Hey up chaps,
I’m heading down to Brighton from Manchester to stay with freinds this weekend. The route surgested takes me down the M40, round the M25 and down the M23 to Brighton. Ill be leaving Manchester at around 12.30pm, so I guess ill hit the M25 around 3.30 ish. Is this a really bad idea or wont it be as painfull as im expecting?

Any alternatives and surgestions would be most welcome.

Thanks

Chaos, it normally is. Go early or late.

You can check projected traffic on google maps…

Go really early or really late if at all possible.

The M25 will probably be absolutely fine provided there are no crashes. You don’t want to try and go through London that’s for sure. It’s when you get closer to Brighton you will get stuck

IMO a bad idea unless you’re really keen to sit in traffic for a couple of hours. What about stopping off somewhere just north of the M25 for a couple of hours, have a potter about, bit of grub, even a bike ride? Then crack on again after 6? Still be busy tho 🙁

If you can tho, go early!

on top of which Brighton will be full. You may be waiting on the road outside brighton for aaaages! then end up going to Eastbourne, common experience for me on BH weekends

Ill be leaving Manchester at around 12.30pm, so I guess ill hit the M25 around 3.30 ish

I’m not so sure it won’t be nearer 5 on Friday afternoon

Train?

How about M40, A34, M3, M27, A27??
Its dual carriageway for most of the A27, which apart from a bit of a mess of roundabouts around Chichester its pretty quick.

S’all right – I’m pretty sure no one else will be heading to the South coast for the weekend, should be fine 🙂

Don’t leave Manchester til after 4pm
You have been warned…seriously!

Its gonna be slow which ever way you go, get some good CD’s in the car and some grub, and stop at the last services on the M40 for a slash as there are no services on the section of M25 you will be on for two hours 🙂

(actually thats a lie, there is a tiny sandwich bar hidden off Jcn 8 that does nice coffee) http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=51.25605,-0.191526&spn=0.001816,0.005284&t=h&z=18

On a bank holiday it’s usually a car park J16 to J10.

M40, A34, M3, M27, A27??

That’s a waay better option.

M25 this bank holiday weekend, how bad will it be?

[img]http://derby-hypnotherapy.co.uk/images/the-scream.jpeg[/img]

Some good surgestions thanks everyone. Sounds pretty unanimous that the M25 is a no go area which I was affraid off. I think Ill take your advice bigyinn and go the M40, A34, M3, M27, A27. Even if these roads are busy, surely they cant be as bad as the M25. 🙂

Help most apreciated chaps and Ladys. Cheers!

Mmm good luck with A34 it is just as horrific dual carriageway lots of hills with idiotic lorry drivers blocking on crap overtakes and numerous stupid people crashing on road, good luck I think it will be just as bad.

It’ll be fine. Whats the worst that could happen?

… 😯

I can’t believe anyone could seriously consider driving round the M25 on the Friday afternoon before a bank holiday weekend AND half term. Go early or late.

Mmm good luck with A34 it is just as horrific dual carriageway lots of hills with idiotic lorry drivers blocking on crap overtakes and numerous stupid people crashing on road, good luck I think it will be just as bad

Agreed A34 terrible road, but at least the OP will be moving on the A34 if he gets past Oxford. I’ve had to do the M25 on the bank holiday friday plenty of times before, including one 4hrs J21 to J9 memorable trip. Stick to the A34.

MTFU FFS.

M6
M1 all the way to the bottom.
A5 onto park lane cross the Vauxhall bridge and pick up the A23.
A23 through Croydon and all the way to Brighton.

Bobs your uncle.! Not a hint of the M25 and should be plain sailing stress free driving. Happy days.! 😀

A34 will probably be better than m25, i do both a fair bit, but if you go a34 then a27, the a27 could well be a caravan parking lot, with them all going back and forth along the coast! loads of roundabouts and general mayhem at worthing. its a tough call basically sounds like you will hit traffic at the worst time given the times you provide.
if theres an accident on the m25, and there will be because some numb nuts will be in a hurry etc then it will be painful just like every other normal friday at rush hour.
good luck set of early!

If you know to ask what the M25 is like on a bank holiday weekend i think you already know your answer. 🙄

It will be no worse than the m6.

M6 from J13 onwards will be frikkin awful, thats before you’ve even got to the Toll Rd.

M1 around J11 will be a standstill, gon only knows what the M25 will end up like.

TBF I’d fly or get the train

Yeah the M6 is likely to be deadly this afternoon. Southbound to Birmingham is the most delayed route in the UK.

It’s like a sales reps’ tea break in here 🙂

I’d leave early and take a wide route

M62 > Hull
Hull > Zeebrugge
A18 > Dunkerque
A16 > Abbeville
A28 > St-Saens
A29 > N27
N27 > Dieppe
Dieppe > Newhaven
A259 > Brighton

The M62 through West Yorks may be crap though 🙂

I hope the OP has decided to miss the M25. Only 2pm and already it’s a car park J9->J8.

It’s like a sales reps’ tea break in here

We’ll start talking favourite service stations next 🙂

I’m no sales rep, I’m just a middlemanagement bean counter 😥

It was a complete pig.. 😕
Joined at the M40, left at the M26

M25 after 4pm on a Friday is a write-off, bank holiday or no bank holiday. Schoolboy error.

There was a multi car crash today on the M25

uplink – Member
I’d leave early and take a wide route

M62 > Hull
Hull > Zeebrugge
A18 > Dunkerque
A16 > Abbeville
A28 > St-Saens
A29 > N27
N27 > Dieppe
Dieppe > Newhaven
A259 > Brighton

The M62 through West Yorks may be crap though

Sat Nav 😯

Neilsonwheels MTFU suggestion is good.

Simple fact is it’s a gamble. 50/50. It might work it might not.
When it works it works well.

The M25 is a unique motorway, as soon as you get on it you either speed up to 85 and sit 5 ft off the car in front of you or slow to a 2nd gear “junction crawl” for a few miles.*

* when it’s working