BR, I need your help.
I'm down amongst the heathens on the South Coast (Hailsham, just north of Eastbourne) and will be leaving for civilisation at about 4pm Friday. I can't change the departure time so key question is do I go East around London via Tunbridge Wells and Dartford for either M11/A14 or M25/M1 or West via M23/M25/M40?
Thanks all.
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Cor - you know how to ask big questions! Why not something easy like.."mondeo or 5-series, which one for the ten minute commute?..."
My gut feeling is west side, but let a softy southener give you the best answer. Hope you reach civilisation quickly and smoothly.
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."mondeo or 5-series, which one for the ten minute commute?..."
He knows not to ask that - he'd end up buying a Puch Maxi based on the usual advice given in these columns !
As regards this question I will keep quiet after my Richmond gaffe.
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Either way it will be a mare of a journey at that time. I woulld probably try to find something interesting to do until about 8.00 and then either route should be a lot more civilised. M40 usually moves a bit better than M1 if this is not an option.
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Six and two threes, really don't think there's a lot of difference.
The NE quarter of the M25 is likely to be quieter it only needs two cars to touch bumpers in the Dartford tunnels to cause a 40 min delay.
But same between the M3 and M40 if you go clockwise. Given the current roadworks which you'd hit around 18:00 I'd still favour M11/A14 over using the M1 even with the Dartford lottery.
Edited by Bromptonaut on 26/03/2008 at 22:00
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Traffic is likely to be poor full stop. Especially once you get to the M6 between J13 to say J16. But this week it's school holidays so you might be better than you normally would.
I'd check travel/road sites on the Internet before leaving if I was you. I use TomTom Traffic and it seems to be okay for me (via GPRS)
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Friends went up for a wedding a few weeks ago. Hastings - Warrington on Fri afternoon. They went M40/ M6 and it took them 2 hours longer than expected. M6 through Brum was the worst bit.
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If you use the M40/M42 then you have the option of the toll road. It can be worth £4.50 but then I claim it anyway so it's a no brainer.
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A22 south to A27,
Watch for the road works near Lewes, they are building a bridge over the railway.
Head north up A23 / M23, carefull of the reckless speeders there.
M25 towards Heathrow, M40, take a break just past Banbury perhaps.
M6 M6 toll etc
Then on to Manchester.
You could go A22 all the way to the M25 but it's mostly single c/w.
Safe trip
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rtj, Kent/London/Sussex/Hampshire schools not on holiday until April 4th this year, so won't affect M25 traffic particularly.
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DON'T.
Please wait till later that evening. You will probably get up to the grim north only half an hour later when leaving at 8 than when leaving at 4.
Motorway traffic is much reduced this week!, so you may be lucky. On Monday evening I drove from near Brighton to Leicester in just over 2 hours, but I left at 7:30 pm.
On a Friday afternoon the traffic can flow quite freely on the M25 and M6, but one dumb individual can cause havoc for hours. The risk of the traffic being horrible for me would be too great.
If you must go...M23, M25, M1, M6. (M40, M42) might be fine, but it depends when on when you get near Birmingham.
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As an alternative how about M25 Eastern side, M11, A14, M1 (N), A50 to Stoke then M6 or A34 - depends on traffic conditions I guess
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"DON'T.
Please wait till later that evening"
My advice too.
On our regular trips to in laws in South Wales I now leave at 7ish from Leeds - last trip I arrived at 10.15pm and at no point did I do any break neck speeds. I have left at 4 in the past and arrived at 10ish - the first 70 miles taking 3 hours, rather than 1.
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To state the obvious.
Do make a note of the M25 junction numbers and names then listen out for the traffic reports.
If you use the M23 and it has problems, you have an alternative ( if you can) to exit at Gatwick, ignore the terminals and take the A217 To Reigate, West on the A25 to Dorking, North on the A24 to J9 M25.
A couple of options on the M25 to M40 section.
Consider taking M4 J4B to J8/9 ( Maidenhead) and then the A404(M) to J4 of the M40. This is my preferred route.
If you really hit the traffic approaching exit J13 (Staines), come off and U turn at the roundabout and take head for the A30 South. at the Runnymead roundabout take the A308 (that passes Windsor) to rejoin M4 J8. There is also the option to stay on the A308 all the way to Bray where you have the whole length of the A308(M) 0.6 miles to the roundabout (ON the motorway) over the M4 and exit on the A404(M)
Details of the A308(M)
pathetic.org.uk/current/a308m/
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Avoid the eastern route via M25 and Dartford crossing at all costs. At around 4pm - 5pm, especially on a Friday, expect tailbacks back to at least the A20 turn off and probably as far back as A21. Kiss goodbye to an hour. If it were me (thankfully it isn't) I'd go straight through the one non-congestion zone route through central London and get onto the M1. But then, the M1 will be at a standstill about 5 miles north of London. Try (?) A40 at Edgware Road which leads on to M40.
