London to Penzance

[bluevenetian]

Going to head off to Penzance from London tonight -- well early Friday morning.... which way would you go -- M4, M5 or M3 and hit the A303?

I've done both - the M4, M5 route is fast, but a bit dull and recently there always seems to be accidents/delays around Portishead.

The A303 is more interesting, but not much fun in parts if weather is bad and trucks are thundering towards you.

 

[merc230k]

m4 m5 its loads quicker

 

[C240Sport97]

A303 is not dual carriageway all the way, so if there's traffic, it's a pain

 

[kraftwerk]

Go during the night. Much less stressful. I'd leave London at 9pm.

 

[stevesey]

We traditionally do Bristol -> St Ives every year at this time, leave at 5am - hit St Ives 190+ miles later at 8am for breakfast and avoid all the traffic. Friday travel is much easier than Saturday, but we still go at this time.

 

[bluevenetian]

I'm looking to leave london at about 3.a.m and to be in Penzance at about 8 ish in the morning. I've done it before and STILL hit a traffic jam on Bodmin Moor at about 7ish! Anyway I'm off to bed for a couple of hours. Thanks all!

 

[stevesey]

I'm looking to leave london at about 3.a.m and to be in Penzance at about 8 ish in the morning. I've done it before and STILL hit a traffic jam on Bodmin Moor at about 7ish! Anyway I'm off to bed for a couple of hours. Thanks all!

Since they dual'd the bit at the end of the bypass it's been much better.

I'm off up to Camberwell in the morning for my son's flat move -> Kings Cross - if you're late lookout for a hire van going the other way

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

We'll be heading down to the Lizard Peninsular tomorrow night - travelling through the night with the caravan in tow, and hopefully two sleeping children in the back.

I reckon with traffic and extra stops due to the children being awake it could take almost twice as long if we travel during the day, so hopefully worth travelling at night.

Safe journey!!

 

[Seamster15]

Having done the trip both ways regularly over the last 20 years it depends on where in London you live.

If you're South A303 all the way, jams only happen if you drive during peak times or a caravan crashes

Plus there are so many turn outs you can drive around most of them, with a decent sat nav, try doing that on a the M4/M5....

 

[crockers]

If you do use the M3 A303 ..I would consider head towards Taunton at Ilminster and join M5 there.....the last bit of the A30/303 to Exeter can be a P.I.T.A....

 

[Howard]

But then you miss the Blackdown Hills ....

I used to drive London to Rock every weekend for a year or more , always used to go 303 .... so much more interesting.

 

[Seamster15]

If you do use the M3 A303 ..I would consider head towards Taunton at Ilminster and join M5 there.....the last bit of the A30/303 to Exeter can be a P.I.T.A....

Agree with Crockers, I always take the A358 up to the M5, it's about 10 miles longer but 90% of the time it's quicker.