Travelling from North West London to Margate, Google maps suggest that I can go via the M25 in 2hr 04 min (102 miles) or down through central London and east along the A2 and M2 which would take 2hr 09 min (84 miles).
If i'm travelling at the weekend (no congestion charge) in a 1.3 litre corolla, and having to pay a £1 toll on the dartford bridge; which of the routes would you think be likely to work out cheaper in terms of the cost of petrol?
If you try tomtom.com you'll get some more realistic times.
m25 is the better choice, very little in it cost wise
Check for problems at the M25 roadworks before you leave.
Is good for live traffic info.
Otherwise, toss a coin, and allow for a random quarter hour variation on either route. You'll probably use about the same fuel either way, within a couple of quid.
Cost of petrol => use the motorway.
Go one way, come back the other way. This will give you valuable data, and also even out the wear on the roads.
Steve
"john brook" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:
What time?
Do you place any value on your blood pressure?
If possible, and especially if the kids are with you, go on the Woolwich ferry. Worth going out of your way for.
On Sat, 09 Apr 2011 12:28:27 +0100, john brook wibbled:
M25 wins every time for me. Driving in London is not enjoyable.
On Sat, 09 Apr 2011 14:57:00 +0000, Adrian wibbled:
Off recent experience which has involved driving in and around London at most hours of the day at weekends recently going to and from Weddings up East to receptions in the West, I'd say unless he's travelling at 2am, then the M25 wins every time.
M25 wins.
M25 wins.
Yep, wins in terms of fuel economy as well. There can be a 30% difference in fuel used on my journey from North London to Dover if I use the M25 compared to trying to drive through central London, even on a weekend.
Mike P gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:
If it _is_ 2am, then through the middle of town can be a fun route.
Life's too short to give a f*ck about which is 10p cheaper, though.
Correctamundo.
M25 - And the Toll is £1.50 now but Free between 10PM and 6AM.
MattF
The toll (assuming you mean during what on weekdays are congestion tax hours) is actually £1.50 each way.
Not that you necessarily have to pay the congestion tax anyway, from NW London to Kent.
You could try the inner ring to Whitechapel, then the A11 (not A13) to the Blackwall Tunnel approach. Or thread your way through to Highbury and take the Balls Pond Road through to Old Ford (for the same tunnel approach road).
You haven't given enough information. It depends on where in NW London you start from and when you travel.
-- DAS
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "john brook" saying something like:
M25, every time. Don't be lulled by the apparent shortness of the through-town route, it's totally illusory. I've done that journey many times, and even on a bike, the total time through the traffic (the only really empty time is a Sunday evening) in the town, is full of frustration, dirt, and swearing.
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Adrian saying something like:
Lunnon on the am is a blast, right enough. It gives a whole new perpective to the town.
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