Travelling from Berkshire to near Crewe, avoid the motorways?

JG0

Hi,

I'm travelling from Burghfield to Wrenbury, which is near Crewe, leaving on a Friday afternoon.

I'm worried about hitting a lot of traffic if I take the motorways as I'll reach Birmingham around 5pm, which isn't ideal. I'm happy to take the toll road, but I still don't know what the congestion will be like. So I've got a few options (I'd love to post images, but I can't do so due to being a new user):

- via the M6 toll then continuing on the M6.
- taking the M4, followed by A-roads, then the M5 past Worcester and up (though I've read that the M5-M6 intersection is dreadful for traffic, which this route would pass through).
- avoid motorways completely and take only A-roads, through Worcester and through Shrewsbury (Google Maps estimates that this is an hour longer journey than the above two).

Any help and advice would be much appreciated, thanks a lot.

peter_the_piper

AA routeplanner, they have a tick box for avoiding motorways

nearlyrich

Friday afternoon is always a nightmare in Staffordshire whether you take the M6 or one of the other routes around it... M6 Toll is usually quieter than M6 around Birmingham but it's higher up where the "fun" starts. Good luck....

unforeseen

If you take the M6 toll then you start queueing from the point that it joins the M6 just before J12.

I live about 8 miles from wrenbury. I would suggest taking the M54/A5 to Shrewsbury then up the A49 through Whitchurch. Then carry on up the A49 and hang a right down Common lane.

That is the route that I always take going to/ coming from the South mainly because the A41 is crap up to Whitchurch.

unforeseen

Forgot to say. You can still take my route using the M6 toll. Take the 2nd exit after the toll booths for the A460 and you can cut down to the M54 and join at J1

pogofish

unforeseen wrote: »

If you take the M6 toll then you start queueing from the point that it joins the M6 just before J12.

I live about 8 miles from wrenbury. I would suggest taking the M54/A5 to Shrewsbury then up the A49 through Whitchurch. Then carry on up the A49 and hang a right down Common lane.

That is the route that I always take going to/ coming from the South mainly because the A41 is crap up to Whitchurch.

This rings a bell from times I've done the same thing in the past. I remember the Shrewsbury/Whitchurch as a pleasant drive, through nice countryside and not nearly as much of a toil as the Motorway.

JG0

unforeseen wrote: »

If you take the M6 toll then you start queueing from the point that it joins the M6 just before J12.

I live about 8 miles from wrenbury. I would suggest taking the M54/A5 to Shrewsbury then up the A49 through Whitchurch. Then carry on up the A49 and hang a right down Common lane.

That is the route that I always take going to/ coming from the South mainly because the A41 is crap up to Whitchurch.

With this route would I be driving on the M6 until coming off onto the M54 at Junction 10A? I assumed it would be bad around Birmingham but from what you and nearlyrich said, am I right in that it's further up that's most problematic?

Thanks to you and everyone else for your replies, it's very helpful as I've never driven up that way before.

Sooler

Use Google maps and use the 'Leave at' option to set your date and time of travel. Their traffic info is based on time of day / day of week so will give an indication.

unforeseen

No, take the M6 toll. After going through the tolls take the 2nd exit to the A460. Follow that looks the way to the M54.

When you take the A460 exit you need to be prepared to move straight in to the right hand lane when it joins the A4-0 as the roundabout is only a couple of hundred yards after the onslip and you need to go right at it.

EssexExile

Bad traffic on the A460 & getting behind a tractor on the A49 could be annoying.

unforeseen

EssexExile wrote: »

Bad traffic on the A460 & getting behind a tractor on the A49 could be annoying.

There are numerous places to overtake on the A49. I drove it daily for 5 years going to Telford.

The same can't be said of the A5/A41 from Gailey (M6 j12) to Whitchurch. As for coming of at j16 for Crewe then good luck with the A500 from there to Nantwich on a Friday. You'll probably join the queue for the Thelwell viaduct before you reach j16.