Best route from London to Torquay? A303 or M4/M5

[Dracoro]

Hi

I gotta travel down to Torquay next week for a weekend of beer and hockey and more beer. Anyway, I want to get there at a reasonable time (between 8&9) and will travelling on Thursday.

Now, should I take the A303 all the way or the M4 then the M5? I hear the M4/M5 round Bristol is bad (any way to avoid this bit?) My mate advises the A303 which normally I would agree with but what with the bank holiday weekend I fear getting stuck on the single lane parts behind caravaners etc. (normally not a prob in the Westie, just blast past them but I'm the A6 which isn't quite as fast lol )

[Rob_F]

Having travelled both several times living in exeter and travelling to london i would take the motorways at that time of day. The A303 seems little quicker but generally a lot more hassle with more chance of roadworks/camera vans/big traffic jams.

Cheers,
Rob.

[bga]

I do the journey every few weeks. If I want to get there quickly then it's M4->M5->A38 every time.

If I've got a bit more time then I usually do the A303. On a bank holiday both will be busy.

[Dracoro]

Thanks. looking for the fastest time, I've driven the A303 before so happy that I've seen the 'scenic route' before

Does the Bristol bit get very clogged? Or is there a diversion I should take or just bear it out?

[bga]

Brizzle can get a bit congested, but it's nothing worse than Reading or Swindon imo.

[antony moxey]

Fly from Gatwick to Exeter, then get a train or cab.

[t0ny99]

A303, and leave early:

Twickenham area to Noss Mayo, 5.15 departure, 8am arrival...

[Dracoro]

I need to leave after work (but can finish early) so between 4 & 7.

Fly to Exeter? Seems pointless at it's the best part of £300!!! won't realistically be an faster either as have to go through check in/out etc. then something slow from Exeter to Torquay.

[bga]

t0ny99 said:

A303, and leave early:

Twickenham area to Noss Mayo, 5.15 departure, 8am arrival...

fark me that's good to get to Noss. I did Uxbridge -> Modbury in the same time once & that's an easier journey than yours

[mechsympathy]

Dracoro said:

I need to leave after work (but can finish early) so between 4 & 7.

I'd be tempted to leave late and check the web before I left. On a bank holiday the M4/M5 junction will be carnage.

[ewenm]

From where in London? I used to work in Streatham and go out with a girl in Exeter. I'd always go A303 on a Friday afternoon/evening, my best time was 3 hours. However, I was in the Caterham so rarely got held up for long by slow cars.

I'd probably decide based on whether the M3 or M4 is easier for you to get to at the start. On a bank holiday the A303 wil be slow/stationary where the dual carriageway ends at Stonehenge and the M4/M5 junction will be nasty too.

[anonymous-user]

Driving from the top of Somerset to Exeter everyday, the route I'd take, if you're incoming from London would be....

M4 then change to M5 at Bristol (isn't as bad as other places at the interchange, just be careful you don't get pushed down the slip road into filton and Aztec West), M5 all the way to Torquay.

Warning:

Between junction 27 and 28 there's been some more police lookout humps installed, which have been used on and off, with radar guns also used at the flyovers of a few junctions.

There's average speed cameras between junction 29 and 30, but it's only about a mile at 50mph.

The 303 route is littered with cameras, or at least was when I last went through it. At least one near Salisbury, and some more as you close in on Exeter.