I am planning to do Leeds and back in day early next month, for a lunch time meeting, easily do-able, about 480 miles return, which way would you guys recommend?
M5 > M42 > A42 > M1
.. or ..
M5 > M6 > M62
?
I have also looked into flights, Air Southwest do a Bristol to Leeds-Bradford service, it would cost me about £135 return plus parking at Bristol airport, anyone used this service?
And trains, Weston-Super-Mare or Yatton to Leeds about 4 hours each way with one change at Bristol Temple Meads ( I would go from Bristol TM but for parking probs) with Virgin Trains, cost about £85, again any experiences with Virgin Trains on this line? The first train of the morning would get me into Leeds at 12:02 so does not allow much time for delays.
Thanks.
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I go to Cardiff from Leeds regularly - M1, M42, M5 is my route (GPS says M62 is preferred route), but I avoid it.
If M1 is particularly busy I do sometimes leave at Jcn 28 and use the A38 - Derby, Burton, Lichfield which eventually joins the M42 (it also links to M6 toll now, but it's expensive for the few miles you are on it). The A38 is an excellent dual carriageway which outside of Derby rush hour is relatively traffic free.
To get to Leeds by lunchtime and then return will involve travel around Birmingham at both rush hours - something I'd want to avoid.
I've just booked a flight Leeds to Bristol with Air Southwest. £35 single. Reports i've read are it's a decent airline.
If I were you I'd be flying. Taxi from Airport to Leeds is £10-15, or there is a regular bus service to Leeds bus station which is £2 each way.
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How early in the month. My liftshare does that route quite often to go home to see family- but she's in Poland till beginning of next month so will be a slight delay before I can get her comments for you.
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PS If thinking of trains- did you know about the small station near Sainsburys in Worle? Good car park (Lidls with free car park 2 mins walk away as well). Alternatively I think there is a free car park by Weston station (other side of the tracks from the main car park- but small).
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Have flown Exeter to Leeds with Flybe, takes about 50 minutes and you can arrive 30 minutes before departure, I think. I do M5 -> M6 -> M62 because I visit friends in Rochdale along the way, but there's practically nothing between the two routes. The TomTom recommends the M1.
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I returned Tuesday after several weeks backpacking the SW Coast Path from Minehead round to Plymouth.
I used Air SW from Yeadon (oops, I mean Leeds/Bradford International) to Bristol and returned to Keighley using Virgin trains, of which there are several per day direct to Dundee via Leeds! I booked my rail ticket on Sat 16th Sept, for travel on Tuesday 19th...cost £46.50 single. The weekday Plymouth/Leeds flight departs 06:30 but time was not of the essence so chose the rail option...and wanted a decent breakfast! The 06:25 ex Plymouth leaves Taunton 07:51, arriving Leeds 12:02, with a 15:10 and 17:10 from Leeds arriving Taunton 19:31 and 21:17 respectively.
Having flown home from Newquay for a few days, returning to Newquay to continue my ramble, I prefer the rail option, if time permits.
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Just looked at your original post. According to my timetable, the first direct Virgin train of the day arrives Leeds 10:02, ( not 12:02) departing Bristol TM 06:15, via Bristol Parkway, Gloucester, Cheltenham et al.
Hope this helps.
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Forgot to add that you need to be on a Virgin Train early in it's journey if you want a seat. Last one I went on was thankfully a short trip from Sheffield to Leeds - it was a service from the South West going to Newcastle and it was packed. The stock Virgin used seem to be much narrower than GNER carriages, this coupled with luggage storage half way along the carriages made me feel very claustrophobic. Reliability is also an issue wirh Virgin.
I researched a train for my next trip to Cardiff trip. The journey would have taken over 6 hours door to door, involved at least two changes. This was the same price as a flight to Bristol and a drive to Cardiff, which will take less than four hours door to door.
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>>The stock Virgin used seem to be much narrower than GNER carriages
Yes, as with most of the railway, there has been a huge leap backwards from loco hauled and HST stock to "Virgin Voyagers" on the cross country route. These are thinly disguised diesel multiple units, with a beastly diesel engine under each carriage.
Because these trains don't carry as many people, they are frequently packed solid - for many of their timetabled services, these trains have an entirely inadequate number of seats available (for a commuter train that's OK, but these are long distance trains). If so, avoid the vestibule ends - they aren't air conditioned and soon become intolerable on a hot day.
Depending upon which train you take, recent timetabling "improvements" also mean that you might waste a lot of time standing just outside stations while the crew negotiate for a slot at the platform. Grrr!
For a brief period earlier this year, Virgin have toyed with the passengers by running some services using ex Midland Mainline HST sets. These are so much quieter and ride much more smoothly, and I find I get more work done on the journey.
Number_Cruncher
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Thanks for the comments all, I will see what time I have to be there exactly before I look closer at the options.
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I know absolutely nothing about the type of rolling stock used by Virgin on this route.
Suffice to say that when I booked my ticket at Par on the 16th for travel on the 19th, I thought the price represented excellent value for money. The 10:25 from Plymouth to Leeds had an allocated seat at no extra cost, the train was100% on time, air conditioned, plenty of room to change seats (as I did) quiet & comfortable.
Light years better than the stress of driving. Doubtless my comments would not be so favourable if I had suffered delays........... but overcrowding is not an issue if you have an allocated seat.
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Decided to drive to Leeds because where I have to go to is a little way out of the city and not on the airport side, I will do M5 > M42 > A42 > M1
leaving home at about 07:00 so as to get to the Birmingham area as the rush hour dies down, should get to Leeds by about 11:00.
Are there any road works etc I should be aware of?
Many thanks.
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No roadworks as of this weekend between Sheffield and Leeds. If you need to go on the M621 watch out near Stourton south of Leeds - the 50 speed limit has been extended by about a mile and unmarked police cars are a regular sight pulling those who decide 50 is too low for a three lane motorway.
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Thanks, M1 then M62, will not go as far as the M621.
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There have been roadworks on the M1-M62 roundabout for a few weeks, caused congestion on Saturday, but nothing major.
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Stay in Sumerset - It's much nicer.
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Stay in Sumerset - It's much nicer.
Agree, its only a day trip though a necessary one.
Leeds is though the home of football so I might have to bow at the alter that is Elland Road while I am up there!
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2 different posts in as many days of people wanting to come to leeds, i might start charging entry fees if this continues
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Leeds and back today, 476 miles at an average of 62mph and 52 mpg (the trip comp says 53.8mpg), only a 5 min hold up on the M42 this morning.
No trucks in the outside lane of the A42 for a few miles is a good idea, should be done on the A303, the A30, the A38 ..........
Thanks for the advice.
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