Travel in the night or day? Caravan holiday

[RedRobyn24]

We’re travelling on bank holiday Monday for a Haven break in Wales and we have a 5yo and a 20mo, we have to get through Manchester too (iykyk) the car journey is meant to be 3.5 hours but with road works and traffic we are looking at 4.5/5 hours.

Our original plan was to leave in the morning maybe 8/9am and stop half way for a decent break for a couple of hours to break up the journey… but we are rethinking and considering getting up at 3am bundling the kids in the car and trying to get through the journey by 7ish

We can go on site from 11 but check in could be any time from 12 to 5 so we could be waiting around all day.

What would you do and what have you done with similar holidays?

I guess I just want to avoid the youngest having a meltdown in the car, travelling in a car with children can be so draining.

I travelled through Manchester this morning, left at 6:45 a.m and the motorway was already busy but manageable. I would leave as soon as it’s properly light but not before.

We don’t travel much anymore no, we don’t have the money or the time unfortunately. I travelled a lot as a child with my mother and I absolutely hated it, I’ve always hated travelling. I love visiting new places, but not the experience of getting there. My 5yo is very easily entertained so I wouldn’t worry if it was just her, but her sister is at an age where it’s harder to keep her quiet, especially as she’s not used to being in a car for so long.

No not really, we go away twice a year on uk holidays usually 3-4 hours away, we can’t afford to go abroad anymore so haven’t been abroad since my 20mo was born.

Normally we would time leave around nap time so the first half the little one is asleep, but because we’re travelling on bank holiday it would be a bit mad to do that. We booked that week because we could actually afford it, it was significantly cheaper, otherwise we couldn’t have gone away but I’m kind of dreading the traffic now

It’ll be fine. If there’s traffic then it’s there and you’ll have to be a bit slower but there won’t be the usual work traffic and you’re going against the flow of the traffic as most will be returning home to return to work/ school on Tuesday. Kids will be fine- even if a moany you’ll get there in the end. You’ll be ok.

You’ll be so tired after the drive and then being up at that time too. Yet the kids will be raring to go. I’d just leave at 9. Hopefully kids will have a sleep at some point.

Why would you leave early? Why wouldn’t they be able to handle 5 hours in a car?

We did 11 hours from Bournemouth to the northeast with around 5 stops, and we have a 4 and a 2 year old. They were completely fine. We didn’t rely on tablets or anything like that either. We had snacks, their favourite songs playing, and plenty of toys to keep them busy.

Honestly, it’s strange how quickly people assume children can’t cope. A 5 hour car journey is not some impossible challenge. When I was 5, my parents took me abroad by car, and we travelled for 2 days. They didn’t sit there worrying about whether I could “handle it”; they just made it work.

We had one child who was terrible at car journeys and at that age we just used to not go anywhere further than 2.5 hours away without an overnight stop because he was so awful. I do now have a toddler who still naps and the older child doesn't mind being in the car if we listen to audiobooks some of the way so what we normally do is leave just after breakfast and time a long lunch stop (with running around, playgrounds etc.) to finish at around toddler nap time. Then the younger one sleeps for most of the rest of the way.

It depends precisely where you live but I’d target being clear of the M60 + M56 traffic by say 7am.

For me that’d mean (aiming to set off about 5am but inevitably) setting off about 6am!

Hope this helps :)

What can you do at the resort before you’ve checked in? If you can use the pool or go to the beach or something, then having a few hours before you’ve been given your base should be fine.
What time do your DC usually get up? If it’s around 6am, I’d just bundle them in the car as soon as they wake up and get the first couple of hours - including the bit through Manchester - out of the way.

The tik tok trends are the cases where people (so far all young teenagers) drive the wrong way on motorway.
They are doing it and posting it on tik tok. 12 killed in 2 accidents in Ireland and England..

Plan stops and treats and games but best to have sleep

Yes, the M56 was lively at 7 a.m. this morning.

Wait, did no-one see the ages of these kids?!?!

😂

I'd be leaving when they wake up

Done this journey from a bit further up North. We did a night in the best western at Frodsham to break the journey up. If you can afford a little extra its worth a look.

Compromise and leave at 5am and miss the worst of the traffic without being totally shattered.

Not sure why you would need a couple of hours stop to break up a 5 hour journey.

It won’t be at that time on a bank holiday.

I think you’re overthinking it. The weather’s not looking amazing so I doubt everyone will be up first thing to flock to the seaside.

And you can’t predict whether the M62 will behave at any given hour anyway!