Manchester or Stansted to Cornwall?

[zax]

We're planning a family trip from Finland to Cornwall in February. We're able to fly to either Stansted or Manchester within our budget & timetable, and after consulting Google maps it seems the distance between either of those airports & Cornwall is pretty much the same:

Manchester airport to st ives, cornwall
341 mi – about 5 hours 49 mins

Stansted airport to st ives, cornwall
349 mi – about 5 hours 55 mins

So which one to choose? Cost of flights is almost the same, arriving around noon on Saturday and leaving 7 days later at a similar time. Will rent a car at the airport. Which would be the best route?

We would have chosen a closer airport but that involves multiple flights and the flight times & increased costs just don't work for us.

[R60EST]

zax said:

We're planning a family trip from Finland to Cornwall in February. We're able to fly to either Stansted or Manchester within our budget & timetable, and after consulting Google maps it seems the distance between either of those airports & Cornwall is pretty much the same:

Manchester airport to st ives, cornwall
341 mi – about 5 hours 49 mins

Stansted airport to st ives, cornwall
349 mi – about 5 hours 55 mins

So which one to choose? Cost of flights is almost the same, arriving around noon on Saturday and leaving 7 days later at a similar time. Will rent a car at the airport. Which would be the best route?

We would have chosen a closer airport but that involves multiple flights and the flight times & increased costs just don't work for us.

Timing can be everything , can't shed any light on the journey from Stanstead but from Manchester you'll be heading M56 M6 etc , there are quite a few bottle-necks on the M6 during peak times . The last time I went from near Manchester to Cornwall ( Coverack ) it took nearly 10 hrs, and that was setting off at 5.30 AM on a Saturday

If you can , make the journey after 8pm at night , you should do it in under 7 hrs without speeding and allowing for a couple of stops for fuel / toilet / food etc

[LaserTam]

Congestion is possible from both - M6 Birmingham, or M25, any of it. Depending on the day and time, either route could be ok, but then either could also be a nightmare. Just go for one and hope.

[zax]

Thanks folks, looks like it's much the same either way. In that case Manchester is favourite since it's all downhill

Not too thrilled at the prospect of the journey taking 10 hours at worst, but hopefully we get lucky.

[N Dentressangle]

I'd go for Manchester.

If you're not familiar with the route, then it's slightly easier to navigate, plus the M5 / M6 has easier diversions and alternative routes if they're blocked. Diverting from the M25 without good local knowledge isn't that easy.

[Overlag]

thats going to be a long long day of traveling and will limit your holiday to 5 useable days really. Whats flight times? 3hrs from finland? 6+ hours from either airport to st ives... plus how long it takes to drive to your local airport check-in and then wait for cases at the other end etc etc... thats -2 days!

Personally Id choose the Stansted option (nothing to do with its local to me). Both Birminham and London will suffer traffic problems.

From Stansted, M11, M25 (or A120, A10, A414 and A1(m) to the M25) then i would stop off at southmimms services (A1(m) turn off), Check traffic issues on M4/M5 and if its really bad take the M3 and A303, yes the average speed drops off now, but its less miles and maybe better "views".

Manchester it would be motorway all the way to Exeter but less options on diversions?

Edited by Overlag on Tuesday 19th January 10:02

Edited by Overlag on Tuesday 19th January 10:02

[silverthorn2151]

Stansted is closer to me, but I'd probably choose Manchester as the M25 has long roadworks accross the top section. They are often much worse on weekends because it's the amateur driver out and about who flaps at contraflows.

You could easily lose an hour just getting through there.

[schmokin1]

have you explored flying from stansted to newquay on ryanair and renting a car when you arrive? much easier....