Long motorway drive tips

[ThisPinkBee]

I think most I have done is around 1 hour 20m each way in a day.

This is South East (just south of m25) to Nottingham. Leaving around 6. Could leave earlier if I need to avoid rush hour.

Any tips?

More looking for difficult road sections, likely traffic building up.

I'll do a run through on Google Maps as far as I can.

Tolls - will there be any and what do I need to know.

Good services to stop at.

Leave earlier. Take a bottle of water and a cereal bar incase of traffic jams.
Leave yourself plenty of time (see traffic jams) and stop if you need to.

Use waze

Definitely use a sat nav of some description in case you have to change route on the hoof if driving alone. There’s a toll for the Dartford Crossing if applicable which you’d pay online at any point that day.

If you go via M11/A14/A1, I’d look at Cambridge or Peterborough services for a stop; the Bishops Stortford ones are also ok if you need to stop earlier. Get fuel from a supermarket before you leave.

I don’t know the M1 route as well but the M1/M25 junction is usually busy.

This
It has made such a difference to long trips
it shows traffic before you set off, changes routes during the journey if traffic is detected, has a pothole warning which is so necessary near me, and warns of police or hidden speed traps.

check tyre pressure and windscreen washer fluid levels before you go. Fill up with fuel.

Pack water, tissues and a few snacks.

Set a good playlist

If going that way stop at nice services like Gloucester or Tebay for a break. Avoid the ones that have a WHSmiths as they will all be shit

I regularly do 4-5 hours driving. With one stop or two if I need another wee. Just had to pick up DC from uni, and wasn’t allowed to take them for lunch, so 4 hours there, 15 mins loading the car and a red bull, then 3.5 hours back home. Wasn’t too bad. Would have preferred lunch rather than a service station sandwich

The annoying by is likely to be the Dartford tunnel. Despite not having physical toll booths, the traffic still has to sort it self into the right lanes (lorries can only use certain ones, plus they have to stop the traffic if there's an escorted load going through...). The queues can be a few miles long.

The M25 onto the M11 can be a bit slow as well. Its an interesting junction.

Orpington to Grantham, so a similar length journey, used to take me about 3.5hrs. I didn't tend to stop, but Cambridge is about halfway

Waze is your friend. Plenty of water. Stop for a break before you think you need to. And for the love of God if you go through the Dartford Tunnel, remember to pay. We didn’t once and ended up with a eye watering bill.

If going that way stop at nice services like Gloucester or Tebay for a break. Avoid the ones that have a WHSmiths as they will all be shit

Don't confuse her! Gloucester and Tebay are nowhere near her route!! These two service stations are owned by the Wesrmoreland family. They are lovely, but I don't think they own any services between London and Nottingham.

@ThisPinkBee Where exactly south of the M25. The M25/M1 route is much nicer than the A1, if it's convenient for your starting point.

That’s on the way back. It’s the Bridge on the way there. Set a reminder to pay the Dart Charge for using it each way. As you’re not used to these types of drives, and really everyone, should, stop every 2 hrs to recalibrate your brain and stretch your legs.

Going from the south east to Nottingham will be tunnel on the way there, bridge on the way back. The queues for the tunnel tend to be worse than for the bridge. If you use M11 route, be careful of the lane you use to take the M11 northbound, the junction can be a bit confusing but the signage is quite clear.

Which junction of the M25 will you join (will you be going clockwise or anticlockwise)? You if joining anywhere between junctions 9 and 12 to go clockwise, you need to be on the motorway before 6am (5.45 if junction 9) and you should get a smooth run round. I personally prefer the M40/M69 route to the M1 as the M1 is such a long monotonous stretch with a lot of roadworks (50 zone) and I think the M40 services are nicer.

I also didn’t register where she was going, just the long journey bit
My sense of direction is terrible
Waze helps

Create an amazing playlist. Long drives are better with music.

Okay have looked more!

I'm doing M25 onto M1, from near Reigate. It says 3 hrs 20, is that lies?

I need to be there for 10.30am, ideally 10am to allow for parking etc. at the hospital. It's telling me to leave at 5.40am.

