I am shortly going to be travelling from Glasgow to Channel Tunnel. I have done this before and always go M74, M6, M1, M25 M20 etc but someone has suggested I would be quicker going the M40 route ie. going under London rather than over it.
Can anyone advise me which would be better? I will be leaving Glasgow at 3pm on a Friday and then be Leaving Tunnel at 10am on a Sat coming back home.
Any help from you Londoners would be appreciated.
Thanks
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What you mean is one of your mates has said you will save a quid by not using the dartford crossing............ ;-)
The M1 - M20 route is shorter round the M25 than the M40 - M20
but not by much, but the western (ie under) route always seems quicker to me. As you will be hitting it late on friday night either way should be clear. Always avoid M25 J15 - J10 both ways weekday rush hours (7am to 10am, 4pm to 8pm) its nearly always clogged solid, those 5 junctions can sometimes take an hour or more (I live near J11 so drop me some booze off).
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If you choose the M40 then give yourself a little break and use the following route that I use.
It is much nicer route than the M40 / M25.
Turn off M40 at J4
Take A404 towards Marlow & Maidenhead
Fast dual carriageway that changes to A404M
When you get to the traffic lights - yes really - on the motorway junction with M4 J8 & 9
Take M4 towards London
Join M25 towards LHR Terminal 4 / Gatwick
Similarly from the M40 to BYPASS a lot of the M25 West of Heathrow in case it is closed for any reason.
Same route as above to begin with
Turn off M40 at J4
Take A404 towards Marlow & Maidenhead
Fast dual carriageway that changes to A404M
When you get to the traffic lights - yes really - on the motorway junction with M4 J8 & 9
Take M4 towards London
Exit M4 J4 Langley
Take A4 towards London. It is a very unattractive bit of road
Goes over the M25
At 1st major junction turn right onto A3044 towards Staines
Beware of low flying Jumbos
You can rejoin at J14 Heathrow Terminal 4
But can also carry on towards Staines
At Crooked billet Roundabout. The junction of A30
Take last exit. A30 West. it is almost a U turn
A quick blast brings you to J13 of M25 Staines.
There are no other ways around the M25 that are easy even for us locals so good luck and a clear run.
If you have no electronic gizmos with you but a mobile phone the AA traffic report on 401100 is not cheap but may help you avoid a snarl up. It gives you a very localised traffic report cos it knows where you are.
Can anyone recommend Radio stations & frequencies that give traffic reports in London or en route?
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Personally, there's NO WAY I'd consider going "under London" to Dover from the north! If there's no hold-up causing you to bypass BIRMINGHAM on the M6 (ask again if you're interested in convoluted options for this eventuality...) I'd seriously consider going A14 -> M11 from the M6/M1 junction. Even if there's no immediate or obvious reason to avoid the M1 south of the M6/M1 junction I'd STILL consider going this way as it's such an easy run and always seems quicker and less hassle (due to less traffic) than the alternative M6/M25 route you're used to. Just a thought... if you do go this way, be careful on the A14 just prior to it joining the M11 - there's a stretch with a few speed cameras enforcing the 70mph limit - the A14 is basically a 2 lane, relatively light traffic, motorway for the whole of the time you'll be on it!!
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I'd say watch the cameras from Corby/Kettering onwards, they're sprouting like weeds round there.
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Agree with Mozzer - go east and do not go 'under' London. Too risky for holdups at any time. Apart from the M4 and M3 you are passing two airport turnoffs. If you get across on the newly constructed A14 to the M11 you will meet the M25 with only one potential bottleneck - the QE bridge, then you are home and dry. On this route you will be on the M25 for the minimum distance and for a hassle free journey this should be your objective.
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the roadworks at the southern end of the M11 (before M25) were really badly snarled up today, traffic doing 10mph per radio...
you could always fly! ;)
pat
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I wouldn't even consider going through Birmingham myself. There are roadworks at both ends of the BNRR and J10 to J4 is an exceptionally busy stretch (which is why they're building the BNRR, of course). Also there are road works where the M42 meets the M40.
I always come off the M6 at J15 and take the A50 across to the M1 at J24 to pick up M1 south. From here you could go down to Northampton and take the A43 across to the M40 or take the A14 at J19 as suggested elsewhere or simply continue down to the M25. I would guess it would be 8pm or so by the time you got to the M25, by which time it may have quietened down, but I'm sure others who know that area better will let you know.
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this is spot on DO NOT GO NEAR BIRMINGHAM - M6 to Jnc 15 and A50 past Uttoxeter is a hassle free journey to the M1 at East Mids airport and then down the M1. You can take your pick with M1/M25 or A14/M11. I go to kettering a couple of times a week from Manchester and have found the A50 a doddle.
dom
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