1 baby, 2 dogs and 450 miles

[fishybits]

Wise MNers, we're heading from Glasgow to Suffolk on Friday and have a choice of 2 routes. A) M6, A1 or B) M6, A14

I need to feed DD (ff so no worry about boobs out) and walk the dogs so any suggestions for good places to stop on either route or where to avoid.

Thank you.

Wimpole Hall near Cambridge is nice.

Can you get any of the journey done when DD is normally asleep? I did Leeds to Devon when ds was 16 months by leaving at 4am and getting a good stretch under our belts whilst it was 'normal' sleeping time - and then breaking up the rest with frequent stops.

That was my initial plan as it made the most sense but it turns out that I can't get there before 7pm.

But, for instance, you could get in 3 hours then stop for 'breakfast' which could perhaps be at a services (whoohoo, I know!) and have a wander around, get some freshish air, have a coffee, give a feed and change, let the dogs out for a short wander - then have another hour and a half and have a better stop where you find somewhere you can get a snack and actually take the dogs out for 30mins with the buggy and there's a coffee shop and a toilet. Then in again and have a break at lunchtime - again out and about for a bit etc.

We've done this going down to Devon - can work out roughly where the stops will be. I know some of your route - I think you could get down to the services just north of Carlisle in one go - they're quite nice with a lake that you could take the dogs round, and not too bad catering. I go a bit hazy then as we have to head over to leeds soon after that. Then I pick you up again somewhere on the A1 or A14 - coming from Leeds we always do the A14 and then head over towards Bury for where we're going.

Interestingly, the AARouteplanner takes you across on the A66 to the A1 - so two halves of the route that we have quite often done.

Ah I see where you're going with this I need to look at the journey as a whole day rather than with my before children head on and trying to do it as fast as possible?

I think you're referring to Tebay services as the one with the lake.

Yes, you need to plan this as an excursion which you break up into doable chunks. Plan around meals, naps etc... travel when naps are most likely to be happening. Stop regularly with some decent proper breaks. The only 'get there as quickly as possible' journey's you'll have now are those when you start off with them ready to go to sleep and drive until you arrive.

Yes Tebay, Westmoreland, services are the best in the UK and the only independently run ones as well. Food is delicious, location and views are fab. We always stop there on our way back and forth to my Mums, Highlands, from home in Dorset.

Am loving the AA route planner, that's fantastic and the A66 down to the A1 might not be the fastest route but definitely the prettiest which if this is going to be "a day out " it needs to be parent head firmly on shoulders DD is a sleep monster and loves the car so I should be able to do 3 hours driving chunks with an hours break.

Next I just need to work out how to get my spoilt dogs to pee in a gas station

Thank you

If you plan well, you can take them places like round the lake at the Tebay services - and then stop at a National trust place where you can take the dogs for a walk in the park etc etc etc. (if you have a national trust card)