Driving from London to Scotland

[jtaime]

Not an AIBU but am posting for traffic (no pun intended) as really need advice!

We’re driving from London (Kent border) to Glasgow next month with our toddler son. DH will be driving all the way as I don’t drive. He’s not keen on driving after dark so we will be travelling in daylight hours only.

Googlemaps is saying that it takes about 7.5 hours door to door and it’s a 420 mile journey.

A few questions…

1. Can we do the journey in one day or is it just too far/mentally draining for one person?

2. Google is suggesting one of two routes: either the M11 followed by the A1; or the M1 then onto the A1 at Doncaster. I believe both options have tolls. Which route would you recommend?

3. Does anyone have any tips on places to stop for coffee, lunch or overnight on the way?

Any other advice, tips or knowledge about these roads would be thoroughly appreciated as we’re a bit unsure!

Many thanks.

Just doing back from Scotland now- we do it in a day. Our preferred route is M40 and M6 taking the M6 toll to avoid traffic. We stop at Lancaster services for refuelling as petrol is significantly cheaper there. Tebay services very pretty and good food - bout 120 miles out of Glasgow.

Tebay is great.

Whether or not 7.5 hours can be done in one day is very much up to the driver! If you're not in a rush you may as well break the journey.

Thanks for responding! DH is concerned that it’s too far in one day - he’s never driven that far before so is unsure if it’s doable. We’re also worried about our toddler being in the car for that long. What do you think?

Just to say I drove from Glasgow to west London last week
We went M6 and M40 so not quite the same route
We left at 10am and arrived at 6pm ( with a 40 min stop for lunch and petrol ) so I’d say it is definitely do-able in a day
However I find motorways quite easy to drive on so didn’t feel tired by the end ( although I wouldn’t have wanted to do it a sign the next day )
You should be able to avoid tolls if you want to, just enter that choice into your sat nav .
If you set off earlier than me you should have no problem
doing it in daylight ( even allowing for a few stops if you have a toddler )
Good luck

I'd break that up, especially with a kid.

I'd regularly do 6 hours from Scotland on my own but it got too much & if there's a holdup, it really gets tiring.

There's hotels all the way up, I'd break somewhere after about 4 hours. You need to stop every couple of hours anyway. Make the 2nd part of the drive slightly shorter.

Also depends on your car, big motorway cruiser, you won't be as tired. Puttering up in a city car, definitely stop.

Th A1 isn’t great once you get to the north east (lots of road works at the moment and then it’s single lane for much of the trip through the borders so it might be a draining stretch after an already long journey.

I’d either stop overnight at york (which has a brilliant train museum which your toddler will love) and plenty of other things going on although likely busy with being school hols.
Alternatively there’s a premier inn near Wakefield that’s attached to an amusement centre including a soft play.

Otherwise as pp said go up the west which is a better road and tebay is a good overnight stop.

I have a DS aged 2 and I wouldn’t attempt a 7 hour drive during daylight hours without a lengthy stop, but then he can be fussy in the car.

If you didn’t want to do an Overnight then I’d set off early do 3 hours, then stop in the north for a run about and lunch and then do the rest in the afternoon (my DS would likely still sleep for a chunk of that but he’s only just 2)

As a child we always did it in one day visiting grandparents in Glasgow- my parents liked to get up early and arrive in time for lunch. My brother and I were fine, audiobooks all the way.
But as an adult, when I’ve had to drive up with my partner we tend to stop and stay the night somewhere. We don’t drive as often and so maybe we don’t have the stamina my parents do! Also we tend to leave later in the day. Tebay have a hotel. We’ve stayed around Gretna Green before too. Would your partner really be ok doing 7.5 hours by himself? (Although there are ppl saying they can and do so maybe I’m just a wimp!)

We do this drive with two DC a couple of times a year, but DH and I trade off on the driving every 2-2.5 hours. Whether it's doable with only one driver is up to that driver - DH has done it completely solo when the DC and I flew back one time, but you can do it much closer to nonstop with no DC. With DC you pretty much have to stop every few hours for toilet, snacks, stretching. I don't think we would attempt it in one day as a family.

We also take the M6 toll and rate Tebay.

We’ve done a slightly longer journey regularly since my kids were babies, it’s actually fine. When the kids were smaller we’d stop every couple of hours for a short break and have a car full of food and distractions

I’d leave more than 7.5 hrs if travelling with a toddler. 7.5 hrs for 480 miles is assuming an average speed of 64 mph, which seems ambitious without even accounting for stops.

Is your toddler still in nappies? That will make life easier. I used to regularly do a 300 mile trip solo with the dc, with 3 tummies and bladders on different schedules!

