Hope I'm not being too pushy by bumping this. I'm afraid that it might have fallen off the radar due to the time difference.

The A682/A65 is much more scenic as it takes in the Yorkshire Dales and by and large is much quieter (motor cycles and white vans aside) You can even use a very scenic route to Penrith on the A66 by turning right from the A65 at Settle and go via Ribblehead, and Hawes, Garsdale, Kirkby Stephen and Appleby, mostly on quiet B roads. For a really narrow country road you can turn left after Ribblehead, down Dentdale, through Dent and onto Sedbergh from where the A684 takes you straight to the M6 or if preferred into Kendal.

I can't comment on the specifics of the roads. My experience of online route planners (AA, RAC etc) is that overall I find their time estimates optimistic (I know the RAC now gives different predictions) - this seems more so when there is less motorway driving in the route. Obviously we all drive different ways & encounter different traffic conditions, but that's my general experience.

As you're proposing a Friday afternoon journey - this would be the busiest afternoon of the working week in most areas - many businesses follow a pattern that means employees finish earlier on a Friday so there's more traffic from lunchtime on. You're also driving into a popular holiday area (Lakes) partly on a route top another popular area (Blackpool) so there would be more traffic as people go away for the weekend.

I'd say whichever route you take you may encounter jams - tune your car radio to receive traffic bulletins if you can via the RDS systems.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/about/radio/

Marko (again!); Robin is describing a lovely route indeed; I'm only slightly worried that you're not leaving Burnley till around 4pm and travelling to the Lake District (where there?).

Yes the roads will be quieter but do watch for motorbikes doing a ton, sometimes followed by a white police bike! If you have roughly 3-4 hours, go Robin's way; the M/ways are boring anyway.

Part of my reason for posting is to decide whether I really have time for a stop in Burnley after all. I am beginning to think maybe not. After all, I don't want to be stressed about whether I will get to Keswick before dark. Maybe I should just drive straight through and save industrial Lancashire for another trip. I am more inclined to think that after the comment that AA's travel time estimates are optimistic under the best of conditions and the consensus that there will be heavy traffic approaching and within the Lake District on a Friday afternoon. Sometimes less is more, right?

Hi again - you may well be right - a holiday is meant to relax not be a cause of stress!

Incidentally after posting I researched a couple of routes that I do often on both the AA & RAC route planners. The longer route (mainly motorway) had similar time & distance estimates (either side of 3 hours) - the AA was most optimistic, though my experience would have been to add another 5 minutes to the RAC's estimate on a "good run". For a shorter route mainly on A roads the AA estimated 40 minutes, while the RAC came up with 53 minutes - the actual route was identical bar the very last turn. For that journey I reckon a "good run" to be under 55 minutes - for 40 minutes I think I'd have to banish all other traffic, set all lights to green etc!

Perhaps the choice is between a more leisurely scenic drive (though always the caveat that the driver doesn't always get to enjoy the view) and the visit to Burnley and the motorway route?

Incidentally, in case you go on the M6 between junctions 38 & 39 Tebay services, just north of jct 38 are often rated the best motorway services in Britain. It's an independent (most in the UK belong to one of a few chains) local place with a shop & restauarant featuring local produce - not cheap, but good! As a result it can be very busy, but compared with any other services you can see why.

I should worry to much about the motorways. Yes they will be busy but most of time they will be free flowing

Travelling along M65 around Blackburn wont cause many problems other than you will get slowed down at th junctions with people joining

The biggest likely problem is if you join the M61 from the M65. Where the M61 Joins M6 you are quitely likely to be queuing. The way to avoid this is to carry on on the M65 past the M61 junction to the M65/M6 (Junc 29 on M6) and join the M6 there. The traffic main be heavy but is usually flowing.

There will be a lot of traffic but unless theres be a major accident it wont hold you up to much.

Failing that if you do woant to miss the motorways out

My advise is to head for Padiham then Sabden over the nik of Pendle cross the A59 into Clitheroe Then head to Waddington, Dunsop Bridge, Marshaw the Dolphinholme and join M6 at Galgate Junc33? Lancaster. This route is easy enough but you will need a map and will probably not save a time. It does take you through the trough of bowland so probably worth it just for that

I think that you would enjoy the scenery on the A682/A65 route to the Lakes, though the motorway should be ok unless it is a bank holiday weekend.

Did you know that the A682 is the 9th most dangerous road in the World?

mirror.co.uk/news/…

I have used it a lot myself without problems and a colleague uses it every day to travel to work, so I wouldn't worry. :-)

The route advised in the above post over the Nick of Pendle is very scenic, it's my route home from work. However it will take some good navigation if you aren't used to country lanes and I would start in the morning, 4pm is too late for this route.

I hope that you enjoy your stay.