London to the South West in school holidays?

gort · 8 Jul 2018 at 16:45

In the past 15 years or so I've never taken holidays during the school hols. Always had them in term time to avoid all the family crowds and for the lower prices.
Unfortunately the Mrs now works with schools so her holidays are aligned with them so I have little choice this time round.
My question is how pants would traffic be going from a London down to the South West, namely Dartmoor on the first weekend of the summer hols? I'm thinking it's all about the timing of the journey.
We plan to leave around 0600 for the 5hr journey (inc a break or two,) is this generally early enough to avoid most of the hoard travelling down for when we get there around 11ish/midday?

Might think I'm being daft but if I can plan a bit to avoid lots of congestion then I don't mind!

Ta

Participant · 8 Jul 2018 at 16:50

It will be pretty bad, but Dartmoor shouldn't be diabolical as long as there's no accident on the M3/4.

That said, if you want a smooth run then leave at 0400.

ci_newman · 8 Jul 2018 at 21:59

No, 6am isnt early enough to avoid the horde on the first holiday weekend but tbh you might as well just plan for it and suck it up. The links into the SW are atrocious and popular holiday dates are always a travel nightmare.

el_dazza · 8 Jul 2018 at 22:09

Avoid the A303
Avoid the A303
Avoid the A303

I'd say you need to leave earlier than that tbh. As soon as you hit the M5 it'll be a bloody nightmare.

Josh · 8 Jul 2018 at 22:13

M4 then M5.

Or skirt past Stone Henge by cutting around near Larkhill.

I do the journey fairly often to Exeter, the A303 in summer hols is caravan central. 0500 should be okay providing there are no pangs on any of the M3, A303 or A30 roads.

el_dazza · 8 Jul 2018 at 22:27

JOSH said:
M4 then M5.

Or skirt past Stone Henge by cutting around near Larkhill.

I do the journey fairly often to Exeter, the A303 in summer hols is caravan central. 0500 should be okay providing there are no pangs on any of the M3, A303 or A30 roads.

Exactly what we do, otherwise you'd spend a good hour trying to get past people gawping at the stones.

DarrenM343 · 8 Jul 2018 at 22:28

It's hard to predict. I live in the SW and weekdays work in Bristol. Friday afternoon traffic varies.This week I left Bristol early expecting traffic to be pretty good but the traffic was quite bad all the way to Exeter.
If heading down at 6am, Sunday would probably be the best day. Busiest times will "probably" be Friday evening/Sat morning. Returning on a Sunday evening will be a PITA too
Worked in London a few years back and always did the M4/M5 route. Left 10pm a few times too, got home and hit the sack. Sometimes took me 7.5 hours, well, on the way back on Sunday evening anyway and this was in May.

Spuj · 9 Jul 2018 at 08:36

As already mentioned, avoiding the A303 would be a good idea as it's always very busy with traffic and significantly worse in the holiday season, and if there is an accident it gets even worse again. Unfortunately it's probably the most direct route for you.

If you don't mind doing the extra miles then M4/M5 would be a safer bet and may not be too horrendous. You'll probably find around the M4/M5 interchange at Bristol is where it get's busiest and then as you get down towards Exeter on the M5.

Depending where you are leaving from in London, my guess is you'll reach Bristol at around 8/830 so it may not be too bad at that time.

gort · 9 Jul 2018 at 08:58

Not nice reading but expected as much :eek:

Early Sunday morning is an option which I think we'll do now. Maybe leave at 0500. Only want to hike and wild camp for a few nights. To dump the car somewhere in dartmoor and sod off for a bit. I'd imagine there won't be many families hiking across the moors so that should be ok!
M3/A303 has been our route the last couple of times but was during term time and was a good route. Still worth avoiding on the Sunday early if we get to it 0700-0800?
Ta

Sui · 9 Jul 2018 at 09:18

We've normally had a good run if we leave at 5am (from Sussex to Cornwall), only occasionally a slow journey with queues.

robfosters · 9 Jul 2018 at 09:34

gort said:
Not nice reading but expected as much
Early Sunday morning is an option which I think we'll do NOW. Maybe leave at 0500. Only want to hike and wild camp for a few nights. To dump the car somewhere in dartmoor and sod off for a bit. I'd imagine there won't be many families hiking across the moors so that should be ok!
M3/A303 has been our route the last couple of times but was during term time and was a good route. Still worth avoiding on the Sunday early if we get to it 0700-0800?
Ta

Hiking across Dartmoor you say. Remember to be careful at night, when the devil hound is about :eek:

Grimley · 9 Jul 2018 at 17:24

Avoid the traffic that weekend? My suggestion would be to book an airbnb for Saturday night in the Bristol area, then rest of the journey very early Sunday morning when there's no traffic. I've done that journey from east Essex to Newquay a fair few times & nearly always driven there in two stages via Bristol. Saves the stress of Traffic.

