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Subject Topic: Best Route to Somerset from Kent Post Reply Post New Topic
PersonSally Sadler
29/7/2010 at 10:46pm
 Location: Norfolk
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Hi can anyone offer advice. Google reccomends we travel M4 M5 to somerset as it's faster but last 2 times traveled it - it was awful and the traffic terrible I saw a lot of misseable people towing caravans. It ended up a far langer trip and that was with no caravan just a tent. I once traveled the A36 / A303 route and enjoyed it but it was in the early hours - was I just lucky. As this is the first trip with caravan to Somerset from Kent I am tempted to avoid the A4 - am I mad...is it really faster? Can anyone offer advice please? Or even experiences -we are traveling with 4 kids? Cheers all


Personallthesevens
30/7/2010 at 5:55am
 Location: Wiltshire
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I would take the Crawley-Southampton road, plenty of nice places to stop for a cuppa along the way. Depends where in Somerset you are heading for but with 4 kids I think I would stop every  hour.

When I go to Gatwick, I take this road, longer but stress free.



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Bri

into life a little rain must fall


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PersonSally Sadler
30/7/2010 at 7:57am
 Location: Norfolk
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Thank you Bri - anything that avoids the m25/m4 junction the m4/m5 one has got to be less stressy. I am hoping the road is in good condition. I can't go that fast on motorways as it is such a big unit and top speed 50/55 max. So I don't think m4 would save me as much time as google suggests.I remembered the road had lots of places to stop. Planning to leave before sun rise and get there mid to late morning - even if I have to carry kids to car - perhaps not the 15 yr old!

Sally


PersonRune Caster
30/7/2010 at 8:49am
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If you didn't fancy the M4 crawl then you won't like the moving car park that appears on the A31 after Southampton when the M27 runs out.

Personally from Kent I would take the M4 route as even at a crawl it will be quicker and less stressful, or M3 and then 303 from Basingstoke which is a nice road made almost redundant by the M4 so can be quieter although there is usually a bottle net at Stonehenge.

Planning your traveling time will net you better results than planning alternative routes - eg traveling through the night with young children asleep in the back is less stressful than doing the same journey in daylight with the kids wide awake and screaming

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Caravanning is a way of getting a cheap holiday out of an expensive hobby

rune@tabbytha.com


PersonPigletandTigger
30/7/2010 at 9:30am
 Location: Dorset
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To me it depends where you are going, my advice would be different depending on whether you are going to say Yeovil (much nearer the 303) or Taunton (makes the M5 more of an option).

The A303 is in my view the road from hell most of the time, plus the A31 and the A35 have loads of roundabouts on them which are a pain if towing.

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Piglet


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Personmelmellie
30/7/2010 at 1:37pm
 Location: Kent UK
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hi Sally

We are off to Exeter tomorrow (31 July( this will be our first trip with our new Olympus 504 only picked it up 2 weeks ago. We are going from Kent the same as you and we will go M4 & M5 we did this route last year, with our folding caravan and was brilliant we got down there about 11am the only thing we found was the service stations were all really busy. We are leaving at 4.30 so hopefully will be clear all the way to M5.
Have a lovely holiday be good to hear what way you went in the end.
Melissa

Quote: Originally posted by Sally Garrett on 29/7/2010
Hi can anyone offer advice. Google reccomends we travel M4 M5 to somerset as it's faster but last 2 times traveled it - it was awful and the traffic terrible I saw a lot of misseable people towing caravans. It ended up a far langer trip and that was with no caravan just a tent. I once traveled the A36 / A303 route and enjoyed it but it was in the early hours - was I just lucky. As this is the first trip with caravan to Somerset from Kent I am tempted to avoid the A4 - am I mad...is it really faster? Can anyone offer advice please? Or even experiences -we are traveling with 4 kids? Cheers all


-------------
January 2012 - Stafford
March 2012 - France
May 2012 - Stafford
June 2012 - Newbury
June 2012 - Blackpool South
August 2012 - Scotland
September 2012 - Doncaster


Personmickeyb
30/7/2010 at 7:21pm
 Location: Kent Coast
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Sally, you can avoid the M4/M25 interchange by leaving the M25 on the M3 to J3 across Wokingham and Bracknell and rejoining M4 at J10, or of course continueing down the M3 and opting for the 303. I travel from Deal to S.wales several times a year and have always cut across Bracknell, never had a major prob. M4 can sometimes get a bit slow around the A34 interchange but generally is pretty good. M5 has a bit of a reputation tho!!!     Mick


PersonSally Sadler
30/7/2010 at 7:44pm
 Location: Norfolk
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Thank you everyone.

We have decided to leave before sun up (between 3 and 4am) I have driven the A303 route before and remember stone henge and a lot of laybys and stop of places. I am hoping the road is good!! From a couple of comments I looked at the route and although it's 1 hour longer I think at this time of the day it ought to be ok.

We are going to Wiliton so closer to Minehead. A303 looks pretty but never towed a caravan on this road - wondered if it is mainly single our duel carriage and I assume it's well maintained. I think from comments and times I might give this a go. I hope it goes well off at 3.30 am :-)


PersonSally Sadler
30/7/2010 at 7:47pm
 Location: Norfolk
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OOh this is a tough one! May have to toss a coin!

Sally


PersonLegsDownKettleOn
30/7/2010 at 8:19pm
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Think it's as broad as it is long. Having come up the M5 a couple of hours ago, it was pretty busy but the traffic news said that the A303 was also gridlocked.


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PersonSally Sadler
30/7/2010 at 10:01pm
 Location: Norfolk
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OH! It should be ok at  the time we go -- sureley. Off to bed now thanks all x



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