OT North West London to M3. Which Route ?

Any opinions for a Car Route from North West London (Finchley Central) to joining the M3 traveling South West.

Looking for the least Hassle. (ie free flowing traffic as much as possible)

With the aim of then leaving the M3 and joining the A303 down to Exeter. Grateful for any advice.

North Circular to Kew Bridge, then to Richmond and join the A316 which turns into the M3 at Sunbury

go straight up the A1 to the M25 Unless its the middle of the night in which case Swiss cottage, cut over to abbey road, down to Marylebone road across double back and and out on the A40(M) to the M25

I'd take that route in pretty much any event on the 'least hassle' front.

Depending on traffic, roadworks, etc., consider M25, M4, A34.

The M4 is 50MPH with average speed cameras from inside the M25 to Theale (the turn off before the A34), and will be for quite some time to come. Conversion to "Smart" motorway is underway.

Adrian

Purely depends on the M25. Which is frequently just a car park.

Yes - I could usefully have added to check travel info, but even then it becomes gridlock very quickly. That's my experience of 15 years back - can't think it's got much better. Even so, the M25 was often my go to route for getting around London . . .

That's considerably faster than most of the times I went up and down that bit of the M4. :-)

But I also remember getting delayed horrendously between something like the M40 turn and the M3 when that was having major roadworks - for what seemed like years.

Least hassle would be M4 then M5.

In message <r4m4i5$lme$ snipped-for-privacy@gioia.aioe.org>, RJH snipped-for-privacy@gmx.com writes

The A1 > M25 (or even the M1 > M25) would be one hell of a detour!

But is the time parked parked on M25 greater than time parked at all the red lights on the other routes?

Google Maps says for Wood Green to M25/M3 there sod all in it at 8:38am this Monday. Via North Circular/A40/A312/M40/M25 34 miles 1h 6min (had to manually find this route), North Circular/M1/M25 45.7 miles 1h 7min, North Circular/A40/M25 38.1 miles 1h 8 min, North Circular/M4/M25 34.9 miles 1h 12 min (and this one).

So it's more a question of which scenery you prefer to be parked in and which gives greater fuel economy. 11.7 miles further on M25 but other routes are all going to be stop/start/creep.

It's a very long way round London. If you could be sure it is reasonably clear while London unusually congested, maybe. And also depends on how well you know your way round London.

With Covid-19 clearing the streets, there may be much less traffic than normal?

Time of day will make a huge difference. If it were now (2000, Sunday evening) a route via the North/South circular to join the A316 out to the start of the M3 at Sunbury is probably fastest and shortest. BUT

- Kew Bridge is a mess of roadworks at the moment: you can get round this by going via the Hogarth Roundabout and joining the A316 there.

- routing via the M1 and M25 (forget the A1) adds around 14 miles to the distance.

- most other M25 options mean you have to get past Heathrow (during the day you *will* get held up here) and may also get held up at M25 J12 where you leave to join the M3.

Google Maps or Waze on a mobile 'phone are your friends.

You have picked the best time, Its like the 1950s here, traffic wise.

Brian

Don't go out in rush hour, but mid morning traffic was if anything heavier than I's expect. Everyone driving round looking to stock up on virtually everything...