M6 hotels...inns...B+B...lay bys?!(Ha)

[moonlight]

Morning people,

This Friday will be the first time since ownership of travelling more than 30 miles in one go!

Driving from East Yorks upto Portpatrick nr Stranraer this weekend,(A1-A66-M6-A75) I'm going to split the journey and have been 'persuaded' to book a hotel half way or so.

Sooo I'm looking to book a hotel as close to the M6 as possible , between Penrith and Carlisle, I've looked at Travel Lodge etc but have come unstuck with the dates and the ones that are available are city centres...I do intend on having another look later today, but just wondered if anyone has any recommendations....tbh I dont want to spend too much it's purely a stop the night and out in the morning....any suggestions appreciated.


Thanks in advance

[Ian_Mac]

Try Premiere Inn, they have about 3 within a 1 mile radius near the motorway at Carlisle. 1 in particular is right on Junction 44 of the M6 Carlisle. It used to be a Holiday Inn so has it's own restaurant and a pool if I remember rightly, I've stayed there a few times with no complaints.

There's a Best Western - Cumbria Park which is a little further off J36, about a mile maybe. The food there is very nice but the dolls in the coridoor can be quite scary, you'll see what I mean if you stay there!

If you travel a few miles past Carlisle up to Gretna you'll find another cluster of hotels there, can't remember the names off the top of my head but a Google search will soon find them. Again, these aren't too far off the motorway.

The one I stayed in at Gretna had a particularly nice selection of whiskey behind the bar.

[moonlight]

Thanks for that...haha dolls!..giving me the creeps already! (clowns have the same effect oddly!)

Have just tried the Prem Inn....twin room only....would be a good nights rest but 'she' wouldnt be happy...and tbh i could do without having to stretch an arm out across the gap...just to appease! Attempted a TLodge(M6) that was available on sat for £43! ...no longer available.

One way is over 250 miles so I'd like to try and get half of it over with Fri night...it's already a journey I'm not keen on doing (it's one of those meet the family events!) and then have a gentle (ish) drive to Stranraer Sat morning and pick up one or two sites along the way.the car has only just hit 1k so it'll be at least nice to add some miles.

Hmm whiskey ya say!? I'll start googling.

Thanks for the help.

[Ian_Mac]

Just found the Gretna one I stayed in a few years ago http://www.gretnahallhotel.com/

Yeah in the Best Western one they seem obsessed with dolls, cuddly toys etc dotted all over the place they are - there may even be a few clowns thrown in.

I've stayed there for weeks on end with work but only because I could collect the Best Western loyalty points!

I've edited my original post - I made a mistake with the junction number, it's junction 44 Premiere Inn Carlisle north, currently showing rooms for £62 on the Friday night.

[moonlight]

Thanks again...it was the £62 Inn that is the twin room! Thanks for link......are there any clowns under the beds?! Dont answer ...I'd rather not know!

[moonlight]

Just checked Gretna...though more than my dusty pockets wanted to stretch...they only have a twin room left.....phew!lol

Best Western..next

[Ian_Mac]

http://www.laterooms.com/en/hotel-speci ... lisle.aspx

Not too badly priced. There's a load if you just search Carlisle on Laterooms.com, I've not stayed at any of those though.

[moonlight]

That one looks pretty good!...have spent far too much work time on this...will book that tonight...thanks for your time on this! Home time and scrolling through yet more itunes in the motor beckons!

[Rob]

you say its 250 miles to your destination? Me thinks you just fancy a night of nookie on the way I regularly do 240 to the in-laws only takes 4 hours and thats with lots of average speed cameras too.

[Ian_Mac]

It's funny what people get used to. I think nothing now of jumping in my work van and driving from Bristol up to Edinburgh. I'll probably stop once at Southwaite Services.

If I'm travelling alone the 300 mile trip from Bristol to my folks in Sunderland I won't stop at all, if the good lady is with me that's another story

But, if say I mention a trip to York for my friends from Sunderland its like it's the other side of the world simply because the furthest they ever drive is to the Metro Centre.

We've even got potential guests who might not come to the wedding next year as it's 'too far away' - 20 miles for them. But these are Somerset folk who think you need a passport to go to Bristol.

[moonlight]

lol...well...If I'm been honest it's the other half's idea...I wanted to drive up on Sat...(though route planner states 6 hours!!!)...getting from Beverley around York can be a killer and I guess it's the start of the school hols. I've also milked it a little,as I'm not keen on spending 3 nights in a caravan on the edge of a cliff, I mentioned it's 6 hours plus a dinner break = all day.....then the idea of a Friday night stop off raised its head..and bu55er me the hotel searching begun! A different bed for the night doesn't harm I guess! The return leg will be a dinner break only affair mind.

240 miles on 4 hours...if I could do this trip in 4 I'd be a very happy man.....I dont know how fast the roads are tbh...the A75 especially...found it very difficuly last night to find anywhere...again must be due to the school hols....but managed to find one just outside of Penrith ...130 miles away which is prob about right on a Fri night I guess...plus should give me time to have a couple of cheeky ones in the bar.

Downside is that I found out that we can't book into the site until 4pm!!!!!...few hours to kill amongst the glens...

Thanks for the help etc...looking at the suggestions lead me to the one I booked!

[nuroc]

I can't believe anyone needs an overnight stop on a 240 mile journey. I regularly do 250-300 mile trips in my car.

If you want to miss the hassle of getting round York from Beverley, why not go over the Yorkshire Wolds and the North Yorkshire Moors? Some of the best driving roads in the country and more fun than York ring road!

[moonlight]

Adds to the holiday...tbh I'm not relishing caravanning it for 3 nights...added bonus of stopping off at a pub/inn...... even though it's 240/250 miles it's a 6hr+ drive (plus pitstop) and 2 things I wont do.....drive 6pm-12am on a Friday or get up at stupid o'clock on Sat to make it for a reasonable hour....so this way leaves us leaving Penrith at 10.30amish...be at the destination for early afternoon....having said that....there's nothing to do at the destination!!!!

lol...so...3 days away and she asked me to get the suit cases down ....wtf!