I have to take a group of colleagues from Derby to Basingstoke next week (probably Wednesday) leaving Derby at around 5pm. The return trip is the following night at about the same time.
The most obvious route seems to be M1 M25 M3 (I don't have an exact location in Basingstoke yet) but any opinions or suggestions for alternatives?
I loathe sitting in traffic, don't particularly break speed limits, and want the journey over as fast as possible (one of the travellers is a lovely person but not someone you want to spend too much time with in a confined space, if you know what I mean).
Thanks in advance
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M1 to Northampton
A43 to M40
M40 briefly to A34
A34 to Newbury
A339 to Basingstoke
Going down you will not hit traffic, unless very unlucky.
I'd leave it an hour coming back up. (leave Basingstoke around 6pm)
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Don't touch the M25 or the M3 at that time.
From Wolverhampton I used to go M42, M40, A34, A339, so any way you can get to the M40 from Derby seems best.
If you do decide to end up on the M3, don't get off at J6 which is signposted town centre. It's much quicker to get off at J7 and drive through town than it is to queue to get onto the ringroad from that side. You might even see Polo! :)
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I did the drive from my home between Reading and Basingtoske to Nottingham every couple of weeks for uni, so heres how I did it:
M1 down to Leicster Services
M69 until the end - it turns into an A road, but I forget which! Follow signs to the M40
On M40 at Warwick
A34 from Oxford down to Newbury
A339 to Basingstoke
Because the M69 is a very open road, you fly down it, as apposed to the A43 which is a road I hate. Personal preferance really!
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Junctions off the M3 for Basingstoke depend on time of day and the deatination......not to mention the dreaded speed humps around my area of town, I agree with the junction 7 option and use this most of the time except when heading for town centre.
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Agree.M1,A43,M40,A34,A339
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M1 to Northampton A43 to M40 M40 briefly to A34 A34 to Newbury A339 to Basingstoke Going down you will not hit traffic, unless very unlucky. I'd leave it an hour coming back up. (leave Basingstoke around 6pm)
I live near Derby and was working on a project in Hook (near Basingstoke) for a few months. I tried every possible route (within reason) and the one above was the best. Route planners say it should take 3 hours, but I often found it could take closer to 4 hours at peak times as you'll hit loads of jams on the M1.
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Use the motorway option...M1 M25 M3 at a sensible time to avoid the M25 rush hours and you will with luck get there quicker than across country. I've done it many times and with any sort of good fortune you will avoid the dreaded jams around London.
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"Good fortune" is in short supply while the little boys are still playing with their toys bwteeen J12 and J15 of the M25, and some fat controller has imposed an unnecessarily low 40 mph speed limit. They should have left the variable limits to do their work, which they usually do well.
If and when this ever ends, centenarian Barney's advice is good, as he says at sensible times of day.
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