Driving the M25

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: The Shambles
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 04:53 AM

http://www.hippy.freeserve.co.uk/m25.htm ..............For the M25 Tour!

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: Ralphie
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 03:23 AM

And theres always:

"The Road to Helen Back"

Lovely girl....!

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: The Shambles
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 02:32 AM

Road to hell

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: The Shambles
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 02:29 AM

Road to Nowhere

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: The Shambles
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 05:43 AM

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.

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 03:20 AM

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

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: breezy
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 09:15 PM

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

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: GUEST,rock chick
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 04:07 PM

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.

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: jacqui c
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 03:50 PM

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!

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 03:17 PM

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.

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: The Barden of England
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 08:31 AM

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.

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: jacqui.c
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 08:13 AM

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?

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: treewind
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 08:11 AM

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

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: GUEST,T-boy
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 07:45 AM

So which way would people have gone before they built the M25?

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: The Shambles
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 05:07 AM

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?

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: Bassic
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 04:13 AM

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.

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: The Barden of England
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 03:21 AM

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.

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: vectis
Date: 05 Oct 03 - 06:29 PM

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.

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: Gareth
Date: 05 Oct 03 - 03:57 PM

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)

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: Morticia
Date: 05 Oct 03 - 11:57 AM

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.

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 05 Oct 03 - 11:43 AM

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.

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: pluck & bow
Date: 05 Oct 03 - 11:26 AM

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

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: Phot
Date: 05 Oct 03 - 11:24 AM

Fly to Exeter instead, no matter where your going, it'll be faster!!

Wassail! Chris

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 05 Oct 03 - 11:11 AM

And don't forget to put Chris Rea's Road to Hell on the cassete player just to pass the time...
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Driving the M25
From: Leadfingers
Date: 05 Oct 03 - 10:56 AM

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.

Subject: Driving the M25
From: pluck & bow
Date: 05 Oct 03 - 10:40 AM

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:)