[Jeroen]

Rules of thumb in just about all western countries by their respective automotive organisation and so on is take a 15 minute break every 2 hours and don’t drive more than 8 hours.

Jeroen

[Satkaj]

I prefer to take break at around 3 hrs.

I regularly drive to Ahmedabad and been driving further up to Porbandar earlier for work. Break at around 3 hours gives me best running time , as well as perfect rest between 2 break’s. First break is for around 30min for breakfast. 2nd is usually for eco break and to stretch legs for around 15min.

[raptor_diwan]

I usually take breaks depending on my mood and my body's response. If I start early in the morning and it's a drive, I don't need many breaks except for breakfast and lunch. However, if I'm riding, I take a break every hour for stretching. There were times when I used to drive without taking any breaks except for fuel, but as I've gotten older, I've realized the importance of breaks. Now, breaks depend on my body's response. If I'm hungry, I'll stop. If I've planned a stop at a hotel, then I'll take a break accordingly.

[binand]

For me - this is governed by (a) where I'm starting from, and (b) if I'm travelling alone or not.

When I'm not travelling alone (wife and kids with me) - then they dictate the breaks. We take breaks once in 2 hours or so.

When alone and starting from my home in Bangalore - I carry these things:

1. 2x 450 ml travel flasks with hot coffee.
2. 2-3 chapatis rolled up with dry-cooked veggies and chicken in in a tupperware box.
3. A 750 ml tupperware flip-top water bottle (this actually permanently resides in my car). Plus my car always has 8-10 1L Bisleri bottles inside.

While driving I keep sipping the two liquids and when it is mealtime, I munch the rolls. None of this require stopping, so the only time I stop is when I need to go to the bathroom - these I manage at tollbooths or petrol pumps. This way I can do a Bangalore-Kochi trip with exactly one stop - usually a BPCL on Coimbatore bypass (delaying refuelling till here allows me to skip buying fuel in Kerala altogether). This is about 6 hours after start.

When I'm not starting from home - sometimes I make do with instant coffee, but most of the time I end up making a few extra tea breaks, not to mention full meal breaks. Maybe as frequent as every 2-3 hours.

[antz.bin]

If it is a long ~800km day, I would like to plan my day such that I finish 40-45% distance before the 1st break for breakfast.

So start off at 5:30-6
Take a break around 10 for breakfast, cover majority of the distance FAST while the rest of the people in the car enjoy their naps. This is a long break where we eat and play and run around.

Then, the next stop will probably be to fill up the car in about 2 hours.

Then a lunch break about 1 hour later. This again is a longish break. The expectation now is that I am not more than a couple of hours drive away from my destination and should make it around 5.

Post lunch, there may or may not be a tea break around 1.5 hrs later depending on the distance remaining to destination.

In effect. Alternating long and short breaks. Long breaks coinciding with the 2 meals (and I have no problems with drowsiness after full meals) and short breaks for bio breaks and stretching. I avoid driving long distance after sun down, better stop before tea time. Can't see the scenery change, no fun in that.

[ChauhanSaurabh]

My basic rule is:

Bike : 55-5, 55 mins ride and 5 mins break(this may get stretched to 10 as well when in group )
Car : 90-10, 90 mins drive and 10 mins break

Above are just hydration and stretching breaks which are a must irrespective of meals. For meals it depends a lot on availability of restaurant/dhaba.

[sumukha]

I am 71years young and I do long driving very often. In my opinion, there is no thumb rule as to when you have to take a break. It purely depends upon ones physical and temperamental conditions. However being the lone driver I have set the following guidelines for myself,

1: I do do not prebook the hotel where I have to stay, but will not drive after 7.00 pm.
will just search travel site for a decent hotel nearby and stay for the night. My
wife will do this job while I drive. If you prebook your hotel, you are compelled to push
yourself to reach the destination lest you will loose your booking amount.

2: I just listen to my body, when it gives the first trigger that now it is time to stop and
take rest, I do stop. Having said this, I have programmed my Dash cam to warn me
once in 2 hrs of continues driving with a beep.

3: Always carry 2 camping chairs, Hot water flask and a AC/DC travelling kettle. Prepare
tea and enjoy the "Khula Asman" while sipping the tea. This is our style of taking rest.

4: Avoid cursing the irresponsible high way drivers , I simply laugh at them and move on.
One should not be driving when you are temperamentally disturbed.Your body and mind
will not be in sink. Likely to commit mistakes.

Happy driving.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

So what should be the ideal frequency of taking a break when driving long distances? Should the total distance to be covered decide the number of breaks to be planned? Should the hours of driving dictate the breaks or kms reached? As per experts a rest is needed after every 2 hrs for 15 mins. I normally tend to take a break every 3 hrs during the trip. Plus there is a dashboard message to take a break for a coffee which appears every 4 hrs (Atleast configured in Tata). Does it mean that taking more number of breaks can help push the driving time too or is there is any limitation to that either in terms of hours of driving or kms crossed.

The so-called gold standard is a 20-minute break, a 200m quick walk or jog, and a coffee every 2 hours or 200 km of driving. I have often not conformed to this and have driven even 8–10 hours without stopping, but I would strongly advise folks not to try to do what I do. The breaks are to restore focus and concentration, and bring back equilibrium to the inner ear (how many of you have felt a little dizzy after driving for hours, especially when getting out of the car?)

