Driving to Cornwall with young kids - advice please!

[Jellybeanz]

Any advice on places to stop en route and general long journey tips much appreciated, we have a baby and toddler.

Many thanks :)

[ladyruskin]

I will watch this thread with great interest as we're doing the journey with a 3yo soon!

[njc97]

We leave very early (aimed for 6:30, but actually 7ish), get kids up and into car in pyjamas, then do lunch at services (either Fleet or Reading, depending if you're going A303 or M4/M5), then stop again for a good lunch break (Stourhead's just off A303 and worth an hour running around and then lunch in cafe, we had a good journey on M4 this time and lunched by coast somewhere past Bristol). Makes it a long day but if you're stopping to see something, less of a chore.

There's a good thread somewhere on here about stops on way to south wales which has more suggestions, particularly near M4.

[oimissus]

we set off at about 5ish and don't stop till we get to Exeter (so M4/M5), which has taken around 3 hours in the past (the loos at the service station are full of sleepy kids getting dressed and brushing their teeth!) and then head off from there, get there at lunchtime. We're heading to just south of Falmouth.

[akc74]

We usually go M4/M5 and are travelling to North Cornwall near Newquay (esp works if early as getting to M4 no probs early-ish) - this summer we left about 7.30am and had brekkie at Fleet as we were going to Hants en route this time.

We have recently been given an NT membership and we've enjoyed stops at both Dyrham Park (on way back - 3hrs drive, nice big break then 2 more hours drive) very nr M4 around Bath, and also Tyntesfield beyond Bristol off the M5. Also hear Killerton House nr Exeter is a good one, but we always want to make a bigger start than that (on way back) or push on through if we're nearly there on the way down. I am not sure how expensive these places are to visit for non-members...!

[buggie]

We do similar to Oimissus - leave at 6ish & make it to Gordano services for 8am, not the prettiest of services, but enough to poodle round in, then do other 1/2 of drive.

We stay just the other side of St Austell & always book a table at Sam's on the Beach in Polkerris for our lunch as we can't get into our accommodation till mid afternoon. Being right on the beach it really helps make us feel like the holidays started when we get there.

My eldest was just 1 yr when we first did the trip & worked well most recently with a 3.5yr & 6mth old.

[tiddles]

We used to set of at six in the evening, in pjs and cosy blankets and then drive thru the night so they would sleep most of the way.

not sure if that is an option

[edanna1234]

We do this over two days - which adds to the overall cost, but means the holiday starts at our front door. This is only with one toddler, so makes overnight options easier.

With that in mind, we start after breakfast, and first stop is the London Museum of Steam and Water at Kew Bridge. This is an hour from ED and just moments from the M4. Our 20 month old loves the big steam engines, and playing with the toys in the 'splash zone' There is a nice little cafe for lunch with some good child friendly options. Our now tired toddler will then sleep on the motorway, and we can cover some good ground.

In our most recent trip the other memorable stop on route was Glastonbury. This made sense because we cut cross country from the M4 to M5 to avoid the Bristol traffic jams.

[treehugger]

We've done this trip for many years, starting when our kids were small. We leave v.v.v early, aiming for 4.30am. All but driver sleeps until breakfast at Exeter services. By then you've broken the back of the journey as well as getting out of London quickly. We do M3, A303,A30 to avoid major disastrous holdups on the motorway. If you leave early enough, you can beat just about everyone. Sitting in a massive traffic jam on the motorway for hours with small children feels pretty close to hell. Good luck and enjoy your holiday!

[Jellybeanz]

thanks everyone! wish us luck :)

[emza78]

We did this last week with a 3.5 year old and a 5 month old. Left at 8pm with kids in pj's, they slept as planned! Took 3.5 hours to exeter where we stayed overnight in a travelodge (mainly just as we couldn't check in till 4pm in Newquay the following day). The next morning had leisurely breakfast then 1hr 20 to Newquay.

HOWEVER on the way home we left at 11am, big mistake on a Friday, took us 10.5 hours to get home!! Was the journey from hell, baby was so unhappy and screaming, we stopped when we could but when you're on a motorway and it's 20 miles to the nearest services and he's screaming blue murder it's heart breaking! I advise leaving either v early or late, the traffic getting out of Cornwall and on the m4 is really slow at that peak time.

Have a great holiday, we love it down there

Xx

[vez]

We also set off at about 5 and it took us about 4 to 5 hours to North Cornwall with one short break for petrol in London and another one just past Bristol for breakfast.

On the way back we left on a Monday and set off at about 8:30. It took probably around 6 hours with most of the traffic in the London area. I remember heading further south on the A30 in Cornwall on the Saturday and the traffic going North was incredible! It was one huge traffic jam full of holiday makers! We were glad to be returning on a week day rather than during the weekend, especially with Saturday being changeover day in many places.

[etta166]

We are just on our way back from Cornwall, having driven there in just over 4 hours last Saturday. We left at 4am, and it was all fine. Stopped for breakfast near Plymouth.

On the way back we stopped over for 2 days in Cheltenham. It's a bit of a detour, but been worth it. My kids are 1, 3 and 5. No complaints yet, but I'm not looking forward to the drive through London later today....

[Mariamadeit]

We just got back to ed this evening having done the same trip, we left campsite in Bude at 12 did the m5/m4 route with a stop at services just past Exeter and a stop en route to pick up groceries etc it took about 4 hrs driving time, a good cd and plenty of snacks worked for us.

[scareyt]

We left at 7am and stopped here for a mid morning snack and run around: http://www.thegardencentregroup.co.uk/garden-centres/sanders/Sanders-Garden-World/1P About 2 minutes off the M5 past Bristol and much more interesting for kids than services.

[BeccaL]

And that website has a list of participating garden centres near motorways (http://www.thegardencentregroup.co.uk/services/motorway-service-station-alternatives/participating-garden-centres) - what a good idea!