Conference terri::cars_uk

I've used the M3 then A303 as far as Taunton.  They widened a lot of the A303 a
couple of years back, and its quite a good road.  Nice scenery too; you go right
past Stonehenge.

Probably not the fastest route though.

Scott

    ditto last
    
    Can be just as fast as the longer motorway routes, plus more
    interesting.
    
    However watchout for some potential accident areas :
    
    1. Stonehenge, a nasty kink in the road + drivers eyes not on road!
    
    2. Ends of bits of dual carridgeway, where last minute overtakers
    tend to meet slowed up traffic.
    
    Rich

    ... see also 1091.9 (and later notes) about the A303
    
    Ian.

    When considering the M4/M5 route, don't underestimate the M4's capacity
    for traffic jams.
    
    (I got stuck the other Friday night about five miles east of Bristol, and
    it took me 45 minutes to get off at the M32 interchange.)
    
    However, on the way back I took a route I used to use when commuting
    between Topsham and Maidenhead. From the Devon end, I used the M5 to
    Taunton, then onto the A38 for a short way until picking up the A361(?)
    towards Glastonbury. I dont remember all the towns on the route, but
    consultation with your map would probably find it. Towns I recall are
    (not neccessarily in this order!), Glastonbury, Street, Cranmore (very
    small town?) Yeovil, eventually picking up on the A4 close to Avebury,
    thence to Marlborough and Hungerford, picking up the M4 as and when the
    desire took me.
    
    This take about 30 minutes longer than the M4/M5 alternative assuming
    that the Motorway route is clear! It's also a very pleasant drive, with
    many stretches where you can cruise at 70 mph or thereabouts, and
    reasonable possibilities for overtaking.
    
    There are a few glitches in the road junctions that mean you'll need
    some directions readily accessible until you know them (e.g. there's a
    back lane in Yeovil which avoids the traffic lights, etc, etc.), and
    one of the towns has recently acquired a new by-pass.
    
    Hope that helps.
    
    JtheK

    Choosing between the "coast" route and the A303 I would go for the A303
    as the other is rather small a lot of the time and goes through a lot
    of villages/towns where youget held up.  The A303 is generally OK
    although any route is going to have its problems in the west country.
    
    Rob

	As it's a Saturday, and you're aiming to be there by 5.00 I'd go the
	M4/M5 route, most of the traffic tries to be there by lunchtime for
	"changeover", it's the mornings for most of the way, and up to 3.00ish 
	in Devon that's bad.
	(else they leave for a weekend, and Friday evening's really bad)

	Hypothetical timing:
	If you travell at 90 (which you wouldn't of course) Junct 11 of the M4
	(READING) to Exeter takes 1hr 50 mins.
	You'd be going past Bristol just before 4.00 ish - not too bad on a 
	Saturday.

	Second choice would be option 3. I wouldn't take the coast road, too
	many tourists out for a ride.

	Heather   (who comes from Plymouth and travels the M4/5 quite often)

    Last bank holiday I tried both routes, M4,M5 etc route took me 8,
    yes 8 hours to get to Newquay, which is about 1-1.5 hours past exeter.
    On the way back I went on the A303, it took me 3 and 3/4 hours from
    Newquay to Stonehenge(where I live). Mind you, the M4/M5 trip, I was in
    a custom car rally at the time.
    
    Carl
    

RE: .last,

>>Stonehenge(where I live)

By which stone do you live?

Mark.

Or do you live in one of the brightly painted buses in the car park (or in the
adjacent field once the police have ordered them out the car park)?

    Look man, Its all relative really.....
    
    Seriously, I live in a little village 3 miles from the stones, but our
    telephone no. has Stonehenge as its code. (0980)
    Car?, well, I do actually drive a Beetle, which is in the midle of
    being restored whilst in daily use, so it has no running boards, and
    the front of it is in red primer at the moment. So far, I have not been
    stopped by the police, and arrested for malingering, but the way things
    are going on its only a matter of time!.
    
    PS.  Neither I, nor any of the locals who have lived there a darn sight
    longer than me, have ever seen any trouble from the "Hippies".
    The only people who cause trouble are the Army, who seem to have a
    knack of waking you up at 3.00 a.m by driving tanks and armored
    personel carriers down the high street. but this only happens about5 or
    6 times a year.

 I used the A303 for a trip to south devon last week.

  Its a very nice road, lovely scenery and plenty of dual carriage way. I found
that even though my average speed was a lot slower than it would have been on
the M4/5 it took no longer to reach my destination.

Peter,

If you take the 303 there is no need to go into Exeter. A short while
before Exeter is an uphill dual-carriagway stretch and at the top a 
left turn marked Exmouth/Budleigh Salterton. This cuts off the corner and
takes you across Woodbury Common. The road on Saturdays between Exeter
and Exmouth is awful.

Ian.

    .12 has it!!
    
    Thanks Ian, since I'm off to Budleigh Salterton, I'll use the A303,
    and your tip!!
    
    thanks, Peter
    

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