I'm travelling from Wigan in Manchester too Looe in Cornwall on sat 5th March.
What's the best time too leave? And best places for a pit stop. Travelling with 4 kids so need somewhere too eat and stretch our legs for half an hour.
Not a holiday weekend so you should have a clear run. On a bank hol Sat even leaving yours at 5am you would probably be slow for miles down M5 past Bristol. I would get past Bristol before you have a proper stop though. A short bog stop on the way & then have a good break at Taunton Deane services, plenty of room for caravans there.
Gloucester services are the nicest on the M5, also when we did it we stopped at exeter but rather than go to the services there is a massive tesco 1 mile round the corner with cheaper breakfast and much cheaper fuel. I parked the caravan on the overflow carpark with no issues.
wow Sarah good luck with that. i live in Worcester and it took me about 6h (with a lunch stop at Taunton dene)to get back from Hayle. loo must be about 60 miles less though.
we stopped for one night in oak hampton on the way down though.
as others have said leave really early and get past Bristol before any rush hours, the M5 part by Cribbs causway can be a nightmare. i nearly missed a flight from bristol airport because of it. luckily i had some local knowledge to avoid delays but getting to a point i could re route nearly cost me the flight.
if the traffic is too bad you can route round it using the M4 and M49 but i am not convinced this save much time because you often have to queue to rejoin the M5. i always end up doing this route south on friday afternoons heading south west. i am too nearvous to see if queuing at cribbs causeway is quicker. at leas it saves your clutch wearing out.
M6 joining M5 can be a nightmare. Also with that length of motorway you can get an incident closing the whole lot. And lot's of road works.
Cribbs Causeway etc around Bristol is a lot better than it was since they added a lane and put in the variable speed limits.
It is a long way though. I find I need to stop to rest my eyes after about 90minutes, 2 hours max. I don't feel safe not to. So we do end up taking quite a bit of extra time for pit stops.
The new services at Gloucester are very good, also like Bridgewater on M5 J24 and those at J28 M5 Cullompton about 20 miles north of Exeter. Exeter is big and busy and a tricky route from and back to the motorway.
I think with motorway services,one is much the same as the next. I would go with the flow, if the traffic is moving and the kids happy then crack on, if it's slow and their whining then pull over for a break. I would try and stick to those on the motorway rather than the ones that you have to pull off for, at least you know the motorway ones will have plentiful parking space. It's going to be a long journey whatever, just avoid loading the kids up with in car drinks and stuff to minimise the inevitable "need a wee". On a Saturday you won't have the usual rush hour traffic, we have always found when travelling down to Cornwall on a Saturday, even bank holidays, that the roads are reasonably quiet, there gets traffic in the places where there is always traffic but nothing terrible. Never felt the need to leave at stupid o clock to beat any traffic. The opposite infact, let them all get out the way!
It's 300 miles. So the person who says you will do it in 6 hours thinks that you are going to average 50mph including stops with 4 kids. How can I put this politely no chance. I work on the basis of an average of 30mph door to door this takes into accounts stops and hold ups and I find realistic
I don't know how experienced at towing and how many in the car will tow but it is a long way and tiring . My advice would be to leave sometime on Friday night if you can and stop somewhere even if it is only 100 miles from home to get a few hours sleep and set off again at a sensible time on Saturday.
Quote: Originally posted by boff on 11/2/2016
It's 300 miles. So the person who says you will do it in 6 hours thinks that you are going to average 50mph including stops with 4 kids. How can I put this politely no chance. I work on the basis of an average of 30mph door to door this takes into accounts stops and hold ups and I find realistic
I don't know how experienced at towing and how many in the car will tow but it is a long way and tiring . My advice would be to leave sometime on Friday night if you can and stop somewhere even if it is only 100 miles from home to get a few hours sleep and set off again at a sensible time on Saturday.
Its not no chance in my many years of experience going down to Cornwall. it is all down to luck as to if any unplanned stoppages.
We travel a lot with our kids and once they are slightly older than toddlers, they travel as well as we do providing kept occupied
The route to Cornwall is mostly motorway and then dual carriageway until you get right down on the A30. its then down to how far you have to travel from the A30 that will determine your average as last bit definite;y slower
We have always allowed around 45-50 if using mainly motorways to get an estimate as usually tow at or around 60ish on motorways
"The route to Cornwall is mostly motorway and then dual carriageway until you get right down on the A30. its then down to how far you have to travel from the A30 that will determine your average as last bit definite;y slower"
Can I respectfully point out that the OP will not be going on the A30 to Looe.
At the end of the M5 the road seamlessly becomes the A38.
------------- How come when some people visit the fountain of knowledge, they only gargle!!!
Quote: Originally posted by emmitdb on 11/2/2016
"The route to Cornwall is mostly motorway and then dual carriageway until you get right down on the A30. its then down to how far you have to travel from the A30 that will determine your average as last bit definite;y slower"
Can I respectfully point out that the OP will not be going on the A30 to Looe.
At the end of the M5 the road seamlessly becomes the A38.
... and the A38 Devon Expressway is dual carriageway from the M5 at Exeter as far as Plymouth. Looe is only approximately 20 miles beyond Plymouth!
After reading all the replies above i would stick to your original plan, baring any accidents on the motorways holding up the trafic, you should have no problems.
If you need to top up with fuel the best place is ASDA at Cribbs Causeway Bristol.
Come off the motorway at the Cribbs Causway sign and keep LEFT for several hundred yards and you will come to the ASDA petrol station
App 10 miles past Cribbs Causway you will come to sedgemoor rervices Where you can have a 2 hour break if needed.
We make this trip 5 times a year ]sedgemoor[/URL]
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Driving to cornwall