Suggestion - leave the country and go somewhere else where they can afford to build some decent roads.
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Generally I'd avoid the M25 West option, junctions 7 to 16 on a Friday evening will have problems it's just a case of where and how bad.
Good advice from henryk on coming off at J13 and aiming for M40 J4. Only problem is if you have to do this you'll find everybody else doing the same and it crawling into and out of Windsor and on to Maidenhead but at least it moves.
I'd be checking out the traffic reports 5 minutes before I leave and decide based on Dartford Tunnel, M1 and M25 west information.
Enjoy!
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>>I'd be checking out the traffic reports 5 minutes before I leave
I like
www.traffic-england.co.uk/TCC/
Select the area of interest. Tick " Roadside Message Signs "
Routes are outlined in orange or red if there is a problem.
Hover over a sign with the mouse and it shows you what the poor bods on the Mway see.
Can someone can monitor it and let you know any problems en route ?
Unfortunately, useful as the site is, it has been downgraded IMO
It is now cluttered with " 5 minutes to J X or Take a break" messages.
I asked for a " cut out the junk " feature but they tell me the site is being revamped.
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I'd definitely go M25 West then M40/M42 and M6/M56
the M1 roadworks south of Luton have been a nightmare, hence M40 rather than M1
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>>I'd be checking out the traffic reports 5 minutes before I leave
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Tune the radio to 97.3 fm - traffic updates every 15 minutes during the rush hour.
Or - 1152 AM - updates every 10 minutes (on the 'ones', ie 11, 21, 31 etc minutes past the hour) reception not as good as the FM station above.
As a generalisation, I would probably go clockwise round the M25. If you can leave a few hours later (or leave earlier) so much the better.
Henry k's post is all good stuff.
I hope you enjoyed your sojourn in the decadent Sarf - safe journey back to the land of the whippet. ;-))
Edited by drbe on 27/03/2008 at 17:34
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Avoid the East side, Dartford, at all costs at that time on a Friday.
Whatever you do, keep away from the West side - round Heathrow/Staines at that time on a Friday.
Find something to do until 7pm and save petrol and stress.
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I drove from Slough to Manchester (well Stockport) today. Left Slough around 4pm.
Usually rely on TomTom traffic but the SIM card (PAYG) was out of credit and the Orange people would not top it up! Anyway...
Route was basically M4, A404, M40, M42, M6 Toll (holdups on M6) and onto A556 and then M6. Got home at 7:30pm. Traffic lighter than usual but a few "slow bits" when lorries overtaking. And I did avoid a bit of the M6. I was expecting to be home nearer 9pm.
And I do not go faster than an indicated 80mph if I can help it but might have bit a true 80mph a couple of times to pass traffic to let those behind me pass.
So I'd say traffic has been lighter this week. It was on the way down yesterday too.
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Don't do it at that time- you will be in for delay after delay unless you are extremely lucky. Better try to change the time to drive overnight or real early the next morning, Friday night is one of the worst times possible on that route. If you can't change the time please post again when you get there and tell us how you got on.
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Traffic delays of 30 mins between J7 M23 to J12 M3 expected to be OK by 6.45
between J12 M3 - M40 just 10 minutes delay
This is the report at 6pm so it looks like a " normal" Fri evening and as suggested a late departure would allow a good run on the M25.
There are a few less cars going to LHR at present :-)
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Hope the OP got to Manchester in good time and safely. I know the M40 was closed at one point due to a serious accident. Also hope the injured recovering.
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Well, Nsar, what was the outcome. Bet I wasn't far wrong!
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Set off at 4.20, home (north Manchester) at 10.40 with 15 minute stop.
As expected, all the problems were on the M25 I went West and hit trouble from Leatherhead to M40 at which point everything was fine. Did Oxford services to home in, erm, "short order" shall we say?
Thanks for all the suggestions.
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>>Thanks for all the suggestions.
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Thank you for your update.
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Hi Nsar,
I live about 2 miles away in Horam and frequently do this journey.
I do what you did with M23, M25, M40. Heathrow always bad but moves at least. I hear too often news on the Dartford side being sticky both ways.
As an extra tip I would look at going to the M23 via Haywards Heath (back roads from H/H to Cuckfield and then onto the A23 > M23). This is often quicker than going through Tunbridge Wells and joining the motorway there.
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I used to do Winchester to Stoke on Trent (30 miles south of Manchester) every Friday night for 2 years at that time.
Oxford: M40 M6.
Horrible around Birmingham and usually 1 hour to get past.
If I had a choice I left at 6pm which meant Brum was far less congested... (but I arrived home very tired).
But Brum M6 and rushhour = pain and aggro.. so do not.. but travel later.
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I use the M6 toll. Expensive but has always been free of traffic and fast. Saves the hell of the normal M6 - but at a cost.
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