An overnight at York is a good idea.

I wouldn’t take the A1 if you’re going to Glasgow. You’ll be on the wrong side of Scotland. It’s two lanes for much of the route and north of Newcastle it’s mostly single carriageway to Dunbar. Absolute nightmare if you get stuck being lorries/caravans etc.

Best option is M1 to J19, onto the M6, M6 toll to avoid Birmingham (will save you at least 40 mins, more if Brum is gridlocked). Definitely stop at Tebay! Onto the M74 at the border and that takes you straight into Glasgow.

There are plenty of places you can break the journey overnight but it’s very doable in the day, it’s straightforward if dull driving. Get an early start and you’ll be fine.

What's your toddler like in the car? It sounds miserable to me as mine would be ok for 2-3 hours with tablet and a nap but would then just cry.

I would take the train

It will take way more than 7.5 hours not even counting stops

Done it since kids were babies. It's not that bad. I second that tebay is best stop. Leave as early as you can, do it in 2-3 hr blocks, accept it takes ages to get there! Our preference was to do it around 7pm which was their bedtime. Take plenty of story tapes, snax etc. You'll be fine

I have done this journey. It is tough but doable.

I would break it down into stages:

Kent - M25 - M11. There are services around Stansted for a cup of tea, a bite to eat and toilet.

Then onto A1, straight up A1, stop somewhere for another break. There is an American diner after Lincoln if you fancied lunch. Can't remember it's name. But plenty of services around Doncaster etc.

Them continue up A1 to Scotch Corner then stop for another break at the services there.

Then across A66, onto M6, then stop at Gretna Green for a look round or the services just after Gretna Green (cheaper).

Then continue up motorway (can't remember name of the Scottish side of the M6, could be M80?) And straight into Glasgow.

Jobsagoodun.

@maggiecate I was thinking the same about the A1 but now wondering if it would take them across the A66 to Penrith, which is also a dreadful road but Google would probably say quicker than straight up the M6!

I just did a 6 hour 20 minute (total drive time according to Google maps) trip from North East Scotland back to North Wales with 3 month old and 3 year old. I did all the driving as we find DH dealing with any toddler required entertainment and me driving is our best team set up! Driving hours wise I'd say doable for one person but obviously so dependent on the person. My DH would hate it and struggle. We stopped 3 times for breaks and our total door to door time was 10 hours. We had booked a hotel with free cancellation until 4pm and decided by that point in the afternoon things were going so well that we cancelled and continued home. Its such a tricky one to call. We seemed to get very lucky that trip with napping baby and amenable toddler. We've done drives previously that were just horrendous as toddler was livid about being in the car. If you're not in a huge rush, I'd say book the nigh somewhere and take the pressure off. If you get somewhere with free cancellation you can make a call on the day depending how you're getting on.

Would also note that while I am happy doing all the driving, I do find driving in torrential rain a lot more energy zapping if its tricky to see the road etc. So that would make me want to break the journey too just for safety reasons really.

It’s too much in a day, especially with a toddler.

We’ve done a similar distance journey a few times. I find the best thing to do is set off in the evening after tea, drive for 2 or 3 hours , stay overnight in a Premier Inn or similar, then set off early to complete your journey the following day.

I'd give more time for the journey - that seems an underestimate to me, particularly with stops. Personally I'd stop off en route overnight and have a look round somewhere. Just makes the travel less stressful with a child. Tea you the best service station.
Enjoy my home city when you get there 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

I would fly. Its such a long journey. Maybe train but even then its hours and hours, at least DC can stand and move around, quick access to toilets etc.

We did that same journey with our 4 month old last month. We went round on to the M1, then M6 toll, and then the M74. We did both journeys in a days and it was just about manageable. It’s a long drive, and we stopped 3-4 times.

The M6 toll can sometimes be quiet to stop at, other times jam packed.

Annandale Water is another nice one to stop at - lovely lake with geese!

Others have mentioned Tebay - it is nice but it’s always so busy that you can’t appreciate the farm shop or restaurant.

Btw both directions we set off at 10.30am, and with traffic and all the stops and breaks, reached DH’s parents / home around 9pm to 10pm.

We've done Yorkshire to North Scotland with an 8 month old, then a 4 & 6 year old. I'd break it up.

We've also driven Yorkshire to Wick before children and that was brutal, but I have a chronic pain issue which means sitting for that long leaves me in agony for days. Either way, I'd look for a hotel.

To echo PP - Tebay services is good, Rheged too.

Presume the OP means a1 and then across to the m74. Looks the quickest way to me right now.

I’d break that up with one person driving and a toddler. Four hours is about my limit.