Driving from London to Glasgow this weekend.... Where to stop overnight half way?

[missjemima]

Any advice oh wise Mumsnetters? It's a bit last minute, but we've suddenly decided driving the whole way with DS1 and DS2 probably isn't wise. In an ideal world it would be a homely village B&B ... Help!

Hello

I do this journey with a toddler at least 6 times a year

Firstly do not go up the east coast..roads are not great when you get a bit further north and if you get stuck behind a lorry on the single lanes you are buggered for miles.

Absolutely m1/ m6 route..and definitely consider paying the fiver for the m6 toll. Will be the best money you spend on a long journey.

Our preferred option is to leave around 7pm and get to your destination late evening/early morning. Means the traffic is usually a lot better and also toddler will sleep in the car for most of it without messing up his bedtime. This will save your journey going into 2 days and save paying for a hotel

However if you prefer to go during the day, then 100% get up to the Lake District for Tebay. Will make the next day a lot easier and it's nice there.

Route up west much quicker. Second half also generally much quicker as roads sooo much quieter. If you don't want much of detour then Tebay services is excellent idea. Otherwise Kendal or Kirby Lonsdale. Glasgow is wonderful...enjoy!

No don't stop - just bash on and do it up the M6. Don't waste 2 days.

We go the other way and this is what works for us...

Get up at 5.30 am and lift children in pjs. Drive for 200 mile - kids will be dopey and happen to listen to stories cds and snooze - have pillows and blankets and some snacks like brioche buns. Stop ~ 9am get dc changed and big breakfast. Drive again let dc watch a dvd, play games. Last time we did this we left central belt and were in Windsor for lunch. Have tried leaving at 9/10 am and were rarely home before 6pm so we like to do the early morning if we can.

The amazing Tebay services on the M6 in the Lake District has a hotel. It's not your usual service station - definitely worth a look!

It is nice. But I did see a family in pyjamas there, including the daughter in a dressing gown

Hi Ladies,

I've left my holiday pre to the last minute (again). Any advice on cheap and cheerful hotels in the South East?

Thanks!!

Ha I guess I was slipping into thinking about driving from Leeds, family there so that's what is commonly done.

Firstly do not go up the east coast..roads are not great when you get a bit further north and if you get stuck behind a lorry on the single lanes you are buggered for miles.

Yeeeees. Beautiful though!

Emily you want to start a new thread. Look at the top of the page ^^

Kendal might be a good point.

North lakes hotel in penrith is great, we stay there with our boys. Just off m6 and easy access to the lakes. Got a nice pool and food good.

You might be lucky to find a nice B&B in the Lake District that will let you stay for just one night (especially if it's a Friday or Saturday). I did a similar journey a few years ago with a friend, and we rang zillions of B&Bs before we found one that was in a nice area and would let us have just one night (also wanted a twin room, and reasonable rates, which might have made it harder - but otherwise, we weren't too fussy, just wanted a nice location).

you'd probably find various services/budget hotels etc easier in that sense, even if you have to drive a little further to see the nicer bits in the Lakes. (We also wanted to spend the morning seeing them, rather than journeying onwards immediately).

Try the Holiday Inn, Lancaster. It's 2 mins from motorway, has swimming pool do something for kids to do to tire them out and then just 3 hours to Glasgow. Do it all the time.

I live just off junction 40 of the M6 and v near A66 and to be honest if you get up here you are only 1 1/2 hrs from Glasgow so not really worth stopping. I would just carry on driving

Tebay gets our vote. There is a campsite too - perhaps the Family PJ had come from that?

I can also highly recommend Trentham Gardens as a stopping point between Tebay and London. About 2 miles off the motorway, Monkey Forest to see Barbary Macquacq apes, barefoot walk, cool play area, lake for boats.

We do this length of journey quite often. We always leave Glasgow at half five ish, with kids in jammies. Drive to Tebay and get them dressed and breakfasted there and let them have a wee play. Then drive (with in car dvd players) until lunch time, when we generally go into a small town and find a supermarket cafe or a park and let them have a walk about. Then drive again when they generally snooze, and get to destination late afternoon. No way would we waste a day staying overnight.

We're back! Thought I'd report back in case anyone is doing the same trip and finds the thread...

We ended up staying at a B&B in Windemere in the Lake District. We tried about 10 places before we found one that would take us. Most because they were full and some because it was a two night minimum. The B&B itself was pretty horrible, the ensuite was literally a cupboard and it was grimy generally. Lesson learnt there is to plan further in advance! BUT the Lake District is so beautiful, we'll definitely go back - just not to that B&B!

On the way back we did as suggested and left really early - about 6.30am, then stopped at Tebay for breakfast. Kids had a run around and we had a look through the farm shop. Then went across to the A1 and got to London for a late lunch.

If I were to do it again I'd probably stay at Tebay on the way up and then a leisurely drive through the Lakes on the way to Scotland.

Thanks so much everyone for your advice, was really helpful! Hope you're all having a lovely Easter x

The blind hotel in Windermere is nice . The annexe in particular is especially roomy !

Can be pricey . Think we paid £70. Sometimes it's better staying outside the park and driving in.

There's a center parcs on the outskirts, whinfell that's really nice.