Parking at Nottingham hospitals can be a nightmare. If you’re going to QMC, you might find it more pleasant to park at the Toton Lane tram stop and get the tram into QMC. Tram tickets can be bought at the stop or via an app.

As you are going to the hospital, assume NUH, the M25/M1 is better option as access to the hospital is easier. Hospital parking is a nightmare. DS lives reasonably near and has friends asking to park on his drive if they need to go there.
i would probably go the other way round the M25 because I hate the tunnel/bridge but there is not a lot in it. Use WAZE or TomTom if you have Traffic on it.
Can’t recommend a services because we live in East Anglia and M11/A14/A1M is usually a better bet for us, but the A52 into the city is a pain. I have used Leicester Forest services on the M1 . Its mediocre.

3hr20 from Reigate to Nottingham would be a good time, it could take longer. Is there any possibility of travelling the night before and staying over near to the hospital? That would be my preference unless you're a really early riser. The problem with the M25 is that if you get on at 5, you'll most likely be there by 8, but if you leave it until 6.30 it could easily be 11.

On the plus, I drove that M1 stretch yesterday and there were no active roadworks! It did look like an average speed check the whole way - even so it was nice not contending with miles and miles of 50 zone.

If using m25 definitely leave before 6

By all means try out Waze. Personally I dislike it and use Google Maps. I would suggest trying out both of them and maybe Apple Maps as well if you have an iPhone. See which you prefer!

Honestly, I'd take the train and a cab. Parking is a nightmare in Nottingham for the hospital.

If it were me, and you have to be at the hospital at 10.30 am, I’d book a room in a Travelodge or Premier Inn, near to the hospital for the night before. Then, it’s a nice cooked breakfast and an easy 10 - 20 minute drive to the hospital. Years ago, I stayed at a Premier Inn on the A52, going towards Derby - iirc, it was a 10 minute drive to the University, which is near Queen’s Hospital.

Travelling on motorways is ok, when nothing goes wrong. We travel regularly on the M1/M6 or M1 and come off just before Derby, go along the A50/A500 to the M6, to avoid going round Birmingham. It should take 3 hours and a bit. It can often take 5 - 8 hours, depending on how many crashes there are; and especially if they close the motorway.

I can’t recommend any service stations up the M1 from the M25. It’s just a personal preference which fast food outlet, you like best. Watford Gap has McDonalds, Costa, Chozen Noodle and Leon. Leicester Forest East has Chopstix, Taco Bell, Burger King and KFC to name a few. Rugby is supposed to be the best, but it’s on the M6. We use Google maps to look for cafes and restaurants, just off the M1. It’s usually better quality food, and better value for money imo. Alternatively, take your own food. Flasks and a croissant are certainly cheaper than Costa or Starbucks, the main offerings at service stations!

Take a map book too. When the motorway is closed, it’s very annoying if the satnav keeps telling you to go back to the motorway - especially if you are in a part of the country you don’t know at all, and don’t know where to go!

If its QMC you're heading to, definitely go to the tram stop/park and ride at Toton Lane and get the tram in, it's way less stressful than trying to drive on and park. The Toton Lane tram stop is about 5 mins drive from the M1 junction 25, and the tram then stops right on the hospital campus so its a shorter walk than from the car parks. The trams are step free, just make sure you buy a ticket from the machine before travelling.

In terms of services, Watford Gap are probably the best you'll pass on the M1, in my opinion.

Set off after the morning rush hour so 9.30. six hours with three stops should get you to your destination before the afternoon rush hour.

I've done that trip a few times for uni trips with DCs (from Croydon)

My tip - check the route the sat nav is sending you on very carefully. Took DS for an open day at Nottingham Trent. Decided to head up after school on the Friday night, stay overnight and get an early start for the open day on the Saturday. Happily switch the sat nav on and set off. The next thing I knew, it had decided the best route was directly north, and I was trying to navigate Hyde Park Corner at 5pm on a Friday evening!!!

Journey up went swimmingly. Stopped at Welcome Break.

After my appointment, car wouldn't start.

Waiting for the roadside breakdown 😪 before I can repeat the journey back. They should be here about 5pm.

So if I get on the M1 about 6pm where does that put me with traffic?