SE London to Durham - M1 or M11 to A1?

flatshandy

Last time I drove up to see my mam was about ten years ago in my battered old polo so I'm a bit out of date. My diesel golf has really good fuel economy (it cost me about £25 to get to south wales and back), so with the train fares coming in at about £110 for us all I thought it made sense to drive up, plus we'll have the car when we get there, and won't have to shell out for buses/taxis to get to see my grandparents, or hire a car like we've done before (my mam doesn't drive).

I've been looking at the routes and don't know which one would have less traffic, be an easier drive, have decent places to stop. I'm heading up on a Thursday, so I know I can't avoid traffic altogether.

Any advice appreciated!

OnanTheBarbarian

I'd go A1, M1 has far too many 50mph stretches

Aretnap

I'd use the A1 - it's usually quite a lot less congested than the M1, certainly once you get out of the south east.It's also more direct. If you're joining it via the M11/A14, try not to be too close to Cambridge around rush-hour.

jozxyqk

The OP has already said he/she's taking the A1 (wise imho since most of the annoying roundabouts around Grantham etc have been taken out)...the question was how best to get to it from SE London.

M11 / A14 does get busy at evening rush hour around Cambridge / Bar Hill but otherwise is a smooth run...and I assume you'll be setting off earlier on. The stretch around J8 Stansted sometimes builds up too. From SE London I'd go this way.

The other realistic choice is to go a bit further round the M25 and get on the A1M there. It's been a long time since I went that way but I remember it being very stop-start all the way to Stevenage.

HTH

p00hsticks

jozxyqk wrote: »

The OP has already said he/she's taking the A1

I'm not sure that they have - their post is headed 'M1 or M11 to A1' which is ambiguous, but I've read to mean a choice between going either via the MI or via the M11/A1

veryoldbear

The A1 is fine once you get North of St Neots and out onto the four-lane section up to Peterborough. The section before St Neots has some strange roundabouts (including the Black Cat from Hell) and unpredictable speed limits. There are also a number of roadside shops selling Curious Merchandise ...

mgdavid

jozxyqk wrote: »

The OP has already said he/she's taking the A1 ......

no he hasn't. He's asking whether to go M1 all the way or M11 and then the A1. Recommendation is for the latter.

flatshandy

Thanks everyone - huge consensus on the M11 & A1 route .

We'll be leaving around 9.30am, so we can get out of London before the traffic builds up during the day, and stop for lunch in the middle so the kid can run around. Shouldn't hit rush hours at all.

Nice to know the roundabouts have been taken out - I was dreading that.

Hadrian

Nice to know the roundabouts have been taken out - I was dreading that.[/QUOTE]
Do remember to go clockwise when you reach a roundabout. I had once to tell an American that as he'd never seen one!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Iceweasel

Hadrian wrote: »

Nice to know the roundabouts have been taken out - I was dreading that.

Do remember to go clockwise when you reach a roundabout. I had once to tell an American that as he'd never seen one!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:[/QUOTE]

Yesiree - be especially careful around J14 - the A14 - it's near RAF Alconbury - or should I say USAAF Station 102.

Lots of confused US airforce types around there - especially if they have had a skinful of Southern Comfort.

A vee-hick-yull "northbound on the southbound" is a frequent sight.

dacouch

You may find a smallish queue for the Blackwall Tunnel but after then straight up the A12.

I normally use A12 / M11 and A1 for that direction, if there is any traffic there are a lot more options to divert around it.

Put your traffic alerts on your radio