Hiya peeps,
Tomorrow i'm off up to newcastle to get the ferry to Norway and i'm not too sure of the best route. I'll have me Nan on board so it;ll be like doing me driving test all over again!
I need to be at the Newcastle ferry terminal for 2pm so was thinking of leaving at around 7am. the three possible routes i was looking at are
1) M6 all the way to carlisle then across the A69
2) M6, M62 then A1(M)
3)M6 to stoke, across the A50 then up M1/A1(m)
I know about thelwall but are there any likely hold-ups on any of the routes? At the moment i'm favouring option 1.
Cheers
Kev
|
My mate travels from Congleton to Newcastle every other week (geordie season ticket holder), and always goes via the M62.
Whether that means it's the quickest route, I don't know, but he's a reasonably bright chap, so I assume he's explored the alternatives.
BTW, your planned starting time seems to put you on some very busy stretches of motorway right around rush hour.
Might it be worth starting out a bit earlier, getting past them, then having a break somewhere for a nice breakfast? Just to avoid the hassle, and give you a break from a pretty long drive?
|
"geordie season ticket holder" + "reasonably bright chap"
Warning Warning Does not compute
|
yeah, I'd say
"Geordie season ticket holder" + "genius" is a better combo
From Telford, you might well go straight up the M6 and come over via Carlisle or turn off a J38 Tebay (good truck stop/cafe) and then cut over via Kirkby Stephen, Bowes, Barnard Castle, Spennymoor onto the A1 at Bowburn.
Thelwall is a real pain, but the M62 will also put you onto Lofthouse where the traffic can be bad in the morning too. And an accident anywhere near Wetherby and you're knackered.
Lee
Exiled Geordie
--
Lee
MINI adventure over. Now having a Fabialous time.
|
Lee,
Beat me by a minute.....I lived in Bowburn for many years!
StarGazer
|
I worked in Bowburn for many years! Small world and all that!
I was just thinking great minds think alike. :-)
--
Lee
MINI adventure over. Now having a Fabialous time.
|
|
|
|
Nicest route: M6/A68. Likely to be a bit slow, though.
Nicer route: leave M6 at Penrith & go via Alston - slower, but even better to look at.
The time you're leaving, you'll hit Manchester just at the wrong time of day. Don't!
I'd be inclined to go A50/M1 route - although it's the least pretty.
|
Isn't the A50 around Stoke a bit of a mess at the moment?
Certainly I'd say the M1 is a good choice if you can find a sensible way to get to it. Otherwise, if you want an alternative to the M62 you can do M60 then up to the M65 and via Skipton which always seems to work fairly well for me. Slower than the M62 on a good day, but tends to be a lot quieter and less problems with accidents etc.
|
|
|
|
Good point about Wetherby as the roadworks building the A1(M) there are a pig.
Come off at Bramham, and go cross country: Boston Spa/Walton/Cattal, to the A59, and then you'll miss the worst of it.
|
|
|
|
|
I used to drive Shrewsbury to Durham every other week or so in a Mk1 Escort back in the early 90s.
I expect that you will use the M54 to get to the M6....no choice there. I used to drive up the A53 to newcastle-under-lyme and the M6 there.
Then up the M6 to Tebay then A685 to Brough (not too many trucks due to a bridge) and the A66 across the Pennines to Bowes then A67 and A688 through Barnard Castle to Durham.
I was using A roads in preference where possible as the Escort wasnt up to much more than a steady 65mph on the motorways.
I used to reckon 4 hours door to door and didnt usually get much in the way of traffic problems then (it was before the A66 was dualled for most of its length.
So for your route I would suggest M54, M6, A685, A66, A1(M)
StarGazer
|
|
BTW, should have mentioned, he misses Thelwall by joining the M60 at it's south point and going round that up to the M62.
|
From Wolverhampton, (by Junction 2 of M54), I go up the A449 to Penkridge, then accross Cannock Chase, to Rugely, and Alrewas, then join the A38, and head up to Derby, towards the M1.
If you want to avoid the M6 altogether, this may be worth consideration.
number_cruncher
|
Whatever route you choose to get to Newcastle once you are on the A1 head north along the western bypass towards Edinburgh and leave at the Seaton Burn turn off and take the sign for the A19/Tyne Tunnel/Cramlington.
It is dual carraigeway most of the way following this route and signs pointing towards the ferries are posted pretty often. Much better than trying to cross from the west end of the city to Wallsend/North Shields by going through the city centre.
Plus you get to go into Northumberland for a short while which is Gods own country.
|
"Gods own country."
Since when has Newcastle been in Yorkshire?
|
As far as I'm aware Newcastle has never been in Yorkshire, and it hasn't been part of Northumberland (Gods own country) for 30 years or so either.
Seriously though, going the way I suggested to the ferry terminal is the quickest. At least everyone in the pub tonight thought so.
|
As far as I'm aware Newcastle has never been in Yorkshire, and it hasn't been part of Northumberland (Gods own country)
[pedant mode]
There's more than one God? Better keep that quiet or all the excuses for war will come crashing down.
[/pedant mode]
|
[apology mode]
No offense meant. I'll be more careful in future.
[/apology mode]
P.S The speed cameras on the Stannington bypass have all been removed and the limit is once again 70 on this stretch of the A1.
|
|
|
|
"Gods own country." Since when has Newcastle been in Yorkshire?
Maybe it was a temporary home for God before she finished perfecting Yorkshire?
|
That got you boys, didn't it!
BTW, god (of undetermined sex) lives in Manchester and definitely supports City. The only deities who support United come from out of town.
FWIW, I wonder how blue_haddock got on?
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quicker way may be to come off the A1 at Dishforth and go up the A168/A19. Still all dual and misses Scotch Corner etc out.
|
just an update - on the way there i wnet straight up the M6 and cut across from Carlisle to Newcastle - not too bad but don't think it was the quickest route possible.
Way back was A1(m), M62, M6, A5 - 4 hours bang on including a quick loo and can of coke break at hartshead moor services.
as for norway it was cold, wet and bleeding expensive!
|
|
|
|
|
|
