Now that I have your attention, its the roads rather than the cars...unfortunately.
Heading south from Manc area tomorrow and haven't driven anywhere 'for ages' so wondering whether it will be plain sailing or a complete holiday traffic nightmare?
Boris dictating that everybody needs to drive back from France won't help but I guess they'll be gone by tomorrow?
Thanks
Other halves mother drove from Barnstaple to Cheltenham today, I think it took 8 hours. Guess it depends on how far you are intending to go but give yourself time.
Guess it depends how far down the M5 you'll be going?
Considering that the SW is supposed to be busier than normal, I'd expect the M5 to be busier than normal.
Good luck!
M5 southbound between Bristol and Exeter is always crap this time of year.
Can't guarantee there will be holdups, but I'd say it's a better than evens chance, especially given it's a Saturday.
Did Manchester to Cardiff last week, M6 then M5, sub 4 hours each wsy and stuck to 70mph. Fastest ive done it in ages. M5 south of Bristol didnt sound good though.
Cheers, luckily only heading as far as Cotswolds but just hate that M6 to M5 route
Yep, as above, the traffic starts at Bristol going south, and at Taunton heading North on a Saturday, from around 10am. 13.00hrs is grid lock time some weeks. This year has been worse, as people are heading for Devon/Cornwall rather than abroad.
Cheers, luckily only heading as far as Cotswolds but just hate that M6 to M5 route
Shouldn't be too bad - is the M6, M5, M42 then M40 not an option? Get off at Warwick then head out toward Shipston?
M5 on north somerset was rammed heading north from morning to about 6pm this evening. South was pretty slow around mid afternoon too. I do not miss driving on the motorways, think I am going to quit my job when they ask me to go back to the office!
good call LeeW - will head M40 but use the toll road and M42
I came back down from the Wirral to Worcester today, M53, M56, M6 then M5... The M6 was bad, not as bad as it can be, but there's miles of roadworks anyway, and I spent prolonged periods at 20-30mph, and a few minutes stationary.
Not as bad as going north mind... Was closed for a while not far south of Stoke, and the traffic was stationary for miles! That was about 3pm today, so undoubtedly it got worse after that...
I HATE the M6... It's always been a terrible road anywhere between Manchester and Birmingham. Fortunately I rarely have to use it these days, but I still avoid it (at busy times at least) wherever possible.
As I went up the M6 @ 8.30 this morning, on the short bit from Stoke to J18, the Southbound was solid.
As I came back down at 11.30, the North side was stationary, as was traffic getting onto the M6 from the A50 in Stoke.
Not as busy as it would be without all the Covid-19 hassle but around 70% of the old congestion at a guess.
How do people leaving France affect you Southbound?
I HATE the M6… It’s always been a terrible road anywhere between Manchester and Birmingham.
When I was driving for BCA, I used to have to drive up the M5/M6 on a regular basis, and a little part of me died every time I hit the stretch between Brum and Manchester; 12 miles or so of 50mph camera-controlled traffic: Christ it was bloody tedious!
Driving back wasn’t much better, apart from the fact that I was heading home!
That's better.
When I was driving for BCA, I used to have to drive up the M5/M6 on a regular basis, and a little part of me died every time I hit the stretch between Brum and Manchester; 12 miles or so of 50mph camera-controlled traffic: Christ it was bloody tedious!
Did a bit of driving for work last few years, used that section of the M6 a lot - I didn't mind the fifty zones too much,the gaps shrank a lot but everyone's at much the same pace so less dick moves.
What absolutely sucked the marrow from my bones were the roadworks on the top of the M5 on the way home - queuing from the M6 exit until jct 2 of the M5. Big party the day those ****ers cleared...
Always depends on what time you go and what time you hit the like of the M6/M5 interchange and so on, whereabouts in the Cotswolds is it, as that'll remove all the south of Bristol rubbish, and the M5 is quick to Bristol after you've got on it at B'Ham.
the M5 is quick to Bristol after you’ve got on it at B’Ham.
Yup, big sigh of relief once I or the team got to that point.
that’ll remove all the south of Bristol rubbish
Yeah, the stretch between Brissle and W-s-M gets clagged up, but coming North from Cornwall it was usually pretty plain sailing up to that point.
Used to do that run several times a week, I got pretty blasé about a 230 mile drive home! 😁
Well I did Wirral to Badminton (South Cotswolds) yesterday 1:20pm arrived 4:16pm.
It was busy but no holdups.
Just watch out for the usual nudist issues around junction 16-19! (I’ve long held the belief that somewhere along that stretch is a nudist camp and they go for daily walks and distract the drivers, why else would there be a crash there on a daily basis!!)