SE London to Durham - M1 or M11 to A1?

knightstyle

We use the A1 regularly, usually all fine and fewer mentions for holdups than M1.
Main problem is at night due to going from well lit motorway to dark A road with most of the cats eyes missing or broken!
Keep your eyes open near Newark for two Wellington bombers flying around the UK from RAF Coningsby.

wba31

I'm waiting for someone to suggest using the M6 Toll...

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

Last time I drove from Forest Hill to the M1 the advice was - week days via Oxford Street, weekends via the City, ploughing through the middle. Mind you that was back in about 1980 and the M25 wasn't even a twinkle in the DoT's eye. Remember driving around Piccadilly Circus as part of the route and it typically took about an hour to get onto the M1.

jozxyqk

p00hsticks wrote: »

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

Ah, I read it the other way, as in 'which way to the A1? M1 or M11?'.

Looks like most of us agreed the A1 is the way to go, normally when I ask for directions I get at least 3 different routes suggested!

veryoldbear

knightstyle wrote: »

We use the A1 regularly, usually all fine and fewer mentions for holdups than M1.
Main problem is at night due to going from well lit motorway to dark A road with most of the cats eyes missing or broken!
Keep your eyes open near Newark for two Wellington bombers flying around the UK from RAF Coningsby.

Them Wellingtons is Lancasters ...

BeenThroughItAll

knightstyle wrote: »

We use the A1 regularly, usually all fine and fewer mentions for holdups than M1.
Main problem is at night due to going from well lit motorway to dark A road with most of the cats eyes missing or broken!
Keep your eyes open near Newark for two Wellington bombers flying around the UK from RAF Coningsby.

Isn't that what headlights are for? I use the A1 a lot, and can't say I've ever found its darkness a problem.


Oh, and if you do find a couple of Wellingtons flying around, alert the media since the last recorded 'Wimpy' flight was in the 50s.


There is one in restoration though, I believe.

Chrishazle

Once you come off the M11 onto the A14, watch your speed, that road all the way to the A1M is littered with average speed cameras. I drove from Newcastle/North Shields to Ashford a couple of weeks ago, A1M , A14, M11, M25/20, 355 miles in 6 hours including stops.

macman

Avoid the A14 stretch past Cambridge/Huntingdon in the rush hour if you can; apart from that it's usually plain sailing until the 50mph roadworks on the Leeming to Barton section.
The A1 is greatly improved over the last few years since they took the last 6 roundabouts out.

flatshandy

IanMSpencer wrote: »

Last time I drove from Forest Hill to the M1 the advice was - week days via Oxford Street, weekends via the City, ploughing through the middle. Mind you that was back in about 1980 and the M25 wasn't even a twinkle in the DoT's eye. Remember driving around Piccadilly Circus as part of the route and it typically took about an hour to get onto the M1.

via Oxford Street! - this just seems hilarious now

Seriously appreciate all the advice, and can't quite believe how much consensus there is. Can you now all unanimously recommend my husband learns to drive so he can share the driving?

Will keep an eye out for the Lancasters!

sunnyone

Where in DuRham are you heading for.

It's often better to use the A19 for the eastern parts of the county, just go left at Dishforth from the A1 (M).