North Ayrshire to Dorset (467 miles)
Evening fellow members
In July we have decided to do a caravan trip to Dorset 467 Miles one way and looking for some help and advice in planning our longest trip yet. Looking for advice on whats best to do in regards to stopping over and where is best to stop over on the way down. Only big thing is i have 3 kids one at 4 and twins at 2 so doing it in one day is a no go what would peoples advice be in this adventure
Thanks in advance David
Comments
-
I would break the journey twice but it's up to you. There are plenty of club sites and CLs near the M6/M5 so I would book a night or two at distances you're comfortable with.
1 -
I agree with Tinwheeler that two stops would be a good idea with the age of your kiddies,as they will need breaks , as will you , and remember the roads will be heavy with holiday traffic,and more so as you get farther south,so it could be slow in places,
Where in Dorset are you heading?
1 -
Keep the idea of adventure in your head when planning & not just I must get to Dorset as quickly as possible. With young children as others have said it is probably best to have a couple of overnights on the way down & back home if time permits. Perhaps choose sites with play areas so the children can enjoy their overnight stops. Good luck with planning.
1 -
If you just want to do one stop over the Malvern site might suit, it's a big site with plenty of room and close to the M5, it will probably take about 6 hours in July traffic. Not sure which part of Dorset you're heading for but if travelling through the Bristol area try to get through there as early as possible. Weekends are the worst for holiday travel in the SW. Sounds like a great trip, hope you enjoy your holidays!
1 -
Just done a Route finder between Ayre Cragie gardens and Haycraft in Dorset and the timings are 8hr 13min and that would be for clear roads at road speeds, not towing ,so a two night stops would be for us ,as i would like to arrive and then set up rather than be tired on arrival
1 -
It really depends on how your children travel. When ours were that age we used to travel quite long distances as it did not seem to bother them. However, we had friends who could not go more than 2 or 3 hours.
If you wanted to go for one stop and avoid the southern M5 section, you could overnight at Cirencester Park, 360 miles or so. Before continuing south via Malmesbury, Chippenham, Warminster, Blandford Forum to the Weymouth area about 95 miles. Or if two nights would be better, first night at Low Park Wood site near Kendal about 160, second Cirencester 210 then Weymouth area 95.
1 -
We used to drive overnight with the kids and they would sleep in the car. Where you overnight depends on many factors but you need to try and avoid the M6 from Preston to the M5 south of Worcester in the rush hour.
I would simply work out how far I feel comfortable driving and aim for the nearest site with a play area. For me, when I was towing, I'd get down south of Birmingham.
1 -
We did a similar journepy in 2015 with our twins (then 7). We travelled Loch Lomond to Exmoor with one overnight stop at Hollins Green CL near Sandbach. We travel slow so each leg was about 5-6 hours, or would have been if we hadn't hit Glastonbury traffic in the M5!
1 -
We have just done Banbury to Culzean (400 miles) one stop at Barnard Castle on the way up using M1 A66 and Culzean to Banbury one stop using Troutbeck Head M6 then M40 approx. 4 hour runs with no kids and very high winds so I would recommend two stops in both directions.
1 -
We live in Ayr and have done that trip a fair few times. Usually find on our own we do Tewkesbury easily or Malvern as was suggested. Have also done it using 2 stops. One at Chester and then on to Tewkesbury. Also used Chapel Lane as a stopover then down the M40/A34. With the kids you could even have a couple of nights at the Blackpool South site then one night at Tewkesbury or Cirencester.
1 -
Excellent advice, thanks again have managed to arrange a shift swap with one of my fellow engineers so will likely head first thing on the Saturday morning and just take our time no rush not due to our destination until the monday anyway. we are going to Holton Heath (sanford touring holiday park) good facilities for the little ones. on the way back up we were thinking of blackpool for maybe a couple of nights again no rush, thanks again going to start looking at some of these sites and get booking
3
