Advice😀
Hi all I’m Rhian and my husband is Justin, new to touring after having a static for years. Quite fancy the Lake District in the Summer ( fingers crossed) we live in mid Glamorgan. Would you suggest we travel half way and pitch ?
thanks
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Welcome to CT Rhian and Justin, things to look forward to, we hope!
You could get to the Lakes in a day, we sometimes do it from Somerset, about six hours, in normal conditions. But over the last few years there have been more and more delays on the roads so we tend to stop overnight, usually between Cheshire and Lancaster. As well as the usual club sites there are plenty of good CLs along the route for overnight stops.
Good luck with your travels.
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When we have a long distance to tow we travel more than half way, usually to within about a hour, or hour and a half from our final destination, so that is another way of breaking up your journey?
That way any major disruptions will be done the day before and you can arrive earlier to get set up in a more leisurely way. I'm sure you do this but check out any roadworks along your route.
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Even to the southern lakes that’s circa 250 miles. That was the maximum I would consider when we were towing and preferred to keep it under 200. Towing is a lot more tiring than solo driving. At least that was my experience. Personally I would find an overnight stop as Cornersteady suggests.
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Thanks all great advice, we are going to book somewhere half way mostly because we are newbies to touring 😆
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Wise move.
Enjoy your trip👍
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It all depends on time constraints, physical constraints and other personal circumstances.
Driving for me is uncomfortable due to arthritis as time behind the wheel extends and I consider 2.5 hours to be enough.
Up until I reached 40 I would occasionally drive for up to 7 hours to get to the highlands of Scotland if limited to a 3 week break. Now retired I usually head that way for 7 weeks and no rush. I will be using 10 or 11 sites anyway
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Thanks for posting back - doesn't always happen
If you want further advice about sites and anything, just ask.
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Good thinking!
We have done that trip from Wiltshire several times and it's not worth driving the whole way in one go. Even without the inevitable hold ups you'll arrive late in the day and tired. Are you also members of C&CC? If so you could look at stopping off at their Wolverley site which is in a nice spot with a canal adjacent for walking and pubs in the village doing pretty good food. It also means you avoid the M5/M6 junction which I always find particularly difficult when towing (assuming you're going that way.)
Good luck and enjoy the lakes!
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Rhian, If you are a member of the CCC you should stay at the Keswick Caravanning and Camping Club site.
Situated on the edge of the lake and very close to the town it is probably the prime location of either Clubs offerings in the Lake District.
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Welcome to the world of touring caravanning! Given it is mostly motorway i would do it in a day albeit if it is your first trip out towing then agree an overnight break is a good idea. However we Regularly tow 400miles in a day in UK and EUland but then again i like driving and spent most of my life driving 20,000 miles a year which i realise doesnt appeal to everyone. And bear in mind the ‘clubs’ do not have the monopoly on decent caravan sites, plenty of private sites around, often cheaper and better. However if you haven’t yet booked a site you need to get a wriggle on, sites in tourist hot spots are filling up fast.....
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Wow Flatcoat 400 that is a lot of miles to tow in a day on our roads. I was a Rep and in my early days did in excess of 50,000 miles per year because in those days traffic wasn't so heavy. My Son lives on the Lizard ,Cornwall and so I do a few miles myself,,,,,,,,but 400 in one day on today's roads........good luck to you!, Safe driving.
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Hi Rhian and Justin. Welcome to touring caravanning.
If time is not a constraint I would not recommend an overnight stop en-route to the Lakes, I would recommend TWO, each way if possible. If you don't know an area that is a logical half way stop, if you have two nights there is time to have a day driving around and seeing the area. Having just an overnight stop is just a few hours break from driving. Having two nights makes it into part of the holiday. We do it frequently in the UK and pretty much always when we go to France.
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If you have the timer, a break is nice. I have done it to Penrith in a day from just outside Portsmouth. It was Wimbledon Men's singles which OH wanted to watch when we got there, so no pressure.
By the time I'd tuned the TV she missed the first game of the opening set. Before anyone asks, no I didn't go over 60!0 -
I'm sure you'll enjoy it, brue. While you're there, if time allows, it is only a short drive to Kinver Edge and the NT Rock Houses - an easy (ish) walk takes you up onto the viewpoint on the edge itself with views over, I think, 7 counties.
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Having been to the Lakes on a few occasions (travelling from Bristol), I wouldn’t consider trying to do it in a day, unless I had to. I generally look for somewhere around 25-50 miles north of Birmingham, and overnight on a CL. Last time we went, the roadworks around Birmingham were horrendous, well over an hour just to do a few miles. Something to factor in, if it’s still the same.
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Hi R&J, As you will have noticed there can be a number of views on a subject.
i can tell you what I do but, having no idea of your habits and preferences, it may not be something that suits you.
My main point would be on the driving and that we long ago arrived at a system' that suits us.
We drive 2 hrs, stop for 30 mins, drive for 2 stop for 1, drive for 2 stop for 30 mins then final drive for 2hrs.
So we would drive a max of 8 hours IF we needed, or wanted to.
We presume an average speed of 50 MPH including stops.
Of course much depends on when you want to set off, whats the latest you wish to arrive etc, but our routine was prompted by no longer wishing to arrive somewhere feeling drained and have only recently decided that we will limit our daily drive, on our main holidays where time is not so tight and we are usually on the road by 0800, to a max of 200-250 as the norm and 300 where we are using motorways and aiming for a specific site.
Whatever you decide I hope you enjoy your van and the Lakes-two great choices!
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Does it currently require a periscope?
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If you are in no hurry then I'd break the trip, not with an overnight but with a 2 or 3 day stop to take in and enjoy another location.
If you would prefer not to do this then it shouldn't be an overly long haul for one day. We moved up to Merseyside end of 2017 and tow down to south of Exeter to see our son a few times a year. The 280 mile mainly m'way and fast dual carriageway trip is a breeze due to the restricted motorway speeds in place. It is the best long run we do in the UK. Traffic runs smoothly and we do the trip in 6hrs with a stop.
Colin
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) Hoping to enjoy a canal walk whilst there.
