Kent/M25 driving advice

[BikeRunSki]

So, I live near Leeds and will be going to a family funeral in Rochester next week. I will be travelling after work the night before. The funeral will be finished around 4pm, and I have to drive back that night (work commitment the following morning). I need to drive, as I am fetching and carrying people from trains.

DM wants me to go with her to visit an elderly aunt in Maidstone after the funeral, with a view to leaving around 6pm (aunt will not be at funeral, other side of family).

I’m reluctant to head off the Maidstone - half an hour in the wrong direction - before starting the long drive north again, but it’s occurred to me, if I stay in Kent for an extra couple of hours, will I miss the worst of the M25 traffic, and actually not get back home that much later?

In fact, would it be advisable to avoid the M25 between 4pm-6pm.

Yes, the M25 will be extra busy in the rush hour.

Agree that if you want to miss the worst of it you are looking at after 7 rather than after 6

Ah, that’s useful to know Duchess and A508 Hojas. So if I’m not away back north by 4pm, I may as well wait until 7 pm anyway?

The only good thing is that it is middle of half term so traffic may be lighter. From Maidstone pretty easy to get on to M25 by using the M20 (joining anywhere from junction 7 to jnt 5). But they are building a smart motorway between junctions 3-5 - so 50ph speed limit. You are going north so that is opposite rush hour direction but it will still be busy.

Just a warning on the Dartford Crossing - dont forget to pay. There are no barriers anymore. Cost has recently increased so check the website. I have an account so it is automatically deducted for me but that may not be useful for you.

You can get straight on the M20 just outside Maidstone and run straight through to M25, but do double check what is going on around M20 Jct 4 as lots of roadworks and lane closures recently.
Agree you might as well stay in Kent an hour or two more rather than spend that time in rush hour traffic.

Ah yes greenlanes, I need to open an account.

I'd be inclined to stay until at least 7 pm to miss the worst of the traffic. The M2 is down to two lanes in places at the moment which was causing some congestion today. Have you downloaded the Waze app - great for keeping up with current traffic conditions and will redirect you if they're bad. The Maidstone traffic will hopefully be a bit lighter as it's half term.

boiling i’ve never got on with Waze when I am driving alone, as I find i need to look at it too much, but I always use Google maps which speaks if it finds a quicker route.

Sounds like Kentish half term is in my side. Ours is not until the following week.

I hate to state the obvious, but you'll get home a lot sooner setting off on the M25 at 4. Drive down to Maidstone at 4 won't be that much fun - and it's 50mph all the way.

If you're generally worried about driving when it's busy, it's not that bad at that part of the M25.

I think a couple of hours visiting an elderly aunt when you live so far away will be time well spent!

It will be a long journey home either way.

You don't need an account, you just pay as a one off for the number of times you'll be going through.

Thanks everyone. I will see how it goes on the day.

I hav registered my credit card/numberplate with the Dartford Crossing. (actually, as I civil engineer, I am quite looking forward to the bridge and the tunnel).

My aunt in Maidstone was 90 last week, I am do agree that I really ought to visit since I won't be far away. I'm just thinking about the 9am meeting in Leeds the following morning...

I'm not worried about driving in heavy traffic, motorways etc, just trying to optimise my time in Kent. I appreciate that leaving at 4 will get me home sooner than leaving at 7, but from what people have said about the M25 in the late afternoon and early evening, maybe not 3 hours earlier. I suspect leaving at 4 wouldn't get me home in time for the DC's bedtime anyway, after which it doesn't matter so much.

I'll stock up on Red Bull! And in my next life I won't settle 200 miles away from the rest of my family.

We drive too and from Derby to Kent and back quite a bit. We normally set off 6ish either way and normally a straight run.

@inabox. That is really useful to know, thank you.