by “I’m driving home for Christmas,” crooned Chris Rea in his festive number over the congested roads. But while the idea of being head-to-toe in a back car sounded almost romantic in its gurgle, getting stuck in traffic is probably the worst thing about the holiday season, especially if your mother-in-law’s flare-ups or your sister’s snarky comments are everything you face at the end of your journey.
Although it has not yet published its projections for 2023, the AA predicted that up to 45 million cars would be on UK roads on December 23 and 24, 2022, causing travel chaos. Our advice? Break up an arduous Christmas trip with a festive stopover two or three hours from your destination and turn the trip into a mini vacation. Because? Because it turns out that boarding the A30 or the M6 is made much more enjoyable with a strong drink and a bubble bath halfway through.
Below, we take a look at the most popular end points for your festive tour (Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, London and the Lakes) and calculate the perfect stop based on its proximity to the main road and distance from the finish line. queue and add a brilliant hotel with availability just in case. You never know, your stop in one of these towns and villages might even be the highlight of your Christmas vacation.
Driving home in… Cornwall
Stop at Topsham, Devon
On the way to Cornwall, all roads lead to the A30, an inevitably traffic-clogged stretch where the motorway ends. You need stamina for this last stage (especially if you’ve already tackled the arduous A303), so break the journey at Topsham. On the River Exe estuary, about 15 minutes’ drive from where the A30 begins, the town is like a Turner painting come to life, even more so when pastel sunsets explode over the water during winter evenings. Christmas adds excitement with the windows of the city’s old merchant houses filled with bright stars and the downtown skies adorned with festive lights.
Stay here: Excellent beds and showers elevate the Salutation Inn, a 17th-century tavern on historic Fore Street. It also serves a breakfast of champions to fuel your trip. Doubles cost from £160 on December 23rd.
Eat here: For now it will be turkey, so get your fish fix while you can. Behind The Galley’s cobalt façade, a sea-centric menu includes haddock with cavolo nero and white wine velouté, as well as halibut with wild mushrooms, mussels and beurre blanc sauce. The restaurant has limited availability on December 23.
Driving home in… Scotland
Stop in Teesdale, County Durham
Often overlooked in favor of the neighboring Yorkshire Dales, the North Pennines National Landscape (previously called an Area of Outstanding National Beauty) is a stretch of spectacular moorland dotted with rivers and waterfalls. The views alone are worth the quick detour from the M6 or M1, but the nearby towns and villages are also good for a holiday.
Some might suggest that it was more than an eye test that brought Dominic Cummings to Barnard Castle, with its romantic crumbling ruins and stone-clad High Street. Beyond that much-loved market town, tiny Middleton-in-Teesdale has bookshops, antiques and cafes, plus walks through the empty hills.
Stay here: A chilling wind rages through the most remote landscapes of Upper Teesdale, but you’ll receive one of the warmest welcomes in the country at High Force Hotel. At this inn, fires crackle in the hearths and hosts George and Andrew serve mince pies and mulled wine to newcomers. Afternoons are for going to bed early in beds that look like clouds. From £135 B&B on December 23 (the hotel reports that the roads are in good condition and sandy every day).
Eat here: Beams, flagstone floors and checkered curtains make The Rose & Crown in Romaldkirk as close to the quintessential British inn as you can get. Sit back to a platter of local cheeses and charcuterie, or warm up with a beef bourguignon pie. There is currently availability on December 23rd.
Driving home to…the Lake District
Stop at Cheddleton, Staffordshire
About half an hour’s drive from the M6, little Cheddleton has plenty for a pre-Christmas stop on the way to the Lakes, including walks along the leafy Caldon Canal towpath, which once carried the limestone of the Peak District to the Midlands potteries. . A steam train also runs through town (although its Polar Express trips are full for 2023, it’s fun to watch it chug by). Meanwhile, in nearby Consall Forest, winter walkers can see willows and titmice playing at the edge of the glass pools.
Stay here: Set in 70 acres of formal gardens and expansive countryside, The Tawny Hotel’s collection of treehouses, cabins and lodges feature an outdoor pool heated to 31 degrees at all times. There are still a handful of rooms available for the pre-Christmas weekend, including a glamorous ‘Retreat’ with an outside bath. Cabins from £330 B&B.
Eat here: The atmosphere is casual at The Flintlock at Cheddleton, which features bright walls and comfortable chairs, but the food is extremely elegant. Dishes on the tasting menu include tortelli with pork cheek and winter squash and hake with charcoal butter and pickled vegetables. There are currently tables on December 23rd.
Driving home…London from the north
Stop at Stock, Essex
You’ve made the long, hard journey down the M1. Don’t tackle the video game network of the A12 or the traffic jams of the M25 without a revitalizing stop. Rural Essex is dotted with kitschy market towns and old inns that evoke a good old-fashioned Christmas, and Stock, one of a series of pretty villages on the outskirts of Chelmsford, should bring a smile to even the Scroogiest visitor. Three pubs line its elegant main street and a tea shop hides in the streets behind, while Phoenix Smokery on the outskirts is a great place to pick up a smoked salmon starter for the big day.
Stay here: A bit of Essex glitz has infiltrated Greenwoods, an elegant hotel housed in a 17th-century manor house. There’s an unexpectedly glamorous spa, and rooms feature chandeliers and tacky touches. Doubles are available from £230 on December 23.
Eat here: Behind The Hoop’s clapboard façade hides a proper bar with dark wooden beams, a bar packed with locals and classics like fish and chips or pie, mash and spirits on the menu. There is currently availability at lunchtime on December 23rd.
Driving home in… Wales
Stop in Hereford
This underrated city is a perfect pre-Christmas getaway for those heading off England’s motorways and across the border. Several A roads congregate in Hereford, two of which wind westwards into the wilds of Wales (the A438 connects with routes into mid-Wales and the A465 runs south to Abergavenny and then to the south coast). Hereford may be big, but it’s as pretty as the nearby market towns: delicate Georgian villas line the banks of the Wye, while its massive cathedral looms over the town centre. Do some last-minute shopping on the well-maintained streets, including a trip to the Christmas market surrounding the huge tree in High Town if you’re there on December 22.
Stay here: Adjacent to the medieval moat that once surrounded Hereford Castle, Castle House is a real treat, especially if you book into the townhouse annex, which is decorated in calming creams and grays (there are currently two rooms left for the night of 23 December). with more in the main house). Jugs of sherry in the bedrooms should lift the Christmas mood. Doubles from £240 B&B on 23rd December.
Eat here: Brunch is a slap-up affair at The Bookshop. Choose from eggs in all forms (they’re especially good with beet, feta, and almond dukkah) or carb-loaded with macaroni and cheese on sourdough. Better yet, book in for a night of mulled wine, mince pies and live music on Dueling Pianos night on December 23, during which Christmas singing out loud is promised.
