Overnight M25 route from M3 to Stansted and back Please Help

[IHateGoogleandTheM25]

Please Help. I've looked at the maps but just wanted a second opinion.

I need to use the M25 overnight, but it looks like it is all closed. Right now I could cry, every time I use it it is closed.

I'm coming from the M3, going up and back to/from Stansted.

Can anyone please help

Use Google Maps.
Will route you the fastest way

I did that last time and it was awful.

Google sent me towards the closure, then kept trying to reroute me onto the closed section.

It didn't give me any warning that the road was closed and didn't seem to know.

I've downloaded Waze as well, but I've lost faith.

Yes, Google maps.

But as a rough idea, I've done St Albans, Aylesbury, Reading, Basingstoke before. Another time, i came down to Burnham Beeches instead of Aylesbury, then Slough, M4, Reading, Basingstoke.

There are plenty of options, it will be fine, albeit not necessarily as quick.

You could do M11 down into london, A406 around to M3. At night it should all be fast moving

When are you going? It is unlikely the whole M25 is closed and for that journey you can either go north via Heathrow route or south via the Dartford crossing....

Thanks for replying. I'm coming up from Basingstoke on the M3- to Standsted airport and back.

I just can't work out where on the route it will be closed- Google maps is telling me it will be open tonight... I know it isn't

If you so a a Google search (so not Google maps) it shoukd tell you where / when it’s closed and you can plan from that.

I wouldn't go via the Dartford crossing to get to the M3.

Go into Google maps, set your destination, then from your starting point (Your location), click the three dots. From the drop-down, select Options, then Avoid motorways. Go back to your route and it should be M25-free.

ETA, don't know which bit of the M3 you want, but I've done it from home, which is v. close to J6.

Now that is a good idea- cut it out completely .

Then at least I will know how long it will take.

It does, it says the junctions and the numbers but it doesn't mean anything to me- I can do the whole of the M27 and M3- I know where those places are- I just never go M25- and when I do it's closed!

I’d check the live National Highways information before setting off, as M25 closures can change at short notice.

For M3 to Stansted, you don’t necessarily need to stay on the M25 for the whole journey. If there’s a closure, the official signed diversion is usually the safest option rather than trying to follow Google Maps around local roads.

If you say roughly what time you’re leaving and returning, someone may be able to suggest the best route for those exact hours.

If you are going from Basingstoke you could use A33 to Reading, M4 to Slough, then up to Beaconsfield, Amersham, Chesham and then you can go via St Albans, Hatfield and Ware/Puckeridge to Bishops Stortford and onto the airport.

If you don't trust Google Maps try the AA website.

Actually I asked Google Maps to avoid motorways and it came up with this: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Basingstoke/London+Stansted+Airport,+Bassingbourn+Rd,+Stansted+CM24+1QW/@51.6502966,-1.1926309,9z/am=t/data=!4m16!4m15!1m5!1m1!1s0x487404c180a05953:0x682dc7216eb9702a!2m2!1d-1.0920721!2d51.2662806!1m5!1m1!1s0x487604b8a52a1bb7:0x30a4d0976b352648!2m2!1d0.2413158!2d51.8863747!2m1!1b1!3e0!5m1!1e4?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDgxMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Where are the closures? And is it the whole carriageway or just one or two lanes?

In normal times you would get off at Junction 2 of the M3 (which is also Junction 12 of the M25) and head north (clockwise) on the M25 until you get to Junction 27, for the M11.

However if the planned M25 closures are between Junctions 12 and 27, go south (anticlockwise), use the Dartford Crossing (for which there is a toll), and again get off at Junction 27.

Alternatively, use Waze, which gives you real time updates and reroutes you as you travel.

Come off at the a10 and go up to the Stanton road which takes you to Stansted

Closed 25-38 a10-m11

This is the problem, I'm finding it really hard to work out how it affects my journey.

Non motorway is possible but it does add a lot of time - but less than going to a closed M25

Is that in both directions? As I'm heading back as well.

Plan to get to Stansted about 3am

(I'm coming from further than Basingstoke)

Why do you think it’s closed?

as you are coming up the M3 can’t you just go around the m25 the other direction to the closures?

National highways says it is- and it appears to be closed in different areas.

I am probably being an idiot - but I can't work out if I can go the other way, or if that is closed and Google says it is open (as it did last time and I was stuffed)

Try the app 'Waze' that it pretty dependable.

Thanks, I have downloaded it - but it is based on Google- it is currently not showing the closures but maybe it will once it passed 10pm (I've set a midnight departure time and it still sends me M25)

Have a look at the national highways road closure report. You can filter for the roads you plan to use and it will tell which roads/junctions are closed and if it’s north/southbound.

From what I can see on the National Highways website, there are various problems going clockwise but you should be ok going anticlockwise because the only problems are between junctions 24 and 25 and you won’t be going that way (you will go from junction 12 to 1a, then cross the river and go from 31 to 27).

When you approach the M25 make sure you follow signs for Gatwick rather than Heathrow.

And don’t forget to pay for the Dartford Crossing toll (from memory you have up to 24 hours to do that once you have crossed, but don’t take my word for it)!

Google maps did this to me the other night, going to Luton airport. The M1 southbound J8-6 is shut at night for the next couple of months and that was trumpeted from the rooftops. Couldn’t fail to miss it. But as I was travelling north to J10, Luton, there was absolutely zilch warning that that was closed too until I saw all the cones blocking the exit. The blue line going off the slip road was still showing on my screen as I had to continue on past the exit. I had to go all the way to J11 and come back (the south junction was open). Annoying so I sympathise.