Bournemouth to Gatwick by Car?

Fate

Hello!!

We're due to go on holiday and need to be at our parking at Gatwick by 06.30am at the latest for check-in (flight leaves at 09.05am). I thought leaving here at 04.15 would be OK but have since heard that the M25 is gridlocked at 05.30am? What time should we leave?

Many thanks for any responses

davetrousers

Go a different way?

M27 /A27 past Chichester then up the A29.

Browntoa

M25 is not normally busy until later on in the morning , after 6

maninthestreet

Fate wrote: »

Hello!!

We're due to go on holiday and need to be at our parking at Gatwick by 06.30am at the latest for check-in (flight leaves at 09.05am). I thought leaving here at 04.15 would be OK but have since heard that the M25 is gridlocked at 05.30am? What time should we leave?

Many thanks for any responses

I drove from Reading to Gatwick on a Wednesday morning just before Easter, leaving at about 7:15AM - there was a small amount of congestion when I joined the M25 from the M3, but that cleared after a few miles, and I then had a clear run to Gatwick with no problems. My journey time was just over an hour. Whoever told you that the M25 is gridlocked at 5:30AM is talking out of the back of their head, but I doubt you could get from Bounemouth to Gatwick in only 75 minutes, even on a good day. What route do you plan to take?

Fate

Thanks for the quick replies!

We are planning on M3/M25 route and all route maps are saying 2hrs 15 as journey time, so leaving at 4.15am at the latest should get us to our parking by 6.30am. We're just a bit freaked out that we might have to leave Bournemouth at 2am and our flight's at 9am!! (as I said we have been advised that rush hour is underway by 5.30am which seems very early to me )

Thanks for the help

Woby_Tide

Done Bournemouth to Gatwick about 3 or 4 times in the last few years mostly early morning. Even setting off at 5 and having a stop at Fleet services McDonalds for breakfast have made it for just after 7. The M25 is busier than the M3 part but certainly not gridlocked unless there is an accident.

Also depends on your driving speed but leaving at 4.15 and not stopping I would estimate you'd be there just after 6 with a good run.

Cardelia

davetrousers wrote: »

Go a different way?

M27 /A27 past Chichester then up the A29.

No, don't do that. The A27 around Chichester is roundabout hell, then it drops down to single carriageway running for quite a while past Arundel. The bit just after Angmering is also single carriageway and then you hit the traffic lights in Lancing. It's much quicker to go via the M25 and I think it's a few miles shorter too.

The M25 rush hour doesn't really get going until after 7 am, and even then it tends to be the clockwise section going past Heathrow which is worst affected. It also takes a while for the tailbacks to hit the M3 so if you need to be at Gatwick by 6:30, there should be pretty much no traffic to worry about.

vikingaero

The M25 starts to get heavy at 6.15/6.30 for those travelling clockwise. Anti-clockwise it's lighter so you'll be fine for the M3 to M23 stretch.

KeithP

Cardelia wrote: »

No, don't do that. The A27 around Chichester is roundabout hell, then it drops down to single carriageway running for quite a while past Arundel. The bit just after Angmering is also single carriageway and then you hit the traffic lights in Lancing. It's much quicker to go via the M25 and I think it's a few miles shorter too.

The M25 rush hour doesn't really get going until after 7 am, and even then it tends to be the clockwise section going past Heathrow which is worst affected. It also takes a while for the tailbacks to hit the M3 so if you need to be at Gatwick by 6:30, there should be pretty much no traffic to worry about.

The suggestion was M27, A27 then A29. What has Arundel, Angmering and Lancing got to do with it?

I agree, there are few roundabouts on the A27 at Chichester, but at the time the OP wants to travel this will not be a problem.

davetrousers

KeithP wrote: »

The suggestion was M27, A27 then A29. What has Arundel, Angmering and Lancing got to do with it?

I agree, there are few roundabouts on the A27 at Chichester, but at the time the OP wants to travel this will not be a problem.

Thanks, saved me having to type it out!

I live just outside of Portsmouth and this is the most common way for taxis (from round here of course) to go.

Obviously the OP is travelling from Bournemouth so the M3 M25 is an option, so I offered an alternative.

And according to Google maps this way is a few miles shorter.

AdrianHi

My wife has been driving from Alton, mid-hampshire to Gatwick area and west for 6+ years and Gatwick is a bit marginal, but M25 is just about best. Starting from Bournmouth, M27 and based on her experience the south coast route past Chichester is the obvious best choice, it will be quite clear at that time in the morning.