Getting out of ED to the north

[michelle-b]

Does anyone know a good way to get up north from ED that doesn't include going through the center of London? I go up to Manchester a lot and I'm getting fed up of sitting in traffic for an hour before I can even reach the motorway, so fed up in fact that I'm considering moving to the other side of London. I really really don't want to leave ED and I know there are a fair few northerners in the area so I was wondering if anyone has a better route? My usual way is takes me through Camberwell > Kennington > Vauxhaul Bridge > Embankment > Earls Court etc. to the M4. I know the M1 is probably quicker, but I can't face slogging it through Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner.

Any help would be brilliant!

Thanks!

[Penguin68]

The route out to the M4, then M25, then M40, M42, M6 Toll is the one I prefer (but listen out for any traffic announcements about problems, obviously).

Choosing your time to go is key, if you can. Leaving early (say 6:00 am) I can be going past the M40 turn off to Oxford (Junction 8) by 7:15 - and its motorway into Manchester from there.

The M1 route may be technically shorter, but the time taken through London is much longer, as are, often, the M1 hold-ups.

[michelle-b]

Thanks Penguin68! That's basically the way I go once I hit the motorway. Do you go the same way as me to get to the M4? I'm wondering whether going through Clapham and over Battersea bridge would be quicker?

[jonny vantastic]

I go same way up to embankment but then carry on up park lane, out west towards notting hill at Hyde park then follow signs for a40, then same, m40, m42, m6

BUT timing is everything. No way would I leave anytime between 3-7pm on a friday. We are driving up this thursday ostensibly for the weekend, but reckon it's better to leave at 8pm on Thursday and work remotely on Friday.

Then when home time comes we are already there!

If I didn't have to drive idctake the train - only 2 and a quarter hours.

[Cedges]

I tend to ignore my Satnav when it wants to take me over Vauxhall bridge and I head on down through Battersea and over Chelsea Bridge, I don't know if it actually quicker but it feels it, and it avoids the C zone if thats an issue.

I also go through the Rotherhithe Tunnel, through Isle of Dogs and various tunnels to the North Circular and then M11 when I head north although I am generally heading for Lincolnshire by this route so may not be quicker to Manchester.

I have the same issue, travel north a lot but love this area and work in London Bridge, I fight with the need to move to North London quite often although I'm not going anywhere until house prices start to go up again so I have put the discussion on the back burner for now!

[JEZCPR]

I go through Peckham on to the A2, over Blackfriers bridge, Kings cross up York way to Archway then passed Highgate through Finchley on to the M1........ should take about 1 hour if you get a good run.

[Damon Middleton]

I regularly travel back to Birmingham, and even though it's technically more miles, I find A2, A102 through the Blackwall Tunnel, A12, M11, M25, M1, M6 is the by far the quickest way. But this route is definitely an off-peak route. After 7pm and before 6am if you need to go in the morning. A good run takes about 2:20/2:30 hours to Birmungham or 1/1:15 hours to M25/M1 interchange

[wongo]

I drive to Nottingham fairly often and my preferred route to the M1 (from Sydenham Hill) is as follows:

South Croxted/Croxted Rd/HerneHill/Brixton/Stockwell/Vauxhall Bridge Rd/Victoria (follow the diversion sign here as Wilton Rd by Victoria Stn and the Apollo Theatre is closed to private vehicles ? a ?120 fine is you go through) then Grosvenor Place/Park Lane/Edgware Road but just before Maida Vale at the traffic lights turn right turn into St Johns Wood Rd and come out at the A41 roundabout. From there follow the A41 to Swiss Cottage/Finchley Road and from the follow the direction Brent Cross/M1. I avoid Kilburn High Rd and Cricklewood at all times. The A41 route traffic is normally moving even at peak hours. Depending on traffic, journey time to the MI is between 45 mind to an hour.

I find going via Denmark Hill/Camberwell/Kennington/Vauxhall Bridge Rd is no more faster than Herne Hill /Brixton/Stockwell/Vauxhall Bridge Rd

[Medley]

This route makes intuitive sense to me; really useful post.

wongo Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I drive to Nottingham fairly often and my

> preferred route to the M1 (from Sydenham Hill) is

> as follows:

>

> South Croxted/Croxted

> Rd/HerneHill/Brixton/Stockwell/Vauxhall Bridge

> Rd/Victoria (follow the diversion sign here as

> Wilton Rd by Victoria Stn and the Apollo Theatre

> is closed to private vehicles ? a ?120 fine is you

> go through) then Grosvenor Place/Park Lane/Edgware

> Road but just before Maida Vale at the traffic

> lights turn right turn into St Johns Wood Rd and

> come out at the A41 roundabout. From there follow

> the A41 to Swiss Cottage/Finchley Road and from

> the follow the direction Brent Cross/M1. I avoid

> Kilburn High Rd and Cricklewood at all times. The

> A41 route traffic is normally moving even at peak

> hours. Depending on traffic, journey time to the

> MI is between 45 mind to an hour.

>

> I find going via Denmark

> Hill/Camberwell/Kennington/Vauxhall Bridge Rd is

> no more faster than Herne Hill

> /Brixton/Stockwell/Vauxhall Bridge Rd

[wongo]

The route I suggested earlier is the one I would take when C charge is in force. Outside C charge hours I would at Park Lane turn right into Upper Brook St then left onto North Audley St from there straight on to Gloucester Place which is the start of A41 towards Swiss Cottage/Finchely Rd/M1.

[Jeremy]

Quickest way to Vauxhall is along Loughborough Road.

[michelle-b]

Thanks for all your suggestions! I'm going to give Wongo's route a try. It doesn't help that I'm not entirely confident driving around London, but I think it's time I tested out a different route!

Wongo - do you follow this route even when coming back into London? It's difficult to get the timing right when coming back into London :-S

[wongo]

Coming back, nearing the end of the M1 I'll keep left so I can turn left onto the A406 and then after a couple of hundred yards via a slip road left onto the roundabout (under the Brent Cross flyover) there should be a sign posted A41 Central London/West End (3rd fork down Hendon Way will take you to Finchley Road/Swiss Cottage). If you keep on the right near the end of the M1 you will end up going towards Staples Corner then Cricklewood.

If there is no C charge I'll follow A41 to Central London/Baker St/across Oxford St to Grosvenor Sq/Park Lane/Victoria/Vauxhall Bridge Rd then either Brixton or Kennington whatever traffic suits me. If there is heavy traffic on Baker St because of the road works you can always midway turn right onto Edgware Rd.

If C charge is in force I would at the Wellington Rd (A41) roundabout turn right onto St John's Wood Road back to Edgware Rd then Park Lane, Victoria, Vauxhall Bridge Rd etc.

[wongo]

If you are heading north using Vauxhall Bridge Rd please be careful of the diversion at Wilton Road, next to Victoria Stn.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23859873-london-traffic-cameras-pound-2m-fines-in-three-months.do

From Vauxhall Bridge Rd remember not to turn onto Wilton Rd where it says buses and taxis only. Follow the diversion sign via Eccleston Bridge, right onto Eccleston St, right again onto Buckingham Palace Rd then left onto Grosvenor Place from there to Park lane. Coming back, you won't be affected by the diversion as Wilton Rd by Victoria Stn is one way only.

[the-e-dealer]

Up Old Kent Road Cross River at Waterloo Bridge go through Holborn and keep going north.