I don't stray too far from home these days (Reading), but I might have to drive to Leicester and back on Friday afternoon this week.
I'm thinking M4/A404M/M40/A43/M1, but I'm a bit concerned about congestion on that route, particulary the A43/M1 bit.
Is it better (i.e. quicker) to stay on the M40 to Warwick and then use the A46/M69 route? Is that going to be lighter traffic on a Friday afternoon?
I'll be leaving about 12, and want to get back home by 6 - I'll be picking up a new car I'm buying there so there will be a bit of faffing about at the dealer. Does this sound a practical round trip in 6 hours?
Any local advice would be most welcome!
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>Is it better (i.e. quicker) to stay on the M40 to Warwick and then use the A46/M69 route? >Is that going to be lighter traffic on a Friday afternoon?
Yes. I came back down the M69 three friday afternoons ago and it was free flowing, with some small jams round the coventry bypass. HOWEVER you will get agro hitting the m40 at the A46 juntion. Its quicker through warwick town than follow the A46 all the way to the M40 junction. (take the turn off at warwick parkway (A425 ) into warwick, then down the A429 to the M40 roundabout.
the A43/M40 junction is a nightmare.
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Thanks for the Warwick tip, AE - I must try that. I think I agree with M69 /A46 at that time of day - not much in it, although other than in rush hour th A43 route is probably quicker. It may still be if you get caught in queues turning off the M1 (Junction 21) on to the M69 - if it's bad, then just keep going.
Not saure which part of Reading you live in, Alanovich, but wherever it is I wouldn't suggest the M4 at that time of a Friday evening. You have the choice of:
- coming off the M40 at J6 - Watlington / Nettlebed and down the A481 to Caversham
- coming off at J4 and turning on to the A4 - better for Woodley and Earley. The tinpot tyrants have closed the B478 at Sonning Eye at the moment, so don't go there.
- if you live west of Reading you could consider coming off at J9 and going A34 /M4.
Or else do the whole thing on Saturday instead!
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we regularly do a similar journey (well up to norfolk from the west of reading area) and the a34/m40/a43 bit, and it's not bad most of the time. Bleeding silly roundabout though. But coming up the a34 make sure you know the m40 is clear, otherwise come off on the weston on the green road, and then you join juntion 10 via that (it's the b430) and miss a lot of the chaos (not all though).
They've also introduced lights coming south on the A43 to regulate the traffic. Once you're on the A43 it'll be fine (but watch out for speed cameras. It's a lovely road for going a bit over 70 - but the police do know it.
We can get to from home to the waitrose food and home at Rushden in 90 minutes (further than you're going) so i would've though the M1 junction would be about an hour away. I know Brackley is about 45 minutes.
Any other questions just ask.
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Thanks all, especially Avant.
I live in Caversham, but work at Thames Valley Park, so will be leaving Reading via M4 to get to the M40, but coming home will definately be getting off the M40 to head through Nettlebed.
The Sonning Eye thing is a royal pain at the moment as it's my route to work - the pushbike might be getting dusted down soon!
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And big thanks to Altea Ego and petsco too.
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m1 j21/ m69 can be a stinker. but it usaully clears after about 45 mins around 5-6 pm
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Those in the know leave Reading through Emmer Green, to Nettlebed, then to Christmas Common and on to J5 M40 at Stokenchurch.
Route here: tinyurl.com/6867t2
Park your car at the top(!) of Caversham Hill, and take a push bike from the office to there!
Edited by oldnotbold on 30/07/2008 at 22:02
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Any others living in or near Reading might like to know that you can still get on to the B478 and Sonning Bridge from the Henley Road by turning off at the Flowing Spring pub: but the litle lane is one-way and you can't do the same thing the other way.
(Inside knowledge because I'm the Sonning church organist!)
The Christmas Common route is an interesting alternative, Oldnotbold - two sides of a square compared with Watlington and M40 J6, but you get to avoid Watlington altogether. I usually go round the back of Watlington following the Pyrton signs.
Edited by Avant on 30/07/2008 at 23:42
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Any others living in or near Reading might like to know that you can still get on to the B478 and Sonning Bridge from the Henley Road by turning off at the Flowing Spring pub: but the litle lane is one-way and you can't do the same thing the other way.
Yep, I'm using that route on the way in to work, but getting home is hopeless. Through Reading town centre it's 50 minutes, down the M4 and over at Pangbourne is also 50 minutes, through Henley is over an hour (plus the added stress of being stuck amongst the gangsta rappa bling bling 4x4s being driven by twits in pink Hackett polo shirts). All this at rush hour of course. Bah. When oh when oh when will we get our third Thames crossing?? Flaming South Oxfordshire Council.
I usually go round the back of Watlington following the Pyrton signs.
Useful tip, might try that. Thanks. I'll take a look at multimap.
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Park your car at the top(!) of Caversham Hill and take a push bike from the office to there!
The trouble with that is getting back UP the hill again! I live right up in Caversham Heights. I've often used my bike to get to and fro, but in the hot weather with a laptop in a backpack, it doesn't make for a comfortable arrival at work.
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Currently I drive from reading to Northants on a Friday PM 1 or2 times a month. Leaving early, on your outward trip, the queue at the M40 / A43 junction while frustrating is unlikely to be sufficient to justify a significant diversion. Cutting through to the M40 via Nettlebed is a better route than the M4-A404-A40 particularly as anything on the M4 tends to stack back, I?m not sure whether the A404 M40 junction is free at that time but it can get very sticky later on.
For the return journey I haven?t noticed the A43 ? M40 junction particularly bad but haven?t really paid attention to it. 3 hours for the return trip assuming that are departing Leicester at 4pm ish could be optimistic although holidays have thinned the traffic out a fair bit.
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Those in the know leave Reading through Emmer Green ......
Actually, those in the know left Reading 6 years ago, after 28 years spent in the hell hole!!!!
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Personally I wouldn't go anywhere near this route from Reading unless I was desperate. I would go A34/M40/A43 and onto the M1 for a short hop just past Northampton.
All of these roads are good, except for a possible slight delay on the A34, but having said that, even this hasn't been bad lately.
You could take the Pangbourne bridge shortcut across country to join the A34 a bit 'higher up' but I've never realy seen the value of this route much.
Edited by Roly93 on 02/08/2008 at 14:27
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