|
Hot bank holiday Friday forecast. Is the M1 or A1 recommended for clutter-free relaxed cruising northwards, leaving around 3.30 pm?
|
I wouldn't. Either leave after 19:00 or go Saturday morning!
Relaxed and clutter free cruising does not describe either M1 or A1 on a normal Friday night never mind a bank holiday.
|
15:30 on a Friday is not the best time to go up the M1 or A1 ever. Go early on Friday morning, or be prepared for a slow frustrating drive.
Why not go by train?
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
|
|
If you have to leave at 3.30 go for the A1, but watch for speed cameras (assuming the traffic is free flowing enough for you to go in excess of the limit). Is the M11, A14, A1 feasible for you?
|
|
|
|
Lesser of the two evils is probably the A1 , but like others have said Friday afternoon is absolutely the worst time to travel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you are London or South of, you wont even get to the A1 or M1 on the Friday afternoon before a bank holiday!
|
A1 roadworks just after Newark are a serious inconvenience. Single lane running for about 5 miles each way can seriously slow you down.
O
--
Jaguar XJS V12 - comes with free personalised oil tanker.
|
I Work in York and travel this route frequently.
I always use the M1, M18 A1 and A64. This avoids traffic problems on the M1 at Sheffield and the M62 Junction.
|
|
If you can get out of town on the A12/M11 as far as Cambridge then A14 and A1, you'll be better off than trying to get out on the A1. But I would wait until 8am on the Saturday morning. You'll do it in little over 2 hours then & without any fuss.
|
|
The only way to do London to York in 2 hours legally without leaving the ground is in a GNER 225 with no stops on the way. I do Leeds to Stansted regularly at quiet times and it generally takes just under three hours - 180 miles BTW. London to York will be four on a good day.
|
I obviously drive too fast...but I agree gner will be fastest. 3:30 on a bank holiday w/e is asking for trouble. When I did this regularly I would either take the afternoon off and get out by 1pm or work til 5, have a bite to eat and a couple of hours kip. get up at 9pm or so, shower to wake up then hit the road. you will not be much later than the early starter who has a good chance of taking over 6 hours.
I have done all the routes suggested so far (and others) remember that the m1 now has the a1/m1 link which I always find better than the m18 (watch for police cars though).
|
Thanks to all for your experiences! I do normally use the GNER but need a car at the other end this time.
Thus far, I have driven to Watford Junction ( an hour at 6.15 from Farnham), zippy train in to Euston, in by 7.45.
Will leave at about 3.30 and hope to be on the M1 by 4.15, north of the M25.
|
"Will leave at about 3.30 and hope to be on the M1 by 4.15, north of the M25"
You should be nearly there by now. (Judging from Five Live traffic news this evening which seemed to suggest that every motorway in England was gridlocked) You have my sympathy!!
|
I drove south on the M1 leaving Luton at about 6:30, free running into London but Northbound looked a major mess.
coming out of London at about midnight there were a lot of broken down vehocles still on the hard shoulder where they've overheated in the traffic on the first really hot day of the year.
--
I read often, only post occasionally
|
|
|
|
|
Why ask the question if you ignore ALL the advice? Still,the upside is,for those taking the sensible option on this route i.e. leaving earlier it's one less,how shall we put it,one less "innocent" to get under your feet.You just can't help some people
|
|
should read leaving later,not earlier
|
|
shouldh've taken the train and booked three months ago APEX. Under 2 hours.
|
|
How long did it take then?
|
Hit the M1 at 4.15 pm on Friday, drove into York centre at 8.15, averaging 49 mph on the M1 as far as the A64. I seemed to have struck lucky since almost every other "M" seemed to be solid. I had only two or three crawling bits, although it was fairly heavy throughout.
Sunday afternoon return averaged 63 mph for the M1.
Thanks for the interesting and entertaining responses.
|
|
|
|
Mapmaker wrote: 2 hours
Mapmaker is checking into a mental hospital. He doesn't know where that one came from!
The M11 on Friday evening, BTW, at about 5-6pm was empty. In both directions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
