SonicWRX

Hey friends. I am planning to travel to the UK next Wednesday after a brief stop in Munich. (I live in Ohio, USA.) I have business in Manchester then my ultimate destination is Cardiff to stay with my best mate for the weekend. I am torn between two options:

1) Blast down the motorways stopping into all the interesting Scooby shops along the way.

2) Heading west into northern Wales and the Cambrian mountains looking for interesting roads all the way to Cardiff.

My unknowns are:

Are there any interesting Scooby shops along the M6/M5/M4? Within say 30 miles of the motorway...

Can you get a decent hire car in Manchester?

Are there enough passable roads in Northern Wales to make it to Cardiff in under 8 hours?

Thanks a heap for any help and any other words of wisdom.

Mitch in West Chester, OH
2003 WRX Sedan (280 WHP)

vindaloo

Don't know about the shops but...

North to South Wales can be done in well under 8 hours.

If you can arrange a visit, two places of interest would be Litchfield imports and Powerstation in Cheltenham.

Iwan

A little out of your way but there's Prodrive in Banbury, maybe tricky getting in there though as they don't often do tours.

Dazza's-STi

M8 manchester to Cardiff... Mmmm that'll be the A483 then... do it at night if you can, not that there's than many welsh people about anyhows ... one of the best roads in the UK...


not sure about the shops though...???

not that many over that side of the country...

you wont be dissapointed with the route, and it'll be well under 8 hours! dig out the map... and it also well posted enroute...
hope this helps...

dazza

or and keep left!

SonicWRX

Thanks for the suggestions; the A483 it is then. I'll be starting out Thursday morning as the night travel would preclude me seeing any of the countryside. Got to pop by the book shop and get a proper map. Horrible timing as I just missed the Rally GB in Wales. Damn!

Mitch

billythekid

Manchester airport have a lot of ok (ish) cars to rent, National Car Hire for example have omegas and Mercs - but you are prob talking about £60 a day... maybe more? If you use National try and get an "S" Category, as this will be a standard saloon but the sport model, so rather than say a standard Vectra you will get a 2.5Vsri, or maybe a Golf GTi etc etc.

There is Demon Tweeks near Chester to go look at - but other than that nothing else close by that I know of.

BtK

Iwan

There's a rallying supplies place in Bridgend (near Cardiff) that does a lot of Scooby stuff, my cousin's always going there to buy bits for his.

Can't remember the name of the place, anyone know it?

supertouring

If you are in Manchester area on Weds night then keep an eye out on Northern section for any SMACS runs - they are often on a Weds. Someone would be happy to passenger you if you come and you would get to see some of the Cheshire countryside as well.

SonicWRX

I will be in Manchester on Wednesday evening staying near the airport. I'll watch the Northern section for any activity.

If you can come up with the name of that establishment in Bridgend, I would love to check it out.

I won't know what kind of car I'm getting until the morning, but I have been talking to my travel agency all afternoon to hopefully instill my desires.

Mitch

2000STI7

Good car hire here http://www.bespokes.co.uk just need to open your wallet and say "take as much as you like!"

Paul.

deano

Just down the road from the airport is a lovely little fishing village called Wythenshaw. There is a green filled suburb to the south called wood house park, if you pop into any of the country pubs in the area they will provide you with what ever hire car you like.

SonicWRX

Nice cars, but they seem a bit expensive to go stuffing into a bunch of sheep on the Welsh A roads. :-)

Mitch

supertouring

The airport is ideal, it is only 15 mins away from where we meet. Will look at arranging a route past the airport and collect you on the way.

LOL @ Deano

pippyrips

you can get to cardiff in well under 8 hours

SonicWRX

Just talked to my travel girl again and am slowly drilling down to reality. Seems that I am not staying in Manchester, but over in Chester at a place called "St. David Park Hotel". (At the ***/A494 interchange in Ewloe SW of Queensferry.) That puts me about 60-65 km from Manchester and probably out of play, but I really appreciate the effort.

I don't get my car until Thursday morning. Turns out it's some form of Opel Vectra, but they could not verify exactly what form. I'm hoping it's the 2.5 liter.

Mitch

NotoriousREV

St. David's Park is a nice hotel, I work 5 mins from there, some very good roads not far from there (hint: head away from England and into Wales)

SonicWRX

Looks nice on the web! Yes, I plan to take *** to the A550 then onto the A483 which will get me most of the way south toward Cardiff. Should be a real hoot.

What's the speed limit on the "A" roads? The last time I was there my mate's brother-in-law had us up to 145 mph in his Lotus Esprit V8 Turbo. I assume that's not quite lawful. :-)

Mitch

zxr750Nick

I'm with the Rev. Over into Wales on the A494 at Queensferry (not pretty at all) at Ewloe onto the B5125, then at Hawarden (where I was born!), take the A550, then A5104 towards Corwen over the Llandegla Moors. At Corwen the B4401, B4391 to Penybontfawr, then any road you like as they are all great........Have a great drive


Nick

vindaloo

Peter Lloyd Rallying by any chance?