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Another important element is knowing how much to push your car engine to avoid any turbo fatigue which could result due to over speed and high temperatures? So what is the ideal time to give engine the much needed break and for how much time? Is the usual 15 min break sufficient to allow the engine to cool down before it can be fired up again till the next break?

Cars and their engines today can run for days (not just a few hours) without switching off and at moderately high rpm (maybe not continuously at the red line), so long as there's fuel and lubricants. Tyres do not heat up at normal highway speeds either, if inflated and aligned correctly. The limiting factors are the driver's physical condition and mental concentration.

[Karthik1100]

It completely depends on the vehicle and the rider / driver. Certain vehicles are designed to travel even 1000 km nonstop. In some vehicles, one cannot travel more than 100 kilometers without a break. It's not the distance; it's all about how many hours you spend on your vehicle sitting in the same position. On motorcycles, some experienced riders even change their sitting posture, strech their legs, and stand for a while to relax their muscles. Ideally, one must take a 15-20-minute break every 2 hours, a maximum of 3 hours for an experienced rider with a 20- to 30-minute break. In a four-wheeler, since one cannot stretch their legs or change their sitting posture, one must take a break every 2 hours. Maximum time I have travelled in my recent trip on my motorcycle was 3hr 15mins covering 253 km. Without a break and with breaks I have covered 1400 km continuously.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

In my Bangalore to Bokaro drives every year (2000 km each way), I prefer starting as early as 3 AM and reach Adilabad for instance (900-925 km) by 4:30 or 5 PM at most.

Starting super early means I see not much traffic for around 3-4 hours. That is usually the longest part of the drive without breaks, because I drive slower at night (75-85 kph)

Is this advisable to start so early, I mean the body Circadian rhythm of deep sleep is best between 2 and 4 pm. Although I myself wake up at 3 am for the 4.30 am start but a good hot bath actually wakes me up totally. However my early morning drives are generally with eyes cringing due to the blatant use of High beams by the oncoming traffic. Once it dawns then its a smooth sailing.

Originally Posted by binand

While driving I keep sipping the two liquids and when it is mealtime, I munch the rolls.

I personally find it very difficult to eat or drink while driving. Even a small piece of meal or drop of water is sufficient to cause a temporary distraction.

[vsbabu]

I've been doing weekend trips between Bangalore and Coimbatore since 2017 - Monday early morning or post 5pm to Bangalore and Thursday 4pm from Whitefield to Coimbatore. That is about 370km one-way. What tires me the most is the traffic to get out or into Bangalore. Usually on the way to Coimbatore, I take a break after 60km (40km to Hosur would've taken 2 hours on Thursdays!), stretch, drink water, walk around and change from work clothes to short pants and t-shirt - takes about 15 minutes. Then onwards it is non-stop for next 4 hours. What I started noticing is that in a comfortable car, this becomes very monotonous and it is easy for mind to drift away at night with sparse traffic on highways. When I do feel that, I stop at next toll gate and do a quick 10 min walk around break. I used to drive a lot overnight before to beat traffic - then used to take 20-30 min power naps at toll gates while feeling sleepy. Once I crossed 50 years, decided to not fall into temptation of "let me drive 30 minutes more" and take a break when needed asap at well populated places.

Pre-planned longer drives are with family and we usually drive during day time and halt at some pre-booked hotel for night. I am a bit hesitant to explore unknown places at night with family.

[Zippy_wheels]

I dont plan so much. I just give myself the whole day and not put timelines/strict targets. I make 10-15 min stops every 2 hours or so, on an average, but the factors that influence me are : - sight of a good restaurant with ample parking maybe a beautiful spot on the highway, nature's call, need for fuel etc. The necessity of these important aspects of a trip ensures I take adequate breaks. I dont carry food on trips, I prefer to stop and enjoy the local food and varieties that each different area of the country offers. Since I mostly travel on familiar roads, I do have a few favorites that I try to target. There are some dhabas/tapri's/restaurant's that you just fondly recall, even after years, and then that becomes an unconcious target. I dont want to deprive myself of these small indulgences, especially when I am already on the same route.

I hear people boast they drive non-stop for 500-1000 kms but that does not impress me. I can never do that and wont ever do that. I go on trips for pleasure, not to torture myself and how can it be a pleasurable trip if I dont stop when and where I want to?

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

In fact it is better not to shut down the engine as switching off the engine would lead to condensation of gases which progressively dilutes engine oil.

Could you please elaborate on this theory? Interested to know. And also w.r.t petrol or diesel cars or both.

[ampere]

Usually the first break happens at a shorter distance but more time taken simply because of not timing the the start correctly and getting stuck while exiting the city. If that can be manage well, 3-3.5 hours is a good cadence. With good four lane expressways, we can do 300+ km in each interval.

And of course it also depends how you target where to break depending on the hotel.

A case in point:

1. Bangalore-Chennai : With a 4AM start one can do 220km to Arcto A2B
2. Bangalore-Salem-Further south : With a 4AM start one can do Salem Radisson by 0630 7 or Namakkal A2B or Sakari Saravana Bhavan (200+km)
3. Bangalore-Hubli : With 4AM start One can do Apoorva Davanagere by 0700 to 0730 (300+km)

[GeeTee TSI]

Great discussion in the interest of health and safety (attention)

I tend to hover between 2 and 3 hours for a break and it involves getting out of the car too! On rare occasions, I have pulled over at a safe place and caught a few winks when face tissues and beverages were not helping me feel fresh. The moment you do not enjoy the drive, it's time for a break (does not apply to city crawls )