Just trying to decide weather to use the M1 or the M6 for an ealry morning dart down to London on Saturday to see the Ideal Home Show.

Leaving from Rochdale just wondering weather their is as many 50mph average speed zones on the M1 as their is on the M6 / M40.

Train.

😉

I'm driving from Falkirk to Southend tomorrow via the M6 & M25. I'll let you know when I get there what the M6 etc was like. I hate the M1, always a nightmare.

ideal home show? at earls court? i live across the road from it 🙂

Would love to go on the train but as their is 2 of us going it is well over twice the price on the train.

M6, M5, M42, M40 and then into Earls Court off the A40.

The M6 will be shut at J4a until 6am in the morning, so you can't pick up the M42 that way hence the above route.

Takes me 3 hours on a Monday morning leaving at 4am from Mid-Cheshire

Through the peak, across the A50 and down the M1. Thats what I did (in reverse) on Sunday for a bit of a change. Usually take the train but If I drove again I'd do M6 > A50 > M1. Cuts out all the M6 and M42 crap from round birmingham

steve_b77

M6, M5, M42, M40

He's not wrong

run to london? – set off early and avoid motorways – even with those fashionable "love feet – hate running shoes" it isn't legal though you could argue that it is statistically safer and that you've paid for it

certainly don't come M62-M1. M62 is a car park from Brighouse to Ferrybridge in both diections

train – more expensive than fuel cheaper than driving? Certainly less hastle Did the same journey Rochdale to central London much faster & easier and you can have a couple of drinks

This is the route I was doing on Friday evenings and Sunday evenings when I was visiting London a lot in December:

M6 > A50 > M1

Was much easier and generally 3hrs from Manchester to North London on a Friday night and less on a Sunday night.

Bottom of the M1 to Earls Court shouldn't be too bad on a saturday, Hanger Lane may be a bit of a mare, if the A40 looks bad then head down to Kew bridge and in along the thames to the A4

I'd recomend doing the London Park and Ride thing from Luton though, it's pretty cheap. Or get the Oxford Tube bus service in from Oxford P&R

Parking around Earls Court is expensive

If you have the choice, M1 from Birmingham is quicker than M40

I dont know about the M1/M6 but I'd definitely use the M40 after Bham.

If I were going to London I'd seriously consider finding some cheap train fares.. should be able to get them on a Saturday. London is no place to have to drive and park.

scu98rkr – Member

I dont know about the M1/M6 but I'd definitely use the M40 after Bham.

M1 is generally quicker now to central London

M1 should be pretty clear early in the morning at the weekend.

You might want to consider M40 and go in from the west if driving all way to Earl's Court though.

It's a lot of hassle just to go to the Ideal Home Show. Hope you either REALLY like sofas or are getting a lot of brownie points!