London to St. Ives.... most interesting route?

[Pole84]

I will be heading over to St. Ives for the Jubilee weekend and was wondering if there are any routes that might make the journey more interesting than than the M3/A303.

Ideally some nice windy routes with some scenery thrown in?

[tjlazer]

It's a long bloody way (i did it a couple of months ago) and the 303 is a cracking road as it frees up later or early in the day, I stopped at my parents in somerset rather than do it in one. Personally I wouldn't try any other route, you'll be glad to finally arrive! Once you're down there the coastal roads are nice with spectacular views but more suited to bikes bar the odd straight to blast down.

[MagicalTrevor]

Atlantic Highway?

[Pole84]

Thanks guys.... thinking about it... 5 hour drive + the traffic will probably be hellish on the jubiliee weekend so maybe I will leave the coastal driving to once I am there....

[tuffer]

How about something like this:

[Pole84]

haha...! thats fantastic. Defo the scenic route, and also avoids most of the A303 traffic.

[chris7676]

What I have done more than once and would do again unless I had little time, mind you I usually do a stopover in North Devon so it takes 2 days(!), but it's worth it:

M4 -> Hungerford
-> Pewsey (south of Hungerford then west, better than throgh M-borough)
-> Upavon->Westbury (some great bits on B3098)
-> Frome->Glastonbury->Bridgewater
-> Lynmouth (great stretch of A39)
-> St Ives (staying on A39, some very good bits)

[tjlazer]

I think that's wise. If you attack the 303 early (pre 7am ideally) rumour has it you can make very good time. 1hr55 from Richmond to Taunton. I don't think the mrs will let me do that again.

[DoubleSix]

tuffer said:

How about something like this:

ha ha I did almost exactly that route on my Bristol-Scotland-Bristol UK road trip last year, set nav to 'avoid motorway' and hit all the national parks....

[Red Devil]

tuffer said:

How about something like this:

There's a much better route from Perth to Inverness than the A9.
A93, A939, then B roads via Cawdor and Culloden.
Did the opposite way last month. Includes the Cairnwell and the Lecht.

[tuffer]

Red Devil said:

tuffer said:

How about something like this:

There's a much better route from Perth to Inverness than the A9.
A93, A939, then B roads via Cawdor and Culloden.
Did the opposite way last month. Includes the Cairnwell and the Lecht.

Really.....

[Oliiiiiiiii]

Pole84 said:

Thanks guys.... thinking about it... 5 hour drive + the traffic will probably be hellish on the jubiliee weekend so maybe I will leave the coastal driving to once I am there....

Whilst there be sure to check out the B3306 heading West out of St Ives along the coast, this is a must