We are a family of 5, Mom and Dad and Son(20), Daughter (16), and Son (12). We will arrive in London and spend a couple of days exploring before picking up our rental car and heading to Bristol to pick up my 20-year-old son. Once we have picked him up we will be heading to Wells for one night and then down to Cornwell to visit Tintagel Castle and Dartmoor for several days. Our last stop will be in the Salisbury area before flying out. I am trying to figure out what size car to get. Can we get by with a minivan or should we try to stick with a wagon? We are trying to keep our luggage to a minimum, but my son will have a large suitcase that we will need to accommodate. Thanks for your help.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7208 posts
My guess is you’ll need a mini-van due to the number of people and luggage. That will be a disadvantage in Cornwall where many roads are narrow, no shoulders, and rock walls. Drive slowly and hug the center line (when there is one). We enjoyed Tintagel, but didn’t go to the castle ruin. There’s little left of it. We thoroughly enjoyed both Wells and Salisbury and wish we had had more time in each.
Posted by
Bend, Oregon
2571 posts
We are a family of four and we’ve rented station wagons and SUVs, and we own a minivan. You can get by with a station wagon IF everyone else brings carryons. You might be able to fit two big suitcases and three carry ons. Keep in mind that everyone will probably have a backpack/personal item as well. It might be a tight squeeze in the backseat for the three of them. Also, your luggage will probably be exposed, so don’t plan on making any stops and keeping the luggage in the car. Even if the car has a cover for the trunk space, you probably won’t be able to close it.
A minivan would be much more comfortable and give more space for luggage, but would be a pain in small towns with narrow roads and tight parking.
Posted by
OP
21 posts
Thanks for everyone's input. I figured we would fit best in a minivan it is just too bad we can't have one car for getting us and our luggage from location to location and a much smaller car to go out sightseeing.