…. Which way would you go?

M4/M5 is a longer route at 161 miles, but all motorway apart from the first 20 miles

M3/A303/M5 is 138 miles, so a a fair bit shorter, but maybe slower.

Bearing in mind I have to go towards Reading and it's festival time.

Leaving Farnborough at 4pm, hpoing to get there by 7.30pm?

Any chance of that?

Anybody do the A303 regularly?

a303 on friday before bank holiday weekend is a bitch

reading festival traffic was surprisingly gentle this morning, thsi evening the bands would have already started so i'd personally go for the m4 option!

and i'd leave earlier than 4 😯

AVOID the A303 at any costs at that time on a Friday.

Message ends 🙂

I'd suggest packing supplies 🙂

I'd do M4/M5 but M5 is often awful that way on Bank Hol weekends around those sort of times but it won't be as bad as the A303. I'd be suprised if you got there for 7:30…

I've done that rout a couple times I on the way to Southampton and Surry from Plymouth, (M3/A303/M5) its not that bad, quite alot of single carrage ways but with overtaking bits on hills etc. However traffic seemed quite bad last Friday during the day so can't imagine what it would be like in the evening!

For the sake of 23miles I'd take the motorway and its 3 lanes! However either rout your gonna get traffic!

Pete check the M5 has re-opened after the fatal crash last night. It was still closed this morning.

all the pies, has the right advice.

and i'd leave earlier than 4

Not possible. Maybe 5-10 mins, but I'm pushing it as it is and Mrs PP is pushing it even more……

I was thinking the 303 would be a bitch, I just didn't know if it had changed since last time we took it. We were on motorbikes then and overtaking was like shooting fish in a a barrel!

Cheers Pete, will do.

Pete – do hope you and Mrs P have a terrific time. 🙂 Are you using a Bob trailer or just panniers? Would really like to hear how you get on.

I find the A303 annoying on occasion and see no reason to use it.. Wouldn't even consider it as an option..

M5 around Bristol will be very stop start for about 4 junctions I should imagine, especially as the bank holiday rush south will be in full flow.

It has opened up again

M5 looks clear now….

No brainer – M4.

you can avoid the henge bit of the 303 if you do a bit of B road/laning

M5 round bizzel / nailsea will suck this weekend – in fact all routes to the SW will suck..

you will just ave to accept you will get stuck somewhere

Either way will be shit. A303 has more options for getting off if it's really bad.

303, off at the solstice services (hopefully before the queue starts) then Bulford/Larkhill/Chitterne/Sutton Veny/Deverills/Mere – skips the worst of the single/dual/single bits.

Having driven up from Fleet to Jct 11 of the M4 this morning I can confirm that Reading Festival traffic is very light. By this evening the bands will be playing and as such I would not expect any festival traffic. M4/M5 jct at Bristol will be a bast***d but that is normal. I too would ignore the A303 on a bank holiday Friday evening. I suspect that traffic will be bad – all the motoring organisations are predicting a bad weekend and are laying on additional capacity. Hopefully they should have it wrong and it will be a breeze!

M3-M27-A31-A35-A30-M5 is another alternative.
But all routes will be bad tonight.

Are you using a Bob trailer or just panniers? Would really like to hear how you get on.

Well, it's not a BOB, it's an EBC Revolution trailer but yes, same idea. Tent, cooking sleeping stuff in the trailer, sleeping bag and clothes in the panniers, camera and wallet in an easily removeable bar bag. Riding the commuter bikes. (Carerra & Trek)

We start at Bideford tomorrow by abandoning the car in a side street (B&B in Tiverton tonight) then taking the Tarka Trail to RHS Rosemoor for a visit, then back towards the coast near Hartland (Hartland Point???).
Then follow the coast down to Padstow, cross south to St Austell, then take the coast back up to Exeter. Train back to Bideford from there

I've used a few bits of traffic free cycle route and more of the National Cycle road routes that have light traffic. We're sticking near the coast and staying in or near nowhere or small towns!
Route is about 250 miles spread over 7 days riding and 5 days 'off' so we'll probably do nearer 300 with some running about etc. Campsites all booked (Got some really great recommendations from STW 🙂 ) car is packed, all I have to do is go home, chuck the bikes on the rack and turn the key. Leaving work at 3.30…..

M4 M5, but maybe take a good book…

M3-M27-A31-A35-A30-M5 is another alternative.

and the option (if slower) to take a nice drive through the new forest… off the m27 at Cadnum and rejoin big roads at Ringwood – several nice pubs to stop for a bite at as well and to look at the possible riding you could be doing around the forest whilst stuck in your car!

M3-M27-A31-A35-A30-M5 is another alternative.
But all routes will be bad tonight.

Only a sadistic traffic jam pervert would take that route out of choice on a Friday afternoon.

I would be tempted by the 303, with the above suggestion of dropping off at the Solstice services.

Only a sadistic traffic jam pervert would take that route out of choice on a Friday afternoon.

LOL! 😆

I think we'll stick to the motorway, and keep an eye on the traffic on Google maps on my iPhone.

A303 with the purists detour if it is backed up.

So, have you got there yet? 🙂