We are travelling to Cornwall this weekend. Its our first year with the caravan, although we have holidayed there for years.
We find we travel best, leaving home after tea and arriving early morning. Unfortunately we were unable to get on a site with late night arrivals.
We intend to stop a while on the A30 for a sleep to break the journey. The problem is if we start off again early in the morning we will arrive too early to go on site, but if we wait we will be in all the queues. What does everyone else prefer to do?
We have travelled over night, leaving home at say 9.00/10.00 pm and stopped around half way, slept at services, then travelled the last leg in the morning. Doesn't always work though. Last weekend we actually stopped on a site on the Friday night that was half way to our desitnation in Somerset. We left site at 9.30am (a bit later than we intended!) and had an horrendous journey down the M5. So don't know what the best time is to travel to the South West.
Hi, have done same as Lassie, on a few occasions when going to Lowestoft 500mls, I have left at 11pm,stoped after 2 hours stretch legs, carried on for further 2hours stopped had a sleep, started driving at 5am, drove till about 8am, had breakfast at a little chef, and watched the worst of the rush hour traffic go by, you could do as you do now leave early and stop for breakfast as rush hour traffic starts to get to busy, its pot luck really.
------------- If everything runs smoothly then I must have done something wrong
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same here we are going down to dawlish warren in devon and we will be travelling around about 8pm on friday night we usually do a stop at micheal wood services for cuppa and loo's then carry on as the site we stay at has huge car park and we arrive and get our heads down for a few hours before reception opens . we find travelling down at night we dont usually get any traffic (with the exception of them closing the m5 last year)
we travelled to cornwall a couple of years ago and left home at 3.00am, we had one stop one the way down and arrived about 9.30 am. Going again next week this time we are taking our caravan and intend to leave about midnight and travel through the night.
jule2511 - we used to travel like this, getting up early but we found we didn't get any sleep before we went, we would be tossing and turning worrying if we'd forgot anything, as a result we were sound tired - not good on a long journey eh?
Not too worried about the travelling through the night its where and when to stop really. It's not so easy to stop somewhere is it with a caravan on tow.
We will have to try harder next year to get a site with the late arrivals area. We struggle to get answers from work approving the time off.
Hi we are also travelling to Cornwall this weekend , we intend to leave in the early hours, hopefully missing the big queues..but if not we will just chill as it is the start of our well earned hols ...hurrah ...see you on the way down
A303 westbound was really busy at 8 am last Saturday, we were going eastbound heading up to Bath for the day but clearly a lot had gone through the night as they had their lights on!
snowy747 - i think lots of people do this now as the volume of traffic has increased so much everyone thinks travelling overnight is the solution! So maybe there's no benefit to driving through the night. If you are travelling during peak holidays maybe you have to suffer masses of traffic.
Next year we will be travelling out of school holiday times as i no longer work within the education system!! Hurray, haven't been able to do this for 15 years - a luxury for us! Quieter sites and hopefully quieter roads!
we have holidayed under canvass in cornwall a couple of time's now (polborder house caravan & camping park, just outside looe, really recommend this great little site)
we set off from Sheffield on the friday morning about 7.30 am, have a steady drive down the M1, M42, M5, A38, A374, B3247 ,theres a 20-30 minute leg stretch / toilet break on route, arrive on site sometime around 12.15 / 12. 30 ish, can't say we've met too much traffic any where along the route really, approach to tamar toll bridge got a bit choked on our last visit but that was all
coming home the following sunday, normally setting off about 11.30ish (am), same route back but no pit stop
as we've recently upgraded from a tent to a caravan, we may have to revise our timings for our next trip to polborder house
------------- no tin tent outings booked as yet ,just another cruise in Sept' booked so far
We are leaving for Scotland on Friday night :) We plan to go to bed about 6pm and sleep till between 12 - 2am and then set off. We normally leave about midnight because we can't sleep lol. As we both take turns driving we each nap whilst the other drives. We usually stop every 2 hours so its very leisurely and relaxed and extremely quiet on the roads :)
We will arrive between 7am and 10am depending on how long our breaks are and we can wait in the parking area til our pitch is ready :)
We love travelling overnight because the roads are so quiet, i hate stopping and waiting in traffic though if its slow moving i don't mind too much lol so travelling overnight suits me :)
We have pulled into the town before our campsite and found a large parking area and walked the dogs before moving onto the site before, could you do the same?
If doing a long run, we normally leave at about 9-10am and stop overnight at site halfway there and then the following morning carry on to our destination.
I see no point in driving in the middle of the night when you are not used to it as you will be naturally tired and a possible danger to others on the road.
Personally I hate travelling at night, as one year when I was a lad my dad fell asleep at the wheel whilst towing, I know my partner would stop if she felt tired but I just would never risk it.
Much prefer early morning starts, when we went to cornwall we stopped at exeter racecourse overnight and then got up early and drove down and then went and found a large supermarket car park and sat and had breakfast,I then go and do the shopping while I am there and by the time we have faffed around putting stuff away its a short drive to the site for lunchtime and you are only stuck in the local traffic,
we are off next friday to scotland, although stopping in lancashire for 4 days s will set off early doors to get through M5/M6 North Birmingham then stop for breakfast,
(in theory)
------------- Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
think about this carefully because once you arive at the A30 the chances are that ALL the laybuys will be full, i have been taking my caravan twice a year for the last 22 years and in the school holidays they have been full and i have not been able to stop.
outside of the school holidays there is no problem.
when you see a space go for it.
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: When do you travel?
