I have used the A25 when the motorway has been gridlocked (15/20 years ago mind, i no longer have to go near thank goodness), i doubt its improved in the meantime, it isn't great to be honest, lots of bottlenecks especially the section through North Sevenoaks area, and no better on the Westerham/Oxted sections either, and forget Reigate completely.

I'd be inclined to treat the 30th as you would a Friday, in other words leave early enough in the morning that given a clearish motorway run you should plan to be clear of Portbury area by midday.

Keep the TA button live on your radio and if the people at your destination (or another friend anywhere who has a desktop running) have a computer doing nothing hows about getting them to keep google maps with traffic ticked live and regularly updated so if they spot a delay building they can give you a call and you can do a bit of good old ducking and diving around it.

As for clockwise or anti clockwise M25 routes, the Southern route should in theory be shortest and fastest, but i'd make that choice after checking the traffic when leaving the services, not sure on the Southern route but the Northern side is free from roadworks as far as i can recall.

Edited by gordonbennet on 23/12/2015 at 22:59

I think that (barring accidents, which can happen anywhere) 30 Dec will be one of the few days when the M25 should be comparatively clear. It's not when most people will be coming back from their holiday, and a lot of working people are off work that week.

Yiou can get to the A25 via J5 of the M25, and this skirts Dorking and gets you to Guildford: then you have to do a fairly complicated wiggle on A3 / A31 / A331 / A322 / A329 to the M4. I don't think it'll save you time.

The only vaguely scenic bit is the A25 itself, but it's a slow twisty road and this is just the sort of day that Peggy, 80 in the shade, will set off from Dorking in her P-registered Nissan Micra to see her sister in Guildford.

(Edit - I see GB has said much the same thing: great minds think alike! I should add that it's worth getiing on to the M20 where you can - then M26 to M25.)

Edited by Avant on 23/12/2015 at 23:03

Unless there is specifically bad weather or serious accident I'd expect the journey to be fine, if not a pleasure - it's the holiday period between Christmas and New Year, much reduced number of commuters and much reduced commercial traffic - unlike October which would have been a much busier period.

Although it's not related, as an indication of how the traffic levels will have fallen the London congestion charge will be suspended over this extended holiday period.

I've not checked the maps to locate your hotel, but from Dover do consider the A20 / M20 route instead of the A2 / M2 / A249 / M20 (and avoid the A251 between Faversham & Ashford, it's almost a country lane).