Hi

I live in st albans, and have driven that journey at many times of day, night, summer, winter...

I have to say though it is very hard to predict how long it will take, but my guess based upon a lot of experience is that gettin there will not be too bad, but getting back in the evening would be a lot worse.

It would take anything between 50 minutes and 2 and a half hours, that very journey took e 2 and a half hours just a few weeks back, the M25 was a car park the whole way down.

But that is very rare, most of the time I would allow an hour or a tad over, suggest as follows:

leave St Albans at 08.45
head down through Chiswell Green to M25 J21A, and go on the M25 towards heathrow.

Do not exit M25 unil Junction 9, there will be brown signs to go off before but DON'T. from J9 take left after slip road and this road, the A243 takes you straight there.

if the traffic is light you will be early, if it heavy you might be a little late so it would be about right.

Coming back, Friday evening! could take twice as long, Friday evenings are the worse.

Good luck

London isn't for the likes of us, luv.

As a Northerner myself (exiled down here by Tebbit et al twenty-five plus years ago), I'd say I hope you forget anything that you've been told about motorway driving. Or driving in general. Don't be courteous or in the least bit understanding or empathetic; you'll be seen as a loser on the Audi gravy train to middle class respectabilty and acceptance.