Driving to Cornwall

Moomin21 · 14 July 2010 at 2:07PM

Hi Everyone

Not been to Cornwall before and we're driving down to St Ives in August.

I know the traffic is bad at this time of year, but we were planning on leaving Birmingham about 6 in the morning (Saturday) and google said it was about 4 hours 45 mins, so would be at St Ives by 11. Would we miss a lot of the traffic or would it still be bad and we should leave earlier?

Thanks!!

cajef · 14 July 2010 at 3:11PM

Driving into Cornwall in August on a Saturday is never good no matter what time you set off, you may be lucky but I would plan for longer than 5 hours.

Although the A30 is mainly dual it will be very busy and congested, expect delays and queues on the single carriageway bits, also there are major roadworks at the Chiverton Cross roundabout on the A30 at the start of the Redruth/Camborne bypass for the next 40 weeks and roadworks with lane closures and contraflow on the same bypass for 5 miles with 50mph speed limit and average speed cameras lasting till October, so expect long delays at peak times.

HOWMUCH · 14 July 2010 at 3:23PM

Could you travel over night and sleep in the car for afew hours, check in to hotel and them finish sleeping on the beach and top up the tan?

dangers · 14 July 2010 at 4:37PM

If you're going to hit any traffic, it will be around Junctions 18 to 20 of the M5. Especially around the Avonmouth Bridge and then up past Gordano Services to where the motorway splits. You can never tell what it is going to be like, especially on a Saturday in the height of summer.

sunshinetours · 14 July 2010 at 5:26PM

We go there fairly regularly and in August it will be busy. Going into St Ives itself will be very busy. IF you are staying outside consider walking in if close enough or getting the St ive's branch line or bus as parking is also very difficult in August

And yes I would leave earlier than 6 personally. We normally leave about 4 in the morning and arrive for a late breakfast

POPPYOSCAR · 14 July 2010 at 5:58PM

Yes I agree with everyone else.

Last time we went to cornwall it took us 5 hours from Bristol(we stayed in a hotel there and left straight after breakfast at around 9.30am.)
Never again!! The next time we go we will leave very early probably about 4.00am.

dangers · 14 July 2010 at 6:14PM

Re-read your post to see you are going in August. In that case, expect traffic from anywhere south of the Almondsbury Interchange (where the M4 meets the M5).

billy_the_kid_2 · 14 July 2010 at 6:19PM

In the summer months we always set off from Surrey at about 4 in the morning. We normally arrive in the Wadebridge area just in time for breakfast.

PasturesNew · 14 July 2010 at 6:20PM

Go the night before and stay at a nearby hotel. There's a Premier Lodge on the A30 at Fraddon. http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/NEWPEN/newquay-a30/fraddon - although that's likely to be about £70-80 for the night. There are other cheaper places around. That was just the first one that came to mind.

If you leave at 6, you'll hit the traffic at Bristol ... and queue all the way to St Ives.

PasturesNew · 14 July 2010 at 6:22PM

billy_the_kid wrote: »

In the summer months we always set off from Surrey at about 4 in the morning. We normally arrive in the Wadebridge area just in time for breakfast.

And St Ives is a LOT further down than Wadebridge (45 miles)

MoneySavingMakesMyDay · 14 July 2010 at 9:27PM

The only advice I can offer is to leave as early as you can. Traffic will be bad on any Saturday in August and if it's hot tempers can flair and kids get bored. I would get to your accommodation as early as possible and even if you can't get in due to cleaning, etc you can probably leave the car and wonder round St. Ives or go to the beach, pub, anywhere, it's got to be better than sitting in a traffic jam. Hope you have a great holiday, it's a lovely part of the country.

Driving to Cornwall

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