A39 or A30 travelling from Devon to Cornwall

ALASDAIRLOW
ALASDAIRLOW Forum Participant Posts: 7
edited July 2016 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

 

I would appreciate some advice. I bought my first Caravan in March and have had 4 short trips so far ,1 in  Paignton and 3 around  Hampshire and Dorset.

I have 1 week booked at a park just off the A361 Woolacombe and am looking at  then driving on for a second week in Perramporth. I have a Swift Challenger 570 and a manual 2 litre Vauxhall Insignia. I am still a bit nervous towing and in particular wish
to avoid driving up any very steep hills .

From  what i have read the A39 sounds like a road to avoid due to very steep hills and windy roads, my next option would be the B3232 , A386 and then  onto the A30 for most of the way.

Has anyone experience of using the A39 and/or A30.

is the A30 mainly flat.

thanks

Comments

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #2

    The A39 is known as the Atlantic Highway, a much better road to use for your journey and will get you down to Perranporth avoiding heavy traffic on the A30 (which has hills too.) Use the A392 at the end. This route might be busy around Barnstaple and Newquay depending on your travel dates but is a straight forward run.. Hope you have a good holiday!

  • spk
    spk Forum Participant Posts: 406
    edited July 2016 #3

    I have towed the 39 for twenty odd years with various outfits and I have never considered it problematic, plus its a nice journey.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,155 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #4

    I don't think anything in Devon and Cornwall can be regarded as flat. All the major roads have big hills. That's why we despair in this area of the cars some people use for towing. What suits the flat roads of East Anglia and the Midlands will likely struggle
    in the Westcountry.

  • ALASDAIRLOW
    ALASDAIRLOW Forum Participant Posts: 7
    edited July 2016 #5

    Thank for all the replies,  Iam not expectig flat and have driven up hills , but i had read the A39 has some very steep inclines , in comparison  to the A30. We did not have the luxury of a budget which made higher spec cars like 4 by 4's affordablle and
    the Vauxhall Insignia is a motability car, my daughter is disabled, so again choice was limited. it is only very steep inclines which i prefer to avoid if possible . We will get an automatic next time !

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,155 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #6

    You shouldn't have problems. It's the Peugeot 207s etc of this world that get nasty shocks. 

  • ALASDAIRLOW
    ALASDAIRLOW Forum Participant Posts: 7
    edited July 2016 #7

    Thanks, it is more due to inexperience and  lack of confiidence. I have so far found only one very steep hill i did avoid coming back from Whitehill Country Park in Paignton . i know i coudl have made it if i had aclear run and could get some speed but due
    to traffic i did not think i would make it if i was in a queue and had to go very slow or stop

  • ALASDAIRLOW
    ALASDAIRLOW Forum Participant Posts: 7
    edited July 2016 #8

    last question, so are the A39 and A30 pretty much the same with regards to the hills and varying inclines. the campsite is a mile from the A30 so i would be easier to end up joining it towards the end

     

     

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #9

    If you rejoin the A30 near Indian Queens you should be ok. (If that gets you nearer to your campsite?) 

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,155 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #10

    In my opinion the A30 is the better road and is mostly dual carriageway but beware of holdups on Bodmin Moor due to roadworks. Avoid that stretch at peak times or expect long delays.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #11

    The OP was suggesting taking the A386 (from Bideford I presume) which seems  quite a lengthy detour to avoid the A39 and with the roadworks on the A30 too it seems like a long journey. 

    The decision is yours OP, have a safe journey whichever route you choose.Smile

  • ALASDAIRLOW
    ALASDAIRLOW Forum Participant Posts: 7
    edited July 2016 #12

    Thanks for the advice all, it is my first big trip in the caravan so hope all goes well

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited July 2016 #13

    If you can get to Woolacombe from Surrey, there's nothing on the A39 that will faze you. As has been said, join A30 at Indian Queens then off on to the B3285 to Perranporth.

  • ALASDAIRLOW
    ALASDAIRLOW Forum Participant Posts: 7
    edited July 2016 #14

    we are next to the M3 so the journey should be pretty easy with no problem steep hills, M3/A303,A358,M5\A361 and the Hidden Valley Caravan site is just off the A361 so it is a pretty straightforward route. My concern about the A39 was having googled it and
    seen info implying it has some VERY steep inclines and sharp bends . Perhaps it has been improved. If you feel the hills arent that bad and that  a 2 litre diesel vauxhall insignia should have no problems then I will try the A39.

     

     

  • allanandjean
    allanandjean Club Member Posts: 2,401 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #15

    Would agree with recommendations to use A39. The B3232 is very twisty in places and as this is going to gtake you to the A30 and the heavy traffic there I would stick with the A39. You may get some hold ups around Barnstaple but, as for most journeys, if
    you avoid peak flow times you should be OK.

    Re hills, the A39 is probably not much worse, if thats the right way to describe it, that the A30 and see no issues for you with a 2.0 litre engined car.

    Lastly, as said by others its a great road for driving and far more attractive than the A30 in my opinion.

  • ATDel
    ATDel Forum Participant Posts: 335
    edited July 2016 #16

    The A39 is a good road, there is about a mile of sharp bends a few miles past Bideford.  As for steel hills, not really there are some hills on route but steep, not as steep as some on the A30, you also have got to consider the roadworks at Bodmin on the
    A30. Last Saturday at 16.00 going into Cornwall there was a 10 mile of slow moving traffic leading upto the roadworks. If travelling on a Friday afternoon or a Saturday I'd definitely use the A39

    Kev

  • scarletsfan
    scarletsfan Forum Participant Posts: 292
    edited July 2016 #17

    If you can get to Woolacombe from Surrey, there's nothing on the A39 that will faze you. As has been said, join A30 at Indian Queens then off on to the B3285 to Perranporth.

     

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