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05 Oct 03 - 10:40 AM (#1029972) Subject: Driving the M25 From: pluck & bow I'll be leaving Stansted Airport in the the afternoon (3:30) I'll be jumping on the M25 and heading toward the M4 to reach the Southwest area, Salisbury or there abouts. Does the M25 have a "rush hour" that should be avoided at all costs? If I wait till the next day to make the drive, what is the morning rush hour times? And lastly, is there a realistic way to avoid the M25 altogether and reach Salisbury and not take all day? Thanks for any advice:) |
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05 Oct 03 - 10:56 AM (#1029983) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: Leadfingers If you are travelling midweek-ie Monday to Friday-leaving Stanstead at three thirty you will hit the M25 at about its busiest period,all the way round to the M4.And the M4 will be heavy traffic heading out of London too.Unless there are serious road works or an accident,the traffic does move,though you wont be cruising at 60 mph. You could head Cross Country,but the difference is probably negligible and if you miss a turning you could waste hours.I would stick to the motorway route,or even delay departure from Stanstead till six or seven o clock. |
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05 Oct 03 - 11:11 AM (#1029989) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: Geoff the Duck And don't forget to put Chris Rea's Road to Hell on the cassete player just to pass the time... Quack! GtD. |
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05 Oct 03 - 11:24 AM (#1029995) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: Phot Fly to Exeter instead, no matter where your going, it'll be faster!! Wassail! Chris |
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05 Oct 03 - 11:26 AM (#1029997) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: pluck & bow Actually, I was thinking of bringing along AC/DC's "Highway to Hell!" I was afraid it was going to be a mind-bending drive!!! Any suggestions for the next morning? After 9 perhaps? Is St Albans a nice town to stay for the night? Yours in driving pandamonium, pluck & bow |
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05 Oct 03 - 11:43 AM (#1030005) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: Eric the Viking If it's a weekend, driving will be a lot easier, but almost always the M25 is stop start, gridlock and standstill.Tune into "Capital radio" or radio 2. But if I could suggest, you pick up the anti clockwise direction, going past the M1 turning, then Heathrow, then it might be a bit easier than going clockwise and towards London as it's much nearer the M4 junction, but you could go round to the M3, still anti clockwise and cut across Hampshire. |
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05 Oct 03 - 11:57 AM (#1030009) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: Morticia The M3 is always less busy than the M4.M25 is busiest between 3.30 - 6 pm and 7.30-10 am weekdays and especially hellish on Friday afternoons. If it were me, I would wait until 7pm, or if you can't, just accept that it will be a bit sticky ( a few good tapes and a couple of bottles of cold water might be an idea).....take the M25 to the M3, the M3 to the A303,come off at Andover and follow the signs for Salisbury. This is the route the RAC recommend Start at LONDON STANSTED AIRPORT (UK) direction FLIGHT DEPARTURES AND ARRIVALS. 516 yards 472 m 0.0 miles 0.0 km 2. After 516 yards take the 1st Exit off the Molehill Green Roundabout (Roundabout) onto Terminal Road. 0.7 miles 1.1 km 0.3 miles 0.5 km 3. After 0.7 miles take the 1st Exit off the Coopers End Roundabout (Roundabout) onto Parsonage Road. 1 miles 1.6 km 1.0 miles 1.5 km 4. Continue straight onto Parsonage Road. 592 yards 541 m 2.0 miles 3.1 km 5. Turn right into A120 (Dunmow Road). 729 yards 667 m 2.3 miles 3.7 km 6. Continue straight into A120 (Dunmow Road). 2.4 miles 3.8 km 2.7 miles 4.3 km 7. Leave the A120 (Dunmow Road), and join the M11 at the M11J8 junction direction [M11] LONDON. 13.9 miles 22.4 km 5.1 miles 8.1 km 8. Leave the M11 at junction M11/M25/J6/J27 and straight ahead into M25 direction [M25] WATFORD, HEATHROW AIRPORT via [M4]. 50.5 miles 81.3 km 19.1 miles 30.6 km M25 Clockwise J24 -J25 (Potters Bar - A10) This section of road is a known traffic hot spot. Call 1740* from your mobile for updates. 9. Leave the M25 at junction M25/J12/M3/J2 and straight ahead into M3 direction SOUTHAMPTON, [M3] BASINGSTOKE. 31.7 miles 51 km 69.9 miles 111.8 km M25 Anticlockwise J21 -J11 (M1 - A320 Chertsey) This section of road is a known traffic hot spot. Call 1740* from your mobile for updates. 10. Leave the M3 at junction M3/J8 and straight ahead into A303 direction ANDOVER, SALISBURY, [A303] THE SOUTHWEST. 15.8 miles 25.4 km 101.8 miles 162.9 km M3 Southbound J2-3 (M25 - A322 Bagshot) This section of road is a known traffic hot spot. Call 1740* from your mobile for updates. 11. Continue straight into A343 (Salisbury Road). 858 yards 785 m 117.7 miles 188.3 km M3 Northbound J3-2 (A322 Bagshot - M25) This section of road is a known traffic hot spot. Call 1740* from your mobile for updates. 12. After 858 yards take the 2nd Exit off the Salisbury Road (A343) (Roundabout) into A343 (Salisbury Road). 517 yards 473 m 118.2 miles 189.1 km 13. Continue straight into A343 (Salisbury Road). 7.8 miles 12.6 km 118.5 miles 189.5 km 14. Bear right into A30. 5.9 miles 9.6 km 126.3 miles 202.1 km 15. You are entering Salisbury. |
