Living in the South West

Travelling by road across the region

The South West retains many of its high-hedged country lanes, however also benefits from improving transportation links to the rest of the UK . The A303 enters Somerset near its border with Dorset and Wiltshire, and travels south west into Devon , becoming the A30, and on through the spine of Cornwall . The A38 from Bristol or the A39 from Bath are also important communication links across Somerset. The A38 dual carriageway is known as the 'Devon Expressway' between Exeter and Plymouth , and once over the Tamar Bridge , continues at a more relaxed pace into the heart of Cornwall . A further trunk route, the A39, passes through North Devon into northern Cornwall .

To the south of Exeter, the A380 branches off from the A38 to offer good access to many of the south coast resorts including those around Torbay . The M5 runs north-south through Somerset from Junction 22 (Burnham-on-Sea) to Junction 26 ( Wellington ) and into Devon , connecting the South West to Bristol and the Midlands .

The more rural parts of the region tend to be reached by the network of B roads and lanes, which offer picturesque scenery although slower access, especially during peak holiday periods.