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.

When it was just me and DP we used to drive in one day. DP would do all the driving as I don't drive and DP preferred as few stops as possible.

When we had DC we drive halfway, stay in a Premier Inn then drive the second half the next day.

Setting off we drive for two hours, stop for lunch then drive the rest. For lunch we get off the motorway and use Google maps to find a nearby place to eat like a supermarket cafe or a Brewers Fayre, somewhere cheaper than a service station and more child friendly. Our two year old needs a good break from his car seat or he'll just scream when he's fed up.

Also: hit the road early. We always leave before 7. Any later and it can add an hour to the journey.

Tebay is good for lunch stop but don't stay there.

@felulageller Is it not so good overnight then/ ?

consider the Premier Inn at J25 at Wigan.

@bakingdemon I will take a look at this, thanks!

We do Bristol (so we're as far south as London) to Glasgow in one day.
We've also done the return trip from Oban and from Inverness I one day but only with shared driving as its taken over 11 hours in both cases.

We did north London to the Cairngorms, we stopped overnight on the journey there and back. On the way there we stopped after six hours (meant to be about 3.75 but traffic was terrible), then the following day it was three hours.

On the way back we planned the same again, but again traffic was terrible despite being a weekday and not during rush hour, so we arrived at our over night lodge much later than expected.

Remember tiredness kills.

DD was 3 (2018) when we travelled from Kent to The Highlands. We went M1 M6. It took us 8hrs to get to Penrith where we had a travel lodge booked. The next day it took us about 3-4hrs to get to the outskirts of Glasgow/Loch Lomond.

I know the A1M quite well up to Newcastle and it’s good road but I’ve been told it’s not that good through Northumberland. (Happy to corrected) is the A66 being upgraded at the moment? Not sure what state that is in now but according to family who live in the North East it’s been a mess for years.

I've never done that long myself, and it wouldn't appeal.
Furthest I've ever done in a single day is 4, and that was more than enough.

I think if it were me, I'd set off at lunch time, stop overnight somewhere around Leeds or York, then continue the next morning, with a view to a lunchtime arrival.

DH and I do this often (sounds like we live right near you!). We tend to leave really early doors, around 5am, and try to only have one stop. We've done it in 8.5 hours door to door. Obviously different as you have a little one with you but totally doable in one day.

We've done it with our dc since they were babies now 4 and 7. DP insists on leaving at stupid o'clock to get started but then he sleeps in the car for a couple of hours at a service station while I entertain the kids. Not fun.
It's definitely doable if your DP is willing to drive but I would do an overnight somewhere too.

York is hellish for parking and very expensive for accommodation.

We regularly do a journey of that length to visit the in-laws on the other side of our state. We don’t have children but we take our dogs with us. We can easily do it in one day but we are very used to driving long distances. We find that plenty of good music to listen to is crucial.

We have a 17-hour journey coming up in s few weeks across three states. I am wanting to stop overnight along the way. Husband wants to do it one day. He’s done it several times before but not with the dogs.

York is hellish for parking and very expensive for accommodation.

Yes, lovely as it is I think we probably want somewhere really accessible and easy for parking!

I moved up from London to Edinburgh a few weeks ago and did the A1 route. Really liked it for a solo drive - the views out over the east coast were very nice and there was no real congestion and no tolls. I wasn't trying to drive fast though - tiny car with tiny engine loaded with boxes. I got an early start (about 7am) which let me miss the morning rush hour traffic around London and arrive in Edinburgh before the evening one there.

If you take that route, Knaresborough is about half way, has several nice B&Bs and is about 10 min off the A1 if you want to stop overnight.

I'm driving back the other way this week to visit my family and I'm taking the M6 route I think.

I don't recommend the train unless it's really straightforward. I've done Edinburgh to Oxford by train and bus a few times and it's an enormous hassle. You have to change in London and go to a different station, with all the associated irritation of either stressing about missing the connection or hanging around for an hour thumb twiddling.

It's definitely doable in one day. It might be more pleasant being broken up though.

I would not go A1 route. The west route is mentally easier. I find once you've got past the Lake District it becomes easy.

I once did Glasgow - Leeds - London - Brighton then finally onto Bristol same day. Also London - Exeter - Peterborough same day which nearly killed me as the roads then were mostly A road or dual carriageway. London to Glasgow is motorway. The only unknown is a motorway closure then you might easily be looking around for some accommodation.

West route is M1, M6.

I've done this journey many times - from Kent I'ld say M25, M40, M6 toll then M6 & M74. Time your departure to avoid traffic on the m25.

Any routes up the east coast. After Manchester, the roads are calmer. Line up some podcasts/toddler audio books to listen to maybe?

Stop overnight at a premier inn or travel lodge north of Manchester if required. Good services at tebay and the Gretna outlet place. The rest of the services are all similar.

I've regularly done 5 - 6hr drives with my DC as the sole adult in the car so driving and entertaining.
Now they're upper primary and we leave about 6pm and do about 3 hours so that, when we arrived at a random Premier Inn or Travelodge at a motorway junction, they go straight to sleep. As soon as they wake in the morning (about 7ish), we get up, have a roll & a banana or something and get in the car again and do the second half. Getting there at 10am makes little difference to arriving the night before.
When they were younger and up by 6am, I'd load the car the night before and set off within minutes of them waking up. We'd manage a couple of hours, stop at a services for a little run around and some breakfast (usually something I'd taken with me) and the loo etc, then do another hour or so before stopping at a garden centre which was close to the motorway and had a soft play centre for an hour or so then we did another couple of hours before stopping somewhere else (there were various options which local MNers had told me about in response to a plea on here) and then did the final slog. That last bit was always brutal but we did get there!

We've dome this trip in a day lots of times. But - DP likes driving.

It takes forever with young kids. You need to factor in lots of breaks.

It's completely doable if you want to, but splitting the journey is probably nicer.

Do you have any friends or family you could visit on the way?

It's definitely doable, I've regularly driven Southampton to Edinburgh in one go with two children (albeit not toddler young) on my own.

However you need to be prepared for traffic, it's taken me anything between 7 hours and 10.5 hours! The 10.5 hour journey was absolute hell - 3 hours to travel 30 miles at one point and i was crying wirh tiredness and frustration!!

We do stirling - Norwich in a day which can be a bit trying with A66 & a17.

Breaking it up just makes a tedious drive even longer imo but you’d have to time breaks for your toddlers needs really. I’ve taken my 4 kids since they were very small so they are used to it and just get on with it, I drive usually

I've just checked again and at the moment it's saying the A1 route is about 35 minutes quicker than the M6. Would you still opt for the motorway anyway?

Following with interest, thinking of doing London to Aberdeen later in the year. Luckily I love driving...

I did south west London to Edinburgh in one day a few months back, as we moved house. I wouldn’t recommend it, I was battered by the time we arrived and we have a properly nice car. And no children.

I would suggest swinging under London on the M25 and then up the M40, M6 and A74(M) into Glasgow. Either way you’ll hit a toll; either the M6 toll on the west side or the Dartford crossing on the east.

Tebay is nice, and decent for overnight. But it’s probably more than halfway to Glasgow so I’d maybe think about stopping off in Staffordshire or Cheshire. The Vicarage in Holmes Chapel, just off junction 18 of the M6, is pretty nice.