One for the route planners
I have to go from Bath, Somerset to Bow, East London for a funeral on Friday week. I'm not sure what time i have to get there yet.
Please can anyone advise the best way from west of London (M3 or M4, i haven't decided yet) to Bow. The AA route planner takes me straight through central London (past Madame Tussauds), which i really want to avoid.
As i see it, my options are:
1 - around the M25 clockwise and in
2 - around the north circular
3 - around the M25 anti clockwise, up to Greenwich and through the Blackwall Tunnel.
4 - Train, tube etc.
Of the driving options, 3 seems the least worst to me as i used to drive to Greenwich fairly regularly and it favours towards A303 / M3, a route that i prefer (i find the M4 sooo boring).
I am after ease of route, and am prepared to spend slightly longer behind the wheel in return for ease and certainty of time.
Also, can anyone tell me what parking is like in Bow?
Thanks in anticipation
|
|
Doesn't make sense to go through Greenwich. You would want A20, then north up the South Circular a little way, turn left onto A2, stay on this to Blackwall Tunnel (A2 becomes A102 halfway in). This should be a relatively easy route and shouldn't have any hold ups during the day, barring unforseen problems at the tunnel.
|
Yes, we live just a few miles from the M25 jcn 4 and my next door neighbour takes the A20 route to work most days and, aside from the odd infuriating tunnel incident, says it's much better than it used to be. The time of day will make some difference but I'd guess you won't get here until after the peak morning period so it should be even better. Always best to allow as much time as you reasonable can, however, as major delays can spring up at pretty much any time and you wouldn't want to miss the funeral.
If the M25's busy you could get off at Jcn 4 and take the A224 route to the A20. Outside peak times the traffic's not usually too bad.
HTH.
|
|
|
Doesn't make sense to go through Greenwich. You would want A20, then north up the South Circular a little way, turn left onto A2, stay on this to Blackwall Tunnel (A2 becomes A102 halfway in). This should be a relatively easy route and shouldn't have any hold ups during the day, barring unforseen problems at the tunnel.
Sorry, i was referring to Greenwich as a generic term for that part of East London south of the river by the dome.
The route you describe is exactly the one that i used to take to get to a site in Hope and Anchor Lane, which is apparently Charlton. It seemed pretty free flowing to me, and i could leave home at 5.45 and be on site for 8.30.
|
|
|
|
Mare,
For ease of Route I'd go M25, then down the M11. Where the M11 ends keep in the left hand lane to join the north circular southbound. Follow signs for the A12, which will lead you off the north circular at the next junction down to a large roundabout [the Redbridge roundabout].
Here, take 3rd exit [i.e. turn right] onto the A12 [the new-ish East Cross Route, and come off at the 3rd junction after about 3 or 4 miles [signposted A11 Bow & Whitechapel - I think] and again take the 3rd exit - turning right at the roundabout on the overpass to join the A11 westbound - welcome to Bow.
Have a look at that route using an A-Z or multimap and see what you think.
As for parking - don't try anything cute round there, it's warden country, I'd try to find a pay car park for peace of mind.
Good Luck,
CF
|
Mare,
I would just like to add to Canon Fodder's suggested route above, which, incidently, I think myself is a very sensible one, watch out for the Speed Camera which is to be found at the London end of the M11.
The M11 ends and there are 50 mph signs, then about 100 yards later the Speed Camera.
It's the busiest Speed Camera in the country!
Galaxy
|
|
Last time I was there a few weeks ago the M25/M11 junction was subject to major roadworks and there were huge delays. I believe these are still in force but how bad te delays are will depend on the time of day. There's also the added Dartford Crossing to contend with which can often snarl up for no apparent reason. I like to avoid the M25 as much as I can and tend to get off it as soon as I can. Still there are usually plenty of radio traffic announcements warning of troublespots so I suppose you can 'suck it and see' on the day. I should say that the A224 to A20 is a very straightforward run with hardly any traffic outside peak times. It also avoids the Bluewater Shopping Centre tailbacks which often affect the M25 Jcn 3.
|
M11 roadworks indeed v nasty V-man, but the problems are mostly southbound on the M11 north of the M25 - i.e. travelling into the roadworks. Coming clockwise round the M25 towards J27 has been OK for me recently.
As for dartford crossing ??? surely not relevent coming from the west as Mare is planning to?
CF
|
|
If he travels A303/M3/M25 and then anticlockwise to the M11 he'd have to use them. Also by doing it this way he'd avoid Heathrow Airport and all its problems.
|
It all depends on what time the traveling is.
If joining the m25 at M3/A303 junction, north m25 is not the way to go. The roadworks are horrible (because you are filtered into the two slow lanes) and its stop start all the way round to the m11.
Last tuesday at 9:00am I joined the m25 at j11 (just one down from the m3 j12) went south and was on the other side of the Dartford crossing in about 50 minutes.
So my vote goes - m3/m25 south/dartford crossing/a13 east into London.
