Overnight stay?
We are fairly new to caravanning, we own a Lunar Clubman and mainly stay at our at local sites, we are planning a trip from West Yorkshire to Turo Cornwall about 380 miles, would it be advisable to complete in one day or stay overnight, if you suggest to stay overnight can you suggest anywhere?
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When we have traveled from North Notts to Cornwall we have always broken the trip at Bristol. Unfortunately Baltic Wharf is difficult to get into and is shortly to close. Only you can really answer if it is too much. For me now, it most definitely is and I would never consider doing it in one go. The time of year also comes into it, around peak holiday times it could take forever.☹️
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I would definitely break the journey overnight.
There are numerous sites in Somerset around the Burnham to Taunton area, CLs, club sites and commercial sites.
As a rough guide, from the club’s Cadeside site at Wellington which is very convenient to the M5, will leave you about 125 miles to do to reach Truro. Using the Hurn Lane site will add around 30 miles to that.
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Another good site at Wellington, Somerset (about the 250 mile mark) is Greenacres Touring Park - but it's adults only, although some see that as an advantage!
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I'd definitely break the journey, Peter, especially if you're travelling at weekends or during the main Summer season. Assuming you want to at least get past Bristol, there is Minnows AS, near Tiverton, easy access from M5, or Exeter Racecourse just a short trip from the A30.
Where are you staying in Truro?
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Peter
It would depend on the day and month of you trip. Passing Bristol any Friday afternoon or Saturday morning in Peak period is very slow going. As is any journey that takes you through the Almondsbury interchange down to the Clevedon turning during any rush hour which now extends from about 3.00pm until nearly 7.00 pm.
If you felt comfortable to complete the journey in one, it would mean a pretty long day and late arrival at the site, although if you are fit enough and can stay alert enough for that timescale or a very early start and missing all bottlenecks on route. Even averaging 50mph would take 7.6 hours
Assuming your worse case and adding some 15 minutes at M6/M5 interchange and anything up to an hour or more at Almondsbury takes you upward of 9 hrs travelling time at 50mph.
So depending on Day and date, I would probably suggest a stop just north of Bristol enabling a fairly early start and mid afternoon arrival at Cornwall.
There is I believe a stop over at one of the Gloucester junctions or alternatively there are a couple of sites around Slimbridge.
Enjoy your trip
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Good point, BM, I'd forgotten about Tudor Park at Slimbridge, a lovely site, right by the canal and just down the road from the WWT centre. Peter, if you had the time you could spend a couple of nights there and then continue down to Cornwall.
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If you are not a commercial driver and used to travelling that sort of distance in one day it would be foolish to try.
However, if there is more than one driver available then it is not an unreasonable distance in one day.
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All depends on what your route is SW, but an overnight break does make the journey more relaxing. We have done it for the last 30 odd years, using a variety of routes, and overnight stops. We have found M1, M69, A46 a very good start, as we loathe the M42 motorway. Using this route, you could overnight at Tewkesbury, or if you want to knock on a bit further, and get the M5 stretch done as well, Exeter Racecourse Club Site is excellent. We liked this site so much, we have had longer stays here, but for your purposes, it gets you right where you want to be for the last leg of your journey.
There are a number of very nice CLs on the Yorkshire-Cornwall route as well, so please come back here if you need more help. Top tip.......try and avoid the Bristol area between 4pm and 6pm if at all possible, very busy.
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The Cadeside, Wellington site is good for an overnight stop as it is withing very easy reach of the M5. Because of this, and because it is quite small, it gets booked up very quickly so try to get a place as soon as you can if this is the site that you choose.
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It has no toilet block which is a NoNo for many of us with small caravans and campervans.
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Some small units have no toilet, Kjell. Are you suggesting a bucket?
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No. ET has an Eriba, do they not at least have a toilet compartment?
Maybe no shower etc, but absolutely no toilet provision at all must be quite rare these days.
Even the small 2 berth van the in laws had in 1968 had a toilet compartment.
OP has a Lunar Clubman, so does have a toilet.
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Yes indeed, here is the Eriba and we have a tiny toilet compartment, and could indeed manage overnight on a site without facilities - but never in the last 40 years have we chosen to do do so. Even on sites as rural as this one we expect to have modern amenities available. That's how we are !
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Which club site is that, ET?
KJ, there are still some campervans with no toilets. The bucket was a joke, btw. It's humour.
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T@bs don't have a bathroom. Couple who pitched on same CL as us used a toilet tent. Great for staying on a site, but bit impractical for overnight stop.
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Travelling down from W Yorks, I think I'd suggest an overnight stop at Tewkesbury or Malvern. This would give a head start to get through the Bristol/M4junction/Weston super Mare traffic jams if it's weekend holiday travel. Not quite so bad in the week but Bristol rush hour traffic on the M5 can be bad late afternoon. It's about four hours from Tewkesbury to Truro if you're towing.
If you're going to do it in one go, I'd get up very early.
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Generally I would not tow for 380 miles in a day - particularly in the UK. Because of the volume of cars on our roads we are too prone to hold-ups which will inevitably extend the journey time. It could largely depend on the time of the year and the time of day you travel. I don't think I've towed for 380 miles in France, where generally it's a lot easier.
I did do Tamworth to Falmouth and back in a day with some extra travelling in Cornwall totalling about 630 miles, but that wasn't towing, and starting off at 5am from home. I certainly wouldn't entertain towing.
Certainly take an overnight break. What site are you using in Truro?
David
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Is that 14 possibilities we have between us suggested so far? Shall we try and make it 20 ?
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Could add at least 6 CL's that would suit, as being close to the route and round about the area suitable for a stop. However they are easy enough to be found by using the map search facility so won't bother listing them.
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All depends which route they choose, we tend to meander about a lot nowadays.
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Or shall we let the OP look at the handbook/sites map/website like the rest of us do?
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Hence my post above, TW. However as PH is a new member the advice given above should help him. It would be good to know what type of site he was looking at for his overnight stop.
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Quite so, Nellie. We've provided so many suggestions that the OP will be spoilt for choice.
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Whatever decision you make. if you are travelling this weekend past Bristol, best of luck.
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