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05 Oct 03 - 03:57 PM (#1030077) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: Gareth There is no best time for the M25 - Some times are less bad than others. ( well apart from midnight to 6am ) Unfortunately there is no route that I can recomend to avoid it. My personal preference would be M11 south, M25 Clockwise and over the Dartford Crossing. M25 south and around to the M3. M3 south and west, A303 west of Basingstoke to Salisbury. (A303 is not a bad road) I can not recomend the M4 out of London at that time of the day. My self, when crossing from West to East, I use various "Rat runs" including the A25, but you would hit the town traffic if you start at 15.30 hrs - And unless you know the "Rat Runs" you will get lost. A Caution or two 1/. - The M11/M25 junction was not built for speed. When the signs suggest 40MPH they mean it. I had difficulty controlling an "Astra" the first time I used this junction at 60 ish. 2/. Have a handfull of coins handy for the tolls on the Dartford Crossing. Say £1 and 10p coins. (Sorry I can't remeber what the current toll is) 3/. The M25/A21/M26 - Junction is a B****t First of all the split between the A21 and M25 is the reverse of what you expect. Keep to the left hand lane. When the M26/M26/A21 merge about three quarters of a mile later The M26 feeds in from your left as a down slope/grade, and watch out for heavy foriegn lorries running in from your left. Some of them still think that thier on the Autobahn, and have the right of way. 4/. Stop at Clackets Lane Services for a comfort stop. You wont have another chance till just before Basingstoke - and if you are caught in a traffic jam !!!! 5/. After Clacketts Lane try and keep out of the left hand lane. Some of the junctions between there and the M3 junction carve the left hand lane off, and given the standard of driving on the M25 you may have difficulty in changing lanes at the last moment. Enjoy your trip Gareth (who spent more years than he cares to remember as a Claims Inspector in that area - and those roads) |
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05 Oct 03 - 06:29 PM (#1030118) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: vectis I would go round the top of London to the M4 via the Mi/M25 intersection. You might be lucky and hit the M4 before the worst of the rush. I avoid Dartford and the southern M25 from 3 until 8ish. |
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06 Oct 03 - 03:21 AM (#1030288) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: The Barden of England I'd avoid the Dartford Crossing like the plague, it's always nose to tail in the afternoons, so anti-clockwise is the best of a bad bunch. As was said earlier DONT take the M4 - it's awful - take the M3 until after Basingstoke, then the A303, then near Andover look for the signs for Salisbury - the A343 I think. Not a pleasant drive until after Andover really. I don't envy you the trip. |
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06 Oct 03 - 04:13 AM (#1030309) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: Bassic I agree with the M11, M25 anticlockwise, M3 route and you might be lucky if you can get on the road before 3.30pm, any later than that and forget it. Park in the services, have a meal, read the "free" Newspaper, stretch your legs and wait till after 7.00pm. You might as well wait there rather than being "trapped" in your car 20 miles down the road. Unless there is an accident or other unpredictable hold up the rest of your journey should be relatively smooth and get you to your destination before everyone goes to bed!! Good luck. |
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06 Oct 03 - 05:07 AM (#1030323) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: The Shambles Like 'The Road To Hell' - there are many that can be used to describe the M25 experience but does anyone know of any songs specifically written about the M25? |
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06 Oct 03 - 07:45 AM (#1030393) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: GUEST,T-boy So which way would people have gone before they built the M25? |
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06 Oct 03 - 08:11 AM (#1030409) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: treewind Before the M25? Of course, before the M25 was built Stansted airport didn't exist, or at least was tiny. You'd have gone cross country, or to London and round the North/South circular. Both choices suck big time. Forget the M4 - it goes nowhere near Salisbury. It is true that the long way round the M25 (via Dartford crossing) can be easier than the more obvious way, especially if you go via M3-A303 which is the best route to Salisbury. I went that way last Friday to get to Wimbledon and it was really easy - 10 minutes of queueing on the Dartford bridge and plain motorway cruising all the rest of the way. Anahata |
