CDTraveler

We fly into MAN, arriving around noon. I could use some local expertise in planning our route that day. Roughly it is get car from Hertz, then:

• Manchester Airport, Manchester Airport (MAN), Manchester M90 3RR, United Kingdom
  
• The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Bethesda St, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 3DW, UK
  
• Astley Book Farm, Astley Lane, Bedworth CV12 0NE, United Kingdom
  (if time allows)
  
• Chesford Grange, Kenilworth, Warwick CV8 2LD, UK

What I need to fit into that list is a stop where I can pick up top-up cards for Giff-Gaff (we have the sim cards), get lunch and some road trip snacks. The complication on the food is that it must be gluten-free, so I need a Sainsbury's or Tesco's that carries the Free From range, not one of their mini stores. Lunch doesn't need to be a sit-down place, to-go sandwiches would be fine (I know Tesco sells GF sandwiches, not sure about Sainsbury's). Suggestions?

Also, what roads should we avoid for traffic or construction, keeping in mind it's quite a few years since I've driven on the left? Any particularly scenic aspects of that route you'd suggest?

Gagravarr

It looks like there's a huge Tesco Extra right by your second stop in Stoke. Otherwise, there's a Booths (note - Booths not Boots!) just past where you'd get on the motorway from the airport. I've not looked for GF stuff in a Booths before, but they're generally pretty good on other things. Heading out via Wilmslow isn't actually a bad option direction/distance wise, and they've got a nice Waitrose there.

NewbieRunner

As Gagravarr has already mentioned a Tesco Extra in Stoke is within walking distance of the Potteries Museum. If it's some time since you drove on the left, I'd stick to motorways and major roads which are much easier and forget about scenic roads.

stut

Booths are great - and they've recently expanded their free from range. They also tend to have a decent deli counter if you fancy something other than a sandwich.

The other thing to remember if you're not used to renting here is that you'll generally get manual transmission unless you specifically request otherwise.

CDTraveler

Already booked an automatic with Hertz. Taking on the opposite side of the road and an unfamiliar transmission* both at the same time didn't seem wise.


*I can drive a stick shift, but don't do it often.

rcspeirs

You cannot buy "top up cards" for giffgaff. Not in Tesco. Not in Booths. Nowhere.
Giffgaff is a fabulous value network (I use it) but it is entirely virtual. No physical presence anywhere and no phone line support. You top up on the Internet: any support you need is internet only. It is a great value choice but I only recommend it for those who'd call themselves reasonable tech savvy (or better), I'd never suggest it to anyone who needs any degree of 'hand holding'.

rcspeirs

Roads.... The motorway network all the way from Warrington to south of the West Midlands conurbation (that's exactly where you're headed....) suffers from dreadful congestion. If you're using it at 4am on a Sunday morning it's great, but at any other time expect hold ups. Manage your journey time expectations - journey planners (such as Google maps) are notoriously over optimistic about journey times on UK roads.

Gagravarr

You can't buy GiffGaff branded top up cards, but you can buy ones which work! An O2 branded topup card is fine for a GiffGaff topup, as explained here in their support forum

jt82

That was also what I remembered

It was a fabulous value network when it had decent unlimited data. Then 2014 happened

CDTraveler

I guess the local name for what I want is "voucher" - from the GiffGaff site:
The sim cards came to me courtesy of a FT'er, we have GSM phones, so I think they just want money to make our phones work. As somebody who's spent time working in IT, I think I can handle activating a couple phones.

CDTraveler

Google map times are overly optimistic everywhere.

Are secondary roads less likely to be congested between 12 noon and 5 pm on a weekday than motorways? This is vacation, we don't need to rush and are reasonably content moving at a slower pace or stopping at interesting spots along the route.

stut

It really depends on the route. The M6 around the Potteries gets horribly busy, and in these days of live traffic satnav, the secondary and tertiary routes fill up very quickly.

For a broad idea, have a look at the Typical Traffic Levels function of Google Maps (desktop) - bearing in mind that Google Maps also "drives on the left" here...

Mizter T

Yep, this. There's no problem using an O2 topup voucher for GiffGaff - because GiffGaff is owned by O2.

Swiss Tony

I drove part of this route yesterday. Because of long term roadworks, the M6 has a 50mph limit in place, enforced by average speed cameras and I believe this will cover your whole route down to Stoke.

Note that this wasn't showing as slow on Google maps.

CDTraveler

Thanks for the update, but one question...

Is the speed 50 mph or kph? I thought you Brits were metric.

And what the heck is an "average speed camera?" Sounds like something to avoid. (I'm from California, I drive fast...)