, a few had bought the best quality possible in part to help us, how nice is that?
So we can isolate further we are booked into a hotel in Essex for the 3 nights before we travel, although there are loads of places we could stay with offers from family and friends, but we are trying to remain isolated to the best level we can.

Taking the journey further I have also checked on accommodation for us in the LA area should either or both one test Covid positive after arrival, some of the offers took us aback, will write about that in a few days.

What does your last sentence mean?

I was wondering if the route you are traveling in your camper van was a major Highway, or a more scenic around about type road.

 

[user 6862]

Meanwhile, back in the "states", my wife and I just booked a August trip to England on the Queen Mary 2. We will fly home. Am looking forward to a train trip to York. Have you done that?

Your map is a bit hard to read. Do you live in L'Arverne? My wife and I did a Viking River Cruise on the Rhone about 7 years ago. It started in Lyon and we ended it with a few days in Marseille. We saw Paris as part of another trip. Keep us up to date on your trip.

We live about 20 km away from the route start place, the nearest town to that start point is Montmarault. L'Averne is the name given to the AutoRoute, the A71 but have never seen the name before. We have used that spectacular in places autoroute many times, it runs from that region to the Mediterranean.

No I have not taken the train to York but others here may have. We have sailed on the QM2 from Southampton to NYC, you have a treat in store.
Did you enjoy Marseille?