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Quote: Originally posted by kenles on 04/7/2010

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And how did you all get to Cornwall before the M5 opened in the sixties?

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Ok,i've taken on board all thats been said and have now booked a stopover as far south as i think is manageable without stressing out too much. From home to Apple tree farm at junction 13 of the M5 is 200 miles,i'll be leaving around 1pm,maybe a little earlier on the Thursday. Then back on the road for 9am Friday morning for the last 180 miles.

my next question for those with specific local knowledge is,shall i go back onto the M5 at Junction 13 or use the A38 south and get back on the M5 at junction 14 after michaelwood services,or even stay on till junction 15 near Bristol?

Did a similar route last year from Hull to Devon (past Exeter). Planned an overnite stop just off the M5 at Cheltenham.

Did the M1, M42, M5 route.

Left Hull on friday morning around 9:30 and it took us well over 6 hours. As soon as we hit the M5 everything ground to a halt. Sat still or crawling at a snails pace on and off for over 3 hours, thank god I had an autobox !!

Set off on saturday morning and hey presto M5 car park again, took another 5 hours to reach Dawlish. Comming back was much better as we left at 6am sunday morning and did the whole trip from Dawlish to Hull in 5 hours with hardly any traffic and the cruise control set at 60mph.

If we do that route again or any other notorious routes we plan to drive overnight or set off in the early hours.

I'd confirm what Kenles says, as long as you go down the M5 on the Friday morning you should be fine. You won't lose anything turning left out of the site & sticking with the A38 down to junction 15 though. At least you'll be able to monitor the traffic flow on the M5 from your site before you leave & make your mind up from there.

BB

Quote: Originally posted by simon23 on 29/6/2010

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we did the same run as you but to devon from leeds last bank hols we did it sunday 3am was a clear run  we were speaking to people that had done same run said 10-11 hours traffic around bristol was abolutely crazy not exactly an nswer to your question but thought it may help out we did it in just over 7 hours luckily no stops were needed but what adiffernt story on way home

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We are going that way to Chy Carne 23 rd,we will be laeving Nott`m about 1pm lunch time,ust take it as it comes if it gets glogged up I will pull in at the first opp and make a cupper till it clears again,no rush in my oppinion.just a nice steady run.

We have traveled from North Wales to Newquy, Dawlish and Bude 3 of the last 4 summers, Newquay took 10 hrs back in 2006. Picked the van up from Chester on saturday morning 9ish M6-M5-A30 reached Exeter by 2:30 great I thought good run down be on site between 4-5 how wrong was I. A30 was clear all the way to where the A38 join's it the solid all the way to Newquay, will admit it was for roadworks for the continuation of the dual carrageway. M6-M5 can be clear on a saturday IF YOUR LUCKY. Dawlish in 2008 we went on a sunday in August clear all the way M6-M5 but the 2 weeks were wet and windy spent most of it trying to entertain the kids and falling out with the wife. Last year we joined the M5 car park, left Chester saturday morning 9ish bit of traffic round Birmingham but thats only to be expected then stopped for an hour around the M42 interchange for a accident on the north bound side. Then parked up again north of Bristol by the M4 interchange and finally got to 5th gear again after Burnham, then spent 2 weeks in Bude getting blown away, falling out and wondering if the awning was going to stay attached to the van.

 So this year we booked a weeks all inclusive to Mallorca the longest we que'd for was to board the plane and security, at last both of us felt refreshed and never fell out once. Our summer hol's this year will be mid Wales, A483 all the way and turn right at Newtown.

I worked for the MOD in Plymouth (civilian) for 4 years and covered 30-40,000 miles up and down this route, there have been many times i've passed a car and caravan on the M5 between 3-5am and the kids are in the back watching a DVD I have also in the summer had massive detours from the M5 due to roadworks so traveling at night can have its pit falls aslo.

Has the dual carriageway been completed yet???

They where almost at Newquay last year when we where down there