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06 Oct 03 - 08:13 AM (#1030411) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: jacqui.c Probably across London on the North Circular, another nightmare scenario. That was the way we used to go down to Hampshire before the M25 was completed. Who remembers M Khan's bridge? |
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06 Oct 03 - 08:31 AM (#1030423) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: The Barden of England Same here when I used to go diving at Weymouth back in the 60'- North Circular and then the A30 Heathrow to Salisbury, then the A354 to Weymouth. Strangely, I could do it quicker then than I can now, but there was a lot less traffic. |
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06 Oct 03 - 03:17 PM (#1030736) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: GUEST,Peter from Essex I would go for the northern route. For petrol use the Sainsbury's at London Colney(adjacent to J22) rather than services. Certainly take a comfort break at South Mimms services or Sainsbury's as you could be spending a long time in the car afterwards. Selective widening means that the M25 isn't as bad as it was 8 or 9 years ago, you should get round without using the parking brake these days. If the roadworks are still in place between J25 and J27 you may find it better to go A120/A10 to J25 rather than down the M11. Certainly avoid the M4 in the evening rush hour, last time I went that way it was stop-start to Swindon. |
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06 Oct 03 - 03:50 PM (#1030760) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: jacqui c If you're doing the north route watch out for the variable speed restrictions around the Heathrow area. Mind you, sometimes they are a bit optimistic - I've been in a 15mph crawl when the boards are showing 40mph - it ain't no joke! |
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06 Oct 03 - 04:07 PM (#1030767) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: GUEST,rock chick I use the M25 most days, if poss I hit it before 7am and again before 4pm, its normally clear then, well it's never clear, and to be honest you can't ever predict when it's the best time to use it. On arriving near any of the airports the traffic flow is always heavy, so I would just give yourself PLEANTY of time for your journey. Have plenty of good music to play. |
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06 Oct 03 - 09:15 PM (#1030953) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: breezy take the junction for St Albans on a Friday and come to the Comfort hotel where this Fri 10th Oct Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman are the main guests and Anahata and Mary H will also put in an appearance along with George Papavgeris. so easy with the M25 nowadays |
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07 Oct 03 - 03:20 AM (#1031062) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: Liz the Squeak The Chris Rea song 'Road to nowhere' was written about the M25 - which is why Geoff the Duck suggested it. Les Barker has written something about another road that may be useful to you..... There's a lady who knows where the A30 goes, and she knows it's a fair way to Devon. LTS |
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07 Oct 03 - 05:43 AM (#1031103) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: The Shambles Err? The song suggested by Geoff was 'Road to Hell' - which was indeed written by Chris Rea, though I am not too sure that it was actually about the M25. It may well have been - but (We Are On) The The Road to Nowhere - a title which does really sum up the M25 - was written by David Byrne (I think) and recorded by Talking Heads and a bit unlikely to be about the M25. While I have my pedant's hat on - the lady may know that it indeed a fairway to Devon but of course the A30 goes through Devon to end up in Cornwall. But the line is a good one - and made me smile. How's this for a second line? The road's covered with frost and the lady is lost, fogbound on the M11. |
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09 Oct 03 - 02:29 AM (#1032239) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: The Shambles Road to Nowhere |
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09 Oct 03 - 02:32 AM (#1032240) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: The Shambles Road to hell |
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09 Oct 03 - 03:23 AM (#1032247) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: Ralphie And theres always: "The Road to Helen Back" Lovely girl....! |
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09 Oct 03 - 04:53 AM (#1032265) Subject: RE: Driving the M25 From: The Shambles http://www.hippy.freeserve.co.uk/m25.htm ..............For the M25 Tour! |