Drive from Glasgow to Cornwall with kids

[Goscat]

We're going to Cornwall for a week in September and trying to decide whether to drive or fly. We have extra days either side to spare so would drive 5 h, 5h down and same back, breaking it up into 2.5h stints each day.

Pros-
. much cheaper even including fuel and hotels
. Get to spend a few hours in a couple nice places in the eat down and back
. Flights are really late so kids bedtimes would be haywire, driving avoided that.

Cons-
. Driving 10h with a 1 and 4yo 🤣

Anyone done similar?

OR don’t do Cornwall do France instead if you’re flying

Exactly - London to Cornwall is 5 hours.

Op another option is 2 x sleeper trains

I wouldn't want to do it because it's such an unpredictable drive, particularly at the Cornwall end. Sometimes the Midlands to Cornwall has taken us 7 hours because there really is only one main route and if you have a problem on one of the motorways or any of the a roads or local roads there are limited alternatives. The drive between the Midlands and Scotland is loads easier. But the whole thing would still be a long and tiring trip. I've debated splitting both journeys in half and definitely wouldn't want to do one one day after the other

Hang on op says this:-

5 h, 5h down and same back, breaking it up into 2.5h stints each day.

So surely is saying a 5 hour trip?

If you're going to do it then you want to do longer than 5 hours on the Glasgow part - you need to be hitting Bristol (Gloucester at a very minimum) - because of the likely delays on the Cornwall part.

We've done borders to Cornwall most years for the last 10 years. We do two night stops on the way down and one on the way back.

We leave Saturday morning, arrive Bristol whenever we arrive. Then either chill Sunday and travel Monday if it's not English school holidays. If it is then we travel to Exeter Sunday and stop over.

We book two weeks Monday-Monday but the way back we leave very early Sunday morning and head for Bristol.

We do a trip this length 4-5 times a year, have done since kids were babies. We don’t usually stop overnight either. With a one year old I’d try to get them to sleep through a good chunk, like do 1/3, have a drop and then put them to bed in the car (pyjamas on etc). Drive in for 5h and arrive late

these days ours are primary age and don’t sleep that well in the car, also parents too old to drive til 2am- we just push through in the daytime with snacks and screen time.

It once took us 9 hours to drive from Barnsley to Padstow. To be fair, it was August and the M5 was like a car park. I think 10 hours from Glasgow is optimistic though, even in September

We’ve done Aberdeen to Devon/Cornwall a few times with various ages but earliest was 1 and 4 IIRC. It’s always been fine but we generally do it over two days, so basically 3 + 3 main blocks (roughly but depends on traffic), stay at a motorway hotel and then similar the next day.

On way home we sometimes do it overnight, so leave about 4pm, do 3 hours, stop for dinner, get kids into PJs, then drive all the way home and transfer into bed. We would do it on way there if staying somewhere we could get into at any time too.

We do a lot of driving holidays abroad so kids are well versed! Tablets and a bag of activities that I give them stuff from every so often.

Have a look on the National Trust website. There are quite a few located close to the M6 and M5. They have cafes and you don’t need to pay entrance to use the cafe. When we travelled regularly to either Cornwall or Cumbria from the midlands we used them.

The two fancy services are on your route Tebay in Cumbria and the Gloucester services. They are pricy but the food is very good and plenty of space for children to run around.

Worcester junction 7 is a decent stop off since the city centre is only 5 mins from the junction with lots of cafes and lovely riverside walks. The cathedral is worth a visit.

As for time, it used to take us 3-4 hrs to drive from Worcester to Cumbria and it takes us 3-4 hrs to drive from Worcester to Looe which is about half way down Cornwall.

Depending on where you are going in Cornwall, I would probably want either two stop-offs on that journey, or to fly.

I said 5h then 5h so over 2 days!

I said 5h, 5h over 2days breaking it into 2.5h stints! 10h total!

Thank you! Yes, that's exactly what I said 😊

Why not? 🤣 Because that's where we're going in holiday with lots of other people Nd it's a beautiful place to visit!

You wouldn't need both legs to be sleeper; both journeys are about 4h30/4h45 on train. I would do that but then I'm a train whore. Expensive and transfer in London a little mission with kids (although less than an airport) but lots of fun and you can all play at a table of 4 rather than sitting facing forward not stretching legs.

This is my thinking! Glasgow slightly closer than Newcastle, about 10h total but definitely starting to sound like the better option especially with the extortionate flights at terrible times of day. Not to mention we'd have an hour and a half drive back to Glasgow from Edinburgh anyway at 9pm on return.

Also means we can bring older kids bike and the hiking carrier

Rude. I clearly said 5h, then 5h then later 10h driving! So obviously stopping ibernight

We’re driving 1300miles with a 2.5yr old in the summer (over 7days). Totally doable. Are your kids used to time in the car? Make your breaks intentional and interesting so a good lunch break with stuff to do, not just motorway services. If you get up and out in the morning you can be on the road by 8, stop somewhere by 10/11am. You then don’t need to be on the road until 2/3pm and will still be at your destination before 5/6pm that evening.

• Plan ahead things like where you want to eat, the worst thing after a long drive is wandering around trying to find a restaurant with a table, or somewhere with a menu you like - especially if you’ve got to get back on the road.

• For kids any hotel is an adventure, but I like to make sure my overnight stop adds value rather than just being something functional (that might mean a PI in a great location or a small b&b with a fabulous view, or a quirky hotel in the middle of nowhere - whatever floats your boat).

• Pack a separate little bag for your overnight stop.
• pick an audiobook and some podcasts for the journey, something the kids may enjoy, but you too if you can

• pack car snacks

• games

• add time for toilet breaks, someone always needs the loo an hour in!

• give each other a bit of grace. This sounds odd, but remember everyone will be cooped up for a couple of days and people respond to that differently. The driver will be a bit stressed from patches of challenging driving, the passenger is dealing with the rest of the demands inside the car, the kids are out of their comfort zone. Count to ten before you respond, it makes a difference.

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Totally doable and will make it an adventure rather than just a holiday! We used to drive to the south of France from Birmingham every year as kids and have fantastic memories of it (and yes a little boredom, but boredom never killed anybody). Now do driving holidays from choice!

We have done this several times and like seeing different places so driving is our preference. Where in Cornwall are you going? We always focused on clearing the midlands as it tends to be the tough spot for traffic.

Thank you, this is all great information and tips.
I think we're going to go for it especially because we plan to drive to France and Spain next year, so worth the practice!

Near st Ives! Where do you tend to stop off?

Yeah it was pretty unclear!! But over 2 days is doable of course

Drive, stop perhaps somewhere near Bristol on the way down, and perhaps north Midlands on the way back. So the second day is shorter driving than the first.

Depending on when in the summer, there may be one of the coastal villages near Bristol you could stay on the way down.

Nothing to add to the tips given.

If You’ve got the time to add overnight stops each way, then drive.

Leave before breakfast. Stop after about an hour for breakfast and a wriggle.

Two hours drive to somewhere.

Day out somewhere.

Next two hours drive to where you’re going overnight. (Or split it and stop for dinner, depends on what’s needed to manage naps).

Repeat next day.

Pack overnight bags so not getting everything out of the car.

Another option for the second day of the going home leg is to leave after dinner and get home late (so 6pm-11.30pm drive, with kids asleep in car while way).

Check th M6 in Cumbria is not closed, a long term bridge replacements is planned for this year sometime