driving to Cornwall, week before kids summer holidays - travel Fri or Sat?

hcurves

Sorry but I work in school in Manchester area and we all finish on Friday 13 July in this area!

nickj_2

when we go down that way we normally leave early and then stop of in tiegnmouth or shaldon and have a day out there

Spendless

My kids finish Thursday 19th July this year.(Yorkshire) Was to be Friday 20th, but the extra bank hol for the Jubilee means that school staff do not benefit from the extra day as it is in the Spring 1/2 term, so finish a day earlier in the Summer term instead. I know of someone who lives in Leicester whose children always finish a week before mine, though I have not checked hol dates for this year.

AbbieCadabra

hcurves wrote: »

Sorry but I work in school in Manchester area and we all finish on Friday 13 July in this area!

oops! i'm starting to get the feeling we've made a bit of a boo boo with this holiday

oh well, we got it pretty cheap (for July) & we were planning on it being a beach/relaxing type holiday as we knew it would be busier than we're used to...we shall see!

edit: i've just checked Leics area on that site i found earlier, yup - 13th July is when they break up. we don't have kids & this is why we usually travel outside of school holiday times. you live & learn i guess!

sunshinetours

Most schools won't be off though so you should be fine. We always even out of season travel early morning and arrive mid / late morning. Travelling during the day can be much busier

wallbash

My wife ( as a teacher ) finishes on July 5th

AbbieCadabra

yup, we're definitely going to see a different Cornwall to the one we're used to out of season!

it will be our first stay in Porthtowan as the place we usually go to in Newquay was already booked. we'll just have to get ourselves a bit more organised than usual & realise it probably won't be as easy just to 'nip to the shops' for supplies as it usually is (i think a couple of supermarkets are within a 15 min drive). i think Porthtowan is ok for a local shop/chip shop/2 pubs, the essentials of life after all!

sunshinetours

There is a Marks and Spencers, Costa Coffee and Boots at the Hayle roundabout a bit further down from you on the A30. That should only be around 15 minutes or so assuming the A30 is clear. Lidl on outskirts of Hayle itself as well quite near that A30 roundabout

Country_Cousin

I think you will be better off in Porthtowan than Newquay because that is around the time that all the school leavers and college students head down to Newquay. I would not want to be there when they are ... That may be why your place was booked up. Having said that they stay pretty much in Newquay because they do not have transport and so stay put.

Heading down the M5 on Saturdays in July and August it is horrendous around the Bristol area - your early start is a good idea but I would not want to leave it any later. I live near the M5 in Bristol and would not dream of driving on the M5 on a Saturday morning if I want to get home any time the same day.

darlobird

We went last year during the summer holidays, friday set off at 6am from Durham and arrived at Padstow around 2pm. Had 2 stops on the way. Had to say journey was a breeze. Setting off early is the key, stop for breakfast during morning rush hour and then off you go again!