Parking in Bow? depends on where.
|
If joining the m25 at M3/A303 junction, north m25 is not the way to go. The roadworks are horrible (because you are filtered into the two slow lanes) and its stop start all the way round to the m11.
The trick here is, instead of joining the M25 clockwise, take the anti-clockwise direction, and do a u-turn at the next junction (junction 11) then get into the middle lane, this will then allow you to join the faster outside two lanes and avoid the hold-up. This usually saves you a lot of time but may not if there is congestion before the roadworks anyway.
|
|
Would it be bad form to suggest that it might be easier to take the train into London from Bath? Although perhaps the service might be below-par at the moment due to the nasty incident at Reading at the weekend.
|
Would it be bad form to suggest that it might be easier to take the train into London from Bath? Although perhaps the service might be below-par at the moment due to the nasty incident at Reading at the weekend.
Not at all, it is after all option 4 on the original post.
However depending on time of travel , the tickets for my wife and i will be c. £80 off peak or £140 on peak. And that's just to Paddington. From memory, it could take another hour to cross to Mile End Tube on the underground. So a total journey time of 2.5 hours against what, 3 in the car?
A tank of diesel will be c.£30 and we will be somewhat more flexible with coming and going. I know that money perhaps shouldn't come into it, but £100 is £100.
I still don't know what time i need to be there.
Incidentally, i took the train to London yesterday. The 1845 to Taunton should have got me into Bath at about 2015, in fact i arrived back at Bath at midnight due to a points failure at Didcot!
Motoring: Thanks all for your input. I much prefer the A303 and M3 and that leans towards whizzing around the bottom of the M25 and either past the Dome and through the Blackwall tunnel or over/under Dartford and the A13.
Stupid question, is the Blackwall Tunnel free or a toll? Ditto Dartford bridge / tunnel
Thanks again.
|
Stupid question, is the Blackwall Tunnel free or a toll? Ditto Dartford bridge / tunnel Thanks again.
RTFM (M=Map)
Dartford is a toll. Answered my own question.
|
|
I see what you mean V-man, I must admit I was assuming Mare would be coming down the M4 and then clockwise round the M25 when suggesting my route via the M11.
CF
|
|
The M25 takes you a long way north of London and can be a pig of a road. Last time I went up I tried the North Circular and it was much better, near motorway standard most of the way. Non rush hour times though, I reckon you can't beat heading along the Embankment and past Parliment Square through to Whitechapel then Bow. Easy route to follow too, even if you are not familiar with the area.
|
|
|
|
|
|
There is a town on the east cost of South Africa called East London.
I grew up there.
In the news this week, because they have a football club called Bush Bucks, where a certain Mr B Grobbelaar has just taken over as coach.
|
Try the AA website, they are very good. You get a map as well as directions.
www.theaa.com/index.html
--
L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
|
Try the AA website, they are very good. You get a map as well as directions. www.theaa.com/index.html -- L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
Oops! You've tried that already! (Hangs head in shame.)
--
L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
|
Thanks all for replies and advice.
The funeral actually turned out to be on Thursday at, get this, 10am!
We went A36 / A303 / M3 / M25 anti clockwise / A20 / South circular / A2 / Blackwall Tunnel to pop out in Bow. If it hadn't been for the unfortunate chap who broke down in the outside lane going into the Blackwall Tunnel, we would have been there for 9.45, having left Bath at 6.25, including breaks.
I didn't go round to the Dartford crossing because there were reporting delays on the A13.
The way home was reversed except i went up through Bracknell and along the M4 as we had to pick my son up from Nursery, which is north of Bath and easier to get to from the M4. From Grove Road in Bow to the Blackwall Tunnel took 40 minutes of very boring sitting in traffic on the East India Dock Road - i thought that i was being clever because the Blackwall Northern Approach was flagged as having delays.....
I was going to be brave and go through Central London as the AA route, but the radio was reporting dealys basically everywhere in West London, so no thanks
Thanks again
|
|
Goodness knows what was going on in London on Thursday. I had to be in a restaurant in Curzon Street for 1:30 and it took me about 45 minutes from Paddington as opposed to a more normal 15 minutes - the traffic was horrendous. According to the taxi driver it had been awful all day all over London but he didn't know why.
|
Goodness knows what was going on in London on Thursday
>>
president chirac was in town.
|
>>president chirac was in town
I'm sure. But why that should have any effect on either Paddington or Mirabelle's is beyond me.
|
roads were closed, divertions were in place, and the effect ripples out from central london like shaking a wobbly jelly.
you should have been on the m25 on Friday evening.
Now *that* was a jam.
(and I ran out of fags)
|
|
|
|
We went A36 / A303 / M3 / M25 anti clockwise / A20 / South circular / A2 / Blackwall Tunnel to pop out in Bow
sorry i missed the thread before, as i go to mile end (queen mary college) every now and again. i take the m25, then a3 to elephant and castle, then via the rotherhide tunnel to commercial street. it is outside the congestion charge zone all the way, and is pretty much fre flowing except for a couple of miles through battersea/clapham area.
|
|
|
|
|
