driving to cornwall in august - Friday or Saturday best?

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Hi all, can anyone tell me which day would be the least busy for travelling down to Cornwall in August? We've just come back from a week and it took 9 hours to get there last Saturday from Liverpool which was a nightmare. (Just under 7 on the way back which was ok).

We are wanting to book again and there are some Friday cottages available - would going on a Friday make the journey better or worse than a saturday? DH reckons the HGVs on a Friday would make the journey bad and I think Friday might be slightly quieter than a Saturday in terms of families going on holiday?

[SeaShellsOnTheSeaShore]

No difference in my experience- both days are handoverdays and Fridays you get weekender traffic too. Either leave very early or late, split the trip either with a b and b or a day somewhere - sorry there is no easy answer!!

[saintlydamemrsturnip]

Whenever I try and leave Devon on a Saturday in August I have sat in traffic for hours.

I'd go for a Friday.

[Ruthiebabes]

I would definitely go for friday, m5 is stop start most of the way on a Saturday.

We usually go May half term, the Saturday this year was a nightmare. Have booked a Friday to Friday cottage for next year!!

[onadietcokebreak]

Neither! I live here and dont use the A30 cos its a nightmare all summer long.

Which part of cornwall you coming to?

Maybe look at a different route?

[saintlydamemrsturnip]

A38 usually slightly better than the A30. Still can be stop/start on a Saturday though.

[NorbertDentressangle]

Saturday tends to be 'changeover day' for the holiday lets so is likelier to be the busier of the two

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

It's just outside St Austell, onadietcokebreak.

[onadietcokebreak]

Very close to me then!

In that case I would use the A390 from plymouth then and come in via st blazey. Avoid A30 around temple and colliford lake.

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Sounds like Friday might possibly be the lesser of two evils? Only thing is we'd proably be hitting Birmingham at rush hour on a Friday on the way home - not good. Would have to think of a way round that...slightly different route around it maybe.

[onadietcokebreak]

Is this soon or net summer.

My friend travelled down to stay the other friday...did A30 arrived at midnight (which was about time is was expected)...said no delays but roads busy.

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

How lucky are you to live in that part of the country, onadietcokebreak? We love it there!

We'd wondered about coming the Plymouth way actually. Although this year it was mainly the M5 that was the trouble, not so much the A30 (although there was the usual standstill around Bodmin where it goes from 2 lanes to 1).

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

It's next summer. Just wanting to book now.

Arrived at midnight?!?! Where was your friend travelliing from?

[ThatVikRinA22]

im thinking of Cornwall for next year - what about driving through the night? it that any quieter?

[onadietcokebreak]

She was travelling from her parents...she didnt leave til 8pm not surprised by her arrival time.

Yes I am lucky to live here.....just take it for grated..both DP and I have just moaned we are bored!

Travelling through night can be quieter but if you break down or get stuck in traffic it would be cold and unpleasant- plus you normally cant check into accomodation til afternoon.

OP- which cottages do you stay in- need some accomadation for family that isnt travel lodge!

[Drayford]

We have a Friday change over for our holiday cottages for the very reason that Saturdays are a nightmare.

A lot of our summer guests opt to arrive here at about 4.00pm - so missing the Bristol rush hour.

Our departure time is 10.00am - guests can then either just get on the road and get home ahead of the Cornwall traffic, or spend the day in Devon and leave later in the day or evening (which would mean missing the birmingham/reading rush hour - depending on which direction your're heading home.

I avoid driving anywhere here in Devon on a Saturday!!! In the past it's taken 20 minutes to cross the North Devon link road near where I live so I now just stay put!

[SeaShellsOnTheSeaShore]

Agree with splitting the trip - Avonmouth/ Bristol can be hell any day, especially around rush hour/ handover kicking out. We tend to try to get as far south as possible then have lunch etc near the cottage and be there bang on 4pm for handover!!

[SASSYSENIOR]

Driving to Devon in Tuesday, 15 August - any suggestions for best route?
Don't mind motorways but want to avoid roadworks and delays if possible??

[Stillwaitingforsummer]

We left St Austell at 5pm last Friday. Got home to Washington at 2.30am

[Stillwaitingforsummer]

Warrington not Washington

[HensAndRabbits]

Devon is changeover day on Saturday. Not sure about Cornwall. I refuse to get in my car on a Saturday in school holidays (south Devon)

[Patchouli666]

I live near the m5 near Taunton. Very late Friday night or early Saturday morning (3/4am ) is when the motorway is quietest

[Patchouli666]

And lateThursday or early fri am ( again early hours!) is even quieter. Could you leave at 4am aiming to arrive at 9/10am in Cornwall? I think you'd be ahead of all the traffic then

[RiverTam]

We've just been to Devon with a Friday changeover, and the drive down was pretty good, though we kept off the motorways as much as possible, and stopped with family on the way back to miss Friday city traffic.

[TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross]

We left St. Austell at 10 am Saturday just gone, got to Bridgend at 3.30 pm. Got gridlocked in Gordano services - they actually ended up stopping people driving into the services in an effort to clear the gridlock.

It was a nightmare.

[TitilatedOcelot]

We have family there and always drive at night. Takes around 4 hours straight through, if we leave home around 7 - 8 pm. in the day it can be 6 - 8 hours, with traffic and extra food and wee stops, compared to night driving. Thurs eve is generally quieter than Friday. How about getting more than half way on Thurs night, staying one night at a Travelodge and continuing next day?