What horrible long drive? For us it's 5 hours plus whatever stop time. Last time we made that even a little longer by taking the M6 through the Lakes, then instead of heading of continuing up the motorway towards Glasgow we took the A7 (signposted Galashiels) around Carlisle and A roaded it right the way up the border, through some of the most stunning countryside and beautiful towns and villages. We stopped where we wanted for lunch and coffee or view stops.
If flying to Manchester is £100 cheaper, that's £400 I save (less the petrol) for the 4 of us, so the way I see it, I'm getting paid around £70 an hour to drive on a big, picturesque adventure.