Driving to Cornwall over night - tips needed

[WaffleDogg20]

We booked our yearly holiday to St Just/Cape Cornwall last year but unfortunately found out the Friday we go is also the day of my dds prom. We are going for a week.

im planning on driving down (6 hours) straight after prom as it finishes at 9.30.

DH wants to drive down in the day with dd7 and ds14 and dog but I feel sad that he will miss her prom. We would follow in my car after.

what would you do? I really don’t fancy driving on Saturday when it’s probably going to be super busy on the roads.

do I just drink loads of energy drinks to keep me awake?! 😩

Im a night owl and not an early bird btw x

@WaffleDogg20 check the M5 there have been night closures recently

What about drive two/three hours stop at a cheap travel lodge? Sleep for 6/7 hours and get up very early and you’ll be in cornwall before lunchtime.

if dh is driving, why don’t you get the train there with dd? You’ll still have a car there and can travel on Saturday without traffic queues.

Seems mad to take two cars. Why don't you all just leave after the prom so.you can share the drive and you both get a few hours sleep.

Thought it must be Leicestershire when you said mid July. You know it's only basically our schools that break up that early right? I don't imagine it would be super busy that Saturday.

We usually stay at the Weston Super Mare Travelodge the night before Cornwall so I'd just drive to there and do the rest of the journey in the morning.

I’d probably go to bed 10pm and leave 4;30am

or drive 9:30pm but be prepared to have a half an hour nap on route if tierd.

or travelodge

I live in Cornwall and have done the overnight drives to holidays and more recently the early morning ones.
You can do it - I overnighted to Durham once - you will need to stop often. Watch your speed carefully it's so easy to speed on the empty motorways and I've been caught before.
Agree podcasts or I like radio 4 world service for interesting listens.

You need to keep yourself alert. Not just awake, but without much other traffic to respond to you can kind of zone out and its not good driving. Bear in mind the end of your journey, when you're tiredest will be when you're in unfamiliar country (maybe not so much as you say you holiday here frequently). Remember once you leave the motorway, its still a looooooong way to go and will take ages.

Also bear in mind they're rebuilding the A30 with lots of weekend/night closures. Sure, they say it'll be finished in July but they said it would be finished by Easter. If you're diverted, it will be much much better to do the diversion at night than in Saturday mornings traffic but it would be good to look up the diversion route beforehand because finding those signs in the dark is not easy.

I think you'll be OK as long as you aren't already tired before you set off. I'm on the road 10 hours a day Mon-Fri and that's driving trucks around the city centre which is much more taxing than your average car journey on the motorway.

i Hate night driving so that wouldn’t be my choice 🤷🏼‍♀️
I would just leave at 4am, you’re unlikely to have much traffic for several hours.

We drove to Cornwall from the North West on bank holiday Monday. Left at 4am, we were having breakfast in a beach cafe at 9:30.
I’ve found it much easier leaving early, very little traffic, no road closures as most reopen by 6am. I do have a 4 year old and a one year old who didn’t sleep at all, which helped keep me on my toes though!

Have the other DC finished school? Will DD be drinking at the prom?

Would you normally take 2 cars?

Go on the the Saturday after you have had some sleep. Set off early as possible. Probably the best option.

Go the next day - my daughter enjoyed the after parties more than the prom itself.

I've also driven down on a summer Saturday many times in July/August. Just leave early, expect a bit of sticky traffic in some places like Bristol.

We have got up at 5am before to go to Cornwall, driven a few hours then stopped for breakfast and carried on.

I’d leave early Saturday - let DH and other kids go ahead

Is the holiday accommodation OK with you arriving in the middle if the night - will you be able to gain access?

We'd leave at 3am from Manchester and be in polzeath for 9! If you've got the accommodation from the Friday then you can get straight in and have a nap!

I would leave at 10pm after the prom and drive for as long as you feel OK. Just have a plan of a couple of travel lodges you could stop at if you want to. Even 4 or 5 hours sleep will make a huge difference. Seems silly to take 2 cars. You may as well spend that petrol money on a room for the night.

We do Falmouth regularly and would always choose to drive "out of hours". If you're a night owl (and have DD for company) it'll be fine. Just make sure you check any road closures ahead of departure so you can plan the best route. Stop for a cheeky late night Maccies and a coffee if you need a break. Bit of a lie I. Saturday morning and you'll be ready to hit the swimming slipway at Cape C by lunchtime

We used to drive overnight regularly to Cornwall in the late 90s

Until one year I was dozing off while dh was driving. He was tired and mistook a lorry on the hard shoulder as another lane. I woke with a start when he gasped, to see us approaching the back of a parked lorry at —80— 70mph. Thankfully he pulled back out on time with just feet to spare when he realised it was stationary.

We stopped at the next services, stayed over and never did it overnight again. It’s not worth the risk.

Why can’t you all just travel super early on Saturday so leave at 3am. Every one else goes to sleep early when dd is at prom so you won’t be tired at all when you’re driving and you can start to enjoy your holiday from like 10am on Saturday .

How old is the dd who is going to Prom - if it finishes at 9pm?

If you leave at 5am, you'll be down there before the traffic picks up. (I live in Dorset and drive into Devon and Cornwall in the summer).