Just made our annual run from Derbyshire down to St Ives with an overnight stay at Exeter Services - it's just too long a drive to do in one go and then set the caravan up including the awning.
We quite enjoy our night at the services and it's always busy - shame about the people who can't be bothered to visit the loo and urinate all over the place - our only real complaint about the services.
We get there about 9 pm on the Friday and leave at 9 pm the next morning.
We are at our site in St Ives now and it is always worth the drive.
I can thoroughly recommend St Ives as a base for visiting the bottom end of Cornwall.
We see scores of caravans on the way down - a very popular destination.
We've just got back from portreath ...
We live in Derbyshire just north of Derby and do it in one day with the van, travelled down on a Friday and it took 6 1/2 hours with one stop.
Coming back yesterday was a different story 9 hours with two stops..
Just to many people traveling on Saturdays during the school holidays but we can't do overnight stops as the van is loaded and we have two kids so not practical ... it's only once a year for us thank god 😂😂
We've just got back from st Ives. Yes it is a great location. We travel down in a single journey with a few stops. Leave York at about 4pm and get to site at about 2:00am. Site is good as it had an early arrival field - we can put legs down and get on pitch first thing. Coming back is not so easy as storage shuts at 9pm. We break journey with overnight stop at Stroud. On sat 12th Aug it took 7.5 hrs from st Ives to Stroud (about 200 miles) due to traffic so glad to stop!
Exeter Services are fine for parking, but I don't like the layout of their fuel pumps (although I have used them for a while, since this stop is pretty much halfway for us).
You're directed to the right-hand end pump & have to do a sharp-ish right-hand turn to get out of there.
It's not too bad if you have a small van, but there is a chance of the back end of the van hitting the pumps as you leave, when it swings to the left.
We have had our week in St Ives now and on return journey.
Just spent night in Strensham Services £26 with £10 food voucher.
Get here at 10 pm last night and got legs down and Aldi on gas in just a few mins and all was well - didn't see any signage about not using gas and we didn't want to be cold overnight.
Aldi heating is the best thing ever to happen to caravanning and I would never ever go back to blown air - 5 mins on gas and it's lovely and warm.
Just about to make a move with only 80 miles to home - so that's Cornwall for another year.
Often though about stopping in the service stations, but considering C&MC has son many site close to motorways I don't really see the point.
Yes you don't get food vouchers, but on the other hand you get level pitches, electric hook-up and as somebody else mention, less likely hood of people peeing around your van.
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
I remember those journeys to Cornwall and Devon, over 30 years ago when the children were young and we rented some cheap cottages. Was it Oakhampton that had the hold ups? We used to travel on the Saturdays, and remember the children counting hundreds of caravans queueing to get south through the town. It took us all day to travel, but that was part of the holiday.
Brings back memories of the late 60's when we followed the HR route signs, though Cirencester, Chippenham, Malmesbury, Shepton Mallet, Oakhampton etc. The Rugby Clubs and Youth clubs stayed open all night on the route for refreshments (no alcohol). It was all part of the holiday, leaving Warwickshire at 10 pm on a Friday night and arriving at Falmouth around midday on Saturday.