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Original poster

Cornwall traffic?!!

29 replies

FusionChefGeoff · 16/07/2022 09:24

I've heard horror stories about traffic - particularly trying to leave!

I'm grasping at straws trying to plan our route / timings home and wondering if it's marginally better if you are heading home (midlands) midweek rather than on 'changeover Saturday'?!?

OP posts:
2reefsin30knots · 16/07/2022 09:26

You just need to do it early. It will be OK up until 10am ish. I'd aim to be up to the level of the M4 (so beyond Bristol) by 9.30am.

Wellthatsjustswell · 16/07/2022 09:28

We either leave at the crack of dawn on leaving day or 9/10pm the last night. I’d rather be getting in my own bed at 2am than sitting in traffic for several hours the next day.

trailrunner85 · 16/07/2022 09:37

It is as awful as you imagine, and then more. It's particularly depressing when you get ready to leave at, say, 8am and Google maps has an ok-ish ETA, but by the time you're a couple of miles up the road it's adding hours on and red all the way.
As others have said, if you leave at 6am ish on departure day, to get up as far as Bristol before the rush, you'll be ok.

BlackboardMonitorVimes · 16/07/2022 09:44

I live in the Southwest. No way would I travel on the M5 on a summer Saturday in the late morning/early afternoon, absolutely atrocious. There are even places near the motorway I would avoid as the chaos spreads!

If you can travel any day other than Saturday, do it. If not, then I would advise either a very very early start (remember if you leave Cornwall at 8am you join the 10am traffic in Devon and 11am Somerset traffic) or the less tried very late approach. Stop off in one of the towns along the way as they can be quieter on a Saturday as so many changeovers are happening. Leave late afternoon. Yes you get home later but all the broken down caravans will have been moved by then Wink

SandieCollins · 16/07/2022 09:48

We travel down early (aim to get to campsite about 9am) and we spend the day on the beach, eat and then leave about 7/8pm on the last day. Tired, covered in sand and happy.

Much more preferable than sitting in traffic.

converseandjeans · 16/07/2022 10:02

You just need to do it early. It will be OK up until 10am ish. I'd aim to be up to the level of the M4 (so beyond Bristol) by 9.30am

I would avoid the M4/M5 area by Bristol on a Saturday morning.

If you set off super early and miss this crazy part of the journey you should be ok.

faffadoodledo · 16/07/2022 10:04

We have a holiday let which changes over on a Friday for two reasons/
1.
We want our weekends to ourselves
2
Travelling on a Friday is bad but better than a Saturday!

FourChimneys · 16/07/2022 10:06

Consider travelling overnight if there are at least two drivers. When I was a child my parents did that. It was before there were motorways or dual carriageways all the way so traffic would bottleneck in places like Bridgewater during the day. Have a nice day on the beach, a good meal, then set off at about 8 or 9 pm.

TrufflesForBreakfast · 16/07/2022 10:08

We're going next week. We live beyond Bristol and are still planning on leaving at 7am!

Chickoletta · 16/07/2022 10:09

I live in Mid Cornwall and yes, it is as bad as you fear on Saturdays. As others have said, either do a midweek/Fri changeover or spend your last day here and then head up in the evening. If you’ve got young kids, this also works well as they will sleep.

GreenManalishi · 16/07/2022 10:12

Reaaalllly early, or leave it til Saturday evening.

ArchitectBarbie · 16/07/2022 10:13

Tis bad but it’s getting better. I live near the A30 and have noticed it getting calmer despite the roadworks.

it’s still bad though! Have lots of water in the car just in case there’s an accident and you’re stuck.

BUT regardless of all that - I hope everyone coming to Cornwall has a fantastic holiday and if anyone has any questions just PM me! Have a wonderful time and a safe journey both ways.

xxx

CornedBeef451 · 16/07/2022 10:17

This is really good to know as we're going to Cornwall for the first time in years. In fact I don't think I've gone there in school holidays since I was a child!

Any advice for timings for getting there, is it the same?

We're travelling from the Midlands to near Plymouth next Saturday and dreading it.

