Advantages: Handy for the motorway without being noisy Disadvantages: OK for an overnight stop but not really where you'd want to spend TOO long on a roundabout
the venue and spending silly money on a room when we'd be too drunk to notice what it was like was a no no. I checked the points balance on my HolidayInn loyalty card and booked us a room at the HolidayInn Express near Taunton.
Our HIE was at Junction 25 on the M5. It was a short drive from the wedding venue and my lovely husband volunteered to stay sober and drive us back at the end of the evening which turned out to be a good deal since there was an obscene amount of champagne on offer. The address seemed rather vague and I wasn't feeling confident that we'd find the hotel but it really was literally on the roundabout at the exit from the motorway. Check in was quick with nothing much to do because I'd booked on loyalty points. We were given two swipe cards and instructions to our room which was on the first floor.
I'll be honest ...
Advantages: Trains, Motorway Disadvantages: Buses... Outer town areas
get out of the centre very easily.
But anyway, this is a review on the travelling aspects of Taunton. So this will include areas to do with car travel, rail, airports, canal buses.
Car travel starts off with the M5. To enter the town you need to get off at junction 25. The M5 is a good motorway with links to all over the country. Most people join the M5 either at Birmingham if coming from the North or at Bristol if coming from the East or Wales. This is where the problem lies. At the current time of writing the juntcions around Bristol are going through some major works and there are often massive traffic jams around this area. However, after getting past Bristol the motorway clears and it is often an open stretch of motorway all the way down to Taunton.
The main roads around the town are pretty good. The A358 heads out towayds ...
Advantages: modern Disadvantages: lack of restauarant at weekend
I stayed at this hotel for one night using Priority club points - a special rate was on meaning I could get the room for 5,000 points instead of the usual 10,000. Check-in was quick and easy and the lady on reception was friendly, the reception area is modern and looks as though it has recently been done up.
I arrived on a Saturday evening and was hoping that I'd be able to get something to eat at the hotel, however, they don't do food at the weekend which was a dissapointment as the local area didn't seem to have anywhere near by that looked good serving food (there is a pub right next door, however, it was packed, noisy and if I am honest didn't look great, luckily you could not hear its racket in the hotel!
The rooms are nice and like the rest of the hotel look as if they have recently been refurbished, standard holidayinn ...