Rroff · 9 Jul 2018 at 17:51

el_dazza said:
Avoid the A303
Avoid the A303
Avoid the A303

I'd say you need to leave earlier than that tbh. As soon as you hit the M5 it'll be a bloody nightmare.

Someone talking from experience

yeah the A303 in nice weather pretty much always bottlenecks around Amesbury and then just past Ilminster. In some ways that is all part of the fun though

Can easily add 2 hours to that journey - if there is an accident 4.

el_dazza · 9 Jul 2018 at 18:53

Rroff said:
Someone talking from experience yeah the A303 in nice weather pretty much always bottlenecks around Amesbury and then just past Ilminster. In some ways that is all part of the fun though

Can easily add 2 hours to that journey - if there is an accident 4.

I should imagine Amesbury is fairly scarce at the moment

Spot on though, Ilminster bypass is always packed. I travel to and from Devon a lot and quite often end up using the A35 instead, although that is always busy around Dorchester and Bridport. Getting food/drink/toilets anywhere is a nightmare as well, especially at bloody Sparkford. Utter chaos there because everyone packs the McDonalds.

gort · 10 Jul 2018 at 10:23

Well, seem to have wasted everyone's time!
The mrs has gone and injured her foot and hospital say she needs to stay off it for a few weeks whilst she waits for an MRI!
Splendid!

CaptainRAVE · 10 Jul 2018 at 10:26

el_dazza said:
Avoid the A303
Avoid the A303
Avoid the A303

I'd say you need to leave earlier than that tbh. As soon as you hit the M5 it'll be a bloody nightmare.

Yup, this. Hope there is no major accident, but there usually is in some form. Everyone else will leave that early too. Aim to get past Bristol by 6-7 at the latest.

CaptainRAVE · 10 Jul 2018 at 10:27

gort said:
Well, seem to have wasted everyone's time!
The mrs has gone and injured her foot and hospital say she needs to stay off it for a few weeks whilst she waits for an MRI!
Splendid!

Women!

Yaayuh! · 10 Jul 2018 at 11:08

M4 -> M5
I go down that way (Cornwall) at least twice a year from North Herts/Central Beds. We go across to MK --> Swindon then join the end of the M4 and then M5.

We go out of season now though so never a problem anymore. But when we were in the holiday times we left by 4am. I certainly wouldn't leave it as late as 6am.

Blackjack Davy · 10 Jul 2018 at 17:23

1st weekend? It'll be horrendous!

There is no escaping the great british getaway the roads will be packed period. Head off after midnight is the only way you'll have a clear-ish road then the only thing you have watch out for is speed cameras...

On the upside its a great time to visit city centres as everyone is off out clogging up the the motorways and crawling along country road in single file traffic. On a visit to Southhampton it was deserted had the place to myself.

el_dazza said:
Spot on though, Ilminster bypass is always packed. I travel to and from Devon a lot and quite often end up using the A35 instead, although that is always busy around Dorchester and Bridport. Getting food/drink/toilets anywhere is a nightmare as well, especially at bloody Sparkford. Utter chaos there because everyone packs the McDonalds.

Tend to avoid the A31/A35 myself thats even worse in my experience once spent an entire bank holiday saturday crawling along that road at walking pace never saw so many caravans in my life through the New Forest they were stretching all the way to the horizon...

Rroff · 10 Jul 2018 at 17:33

Blackjack Davy said:
1st weekend? It'll be horrendous! There is no escaping the great british getaway the roads will be packed period. Head off after midnight is the only way you'll have a clear-ish road then the only thing you have watch out for is speed cameras...

I actually look back kind of fondly on those memories though it wasn't the most pleasant at the time - car so packed you had no leg room, scorching sun and stuck in traffic on the A303 or M5, etc. for 4 hours on top of what would normally be a 4 hour journey, etc.