Someone suggested driving to Bristol late Friday night and staying in a hotel then set out early Saturday morning for the last section. Would that work?

Newnormal99 · 16/07/2022 10:21

We used to leave about 6-6.15 am. Generally for back to south London by 11 /11.30 latest including a stop.

nonstoprenovation · 16/07/2022 10:28

Over night is the only solution to avoiding any delays or heavy traffic, we always used to leave our holidays on Friday nights at 10pm.. we are about 5 hours away daytime and could easily do the journey in 3.5 over night

It's also very lovely and peaceful driving and cool.

Badger1970 · 16/07/2022 10:33

We live in Gloucestershire, and always make the journey at 6am so we're well past Exeter by 8am. We then just slowly head through Devon and Cornwall stopping somewhere quiet on the way with the dogs.

But the journey home is always a nightmare, and after getting stuck on the M5 at Avonmouth for nearly 2 hours in March on the way back, we said we'd always come home late on the Friday night from now on.

Littlebelina · 16/07/2022 10:34

CornedBeef451 · 16/07/2022 10:17

This is really good to know as we're going to Cornwall for the first time in years. In fact I don't think I've gone there in school holidays since I was a child!

Any advice for timings for getting there, is it the same?

We're travelling from the Midlands to near Plymouth next Saturday and dreading it.

Someone suggested driving to Bristol late Friday night and staying in a hotel then set out early Saturday morning for the last section. Would that work?

Last time we did we got up and left home at 4am, treated it as if we had an early flight and had to get to airport. It was a long day once we arrived though as was 2021 so covid cleaning meant no check in until 5 but we had very little traffic and were parked up in Truro by 9.30am (having had a breakfast stop).

Way back we just left at 9.30 and slogged through, wasn't too bad but we didn't need to go via Bristol

WonderingWanda · 16/07/2022 10:38

Try to avoid Saturdays or if you have to wait until the evening, leaving after 8pm.

BlackboardMonitorVimes · 16/07/2022 10:40

@ArchitectBarbie yay how great to see another in the SW who appreciates and loves the tourists! We are so lucky to live in a fabulous area with so many facilities for fun (thanks to the tourists). I get so embarrassed by the grockle haters!

@CornedBeef451 coming down doesn't seem to be so bad, but any issues are normally at peak times so it's best to avoid. Check ins are normally in the afternoon so not so bottlenecked. Having said that I would head down early and visit somewhere on the way down. If you are going to Plymouth area, why not look at stopping after the M5 after Exeter. Do you have kids? There is an amazing ice cream place / play park on the other side of Exeter called the Orange Elephant.

CornedBeef451 · 16/07/2022 11:49

@Littlebelina and @BlackboardMonitorVimes thanks for the tips.

Kids are 14 and 11 and check in is 4.30pm.

The place we've booked looks lovely but fairly unsuitable for us. I couldn't figure out how I'd said yes to it but we booked it a month after my brother died so I obviously just said yes and didn't think it through. Now DH has covid so just hoping we actually get to go!

Original poster
FusionChefGeoff · 16/07/2022 12:39

Forgot to say we're in a tent - so an early departure isn't feasible as can't pack up any quicker than we do!!

I suppose we could knock a day off and leave late on the last night.

We're travelling on a Wednesday too so I'm hoping that might help!?

OP posts:
Anon778833 · 22/07/2022 15:38

I’ve just returned from Cornwall and we had no trouble either going or coming back.

PandoraRocks · 22/07/2022 22:23

I went to Cornwall last month and we had no problems driving there and back with a caravan. If you don't have kids, June or September are the best months to go.
I had a fabulous time and didn't want to come home!

Methwell · 22/07/2022 22:36

West Cornwall, near St Agnes, I love seeing people have a good time in the place where I live.
The thing with the A30 is it's pretty much the only road in and out, so all it takes is one breakdown and it's backed up for miles.

CornedBeef451 · 23/07/2022 10:34

We made it! Set off at 6am from Birmingham and in Looe already, 2 quick pee stops.

Hope everybody has a lovely holiday.