Dorset on Saturday - Best Route Advice.

[GreatGranny]

Live just outside Sleaford and travelling down to Swanage area on Saturday for a week.
Never been before so unsure on best route.
I will be towing so just need the quickest/less conjested route.

Route on Google has 3 options:

1. A1 A421 M1 M25 M3
2. A1 A43 A34 M3
3. A1 A46 M69 A46 A34 M3

Route is the quickest by 10 mins and least distance, 2 & 3 meant to be the same.

Whats the M25 like on that stretch? Used to do it years ago when M in L lived in Aldershot and it was hit and miss.

Planning on leaving at about 7am so should hit M25 around 10am with a stop.

Thanks for reading

[Vincefox]

A34 inbound at this time of year gets VERY busy. Travel offpeak if you can.

[Boosted LS1]

I always use the a34 and a43 followed by a tiddly section of m3 and then m27. The a34 and a 43 can be very fast roads, often quicker then the motorway stuff.

[ColinM50]

Route 1 is your best bet but whatever one you take you'll wish you'd done the other - it's gonna be busy, just put up with it or ideally set off 3 am

[The Leaper]

Can recommend a trip on the Swanage Heritage Railway, best from Norden to Swanage as the latter station is right in the town centre so you can have a wander.

Corfe Castle is also a good place for a couple of hours.

R.

[5bob]

I live near Ferndown and the traffic after the M27 heading on the A31 can be a nightmare on a Saturday. The M3 can also be very slow all the way from Basingstoke to the M27. Also this weekend is Camp Bestival at Lulworth so that will likely cause extra traffic.

I'd be tempted to head towards Salisbury then Blandford then Poole, this will cut out a lot potential jams. The problem is on some days you can sail through and other days sit going nowhere.

[GreatGranny]

Thanks for all suggestions and advice.

We are actually attending Camp Bestival on Sunday. Our caravan site is approx. 10 min drive from Lulworth.

Hopefully traffic for the festival will have peaked a few hours earlier by the time we get down there.
Realise it will be bad whatever route we choose but think A1/M1-M25-M3 is favourite.

Planning on leaving at about 7am which was met with shocked faces by my 12 & 15 year old daughters :-) My 8 year old son just shrugged his shoulders.

Just got to start packing now :-)

[chazola]

I'd agree with 5bob on coming in through the NE of the county if you can, I live in Dorchester and the A31 in/out of Dorset is a joke, especially at weekends around Ferndown.

[UncappedTag]

GreatGranny said:

Thanks for all suggestions and advice.

We are actually attending Camp Bestival on Sunday. Our caravan site is approx. 10 min drive from Lulworth.

Hopefully traffic for the festival will have peaked a few hours earlier by the time we get down there.
Realise it will be bad whatever route we choose but think A1/M1-M25-M3 is favourite.

Planning on leaving at about 7am which was met with shocked faces by my 12 & 15 year old daughters :-) My 8 year old son just shrugged his shoulders.

Just got to start packing now :-)

Enjoy chap, all on my doorstep great place to visit