Would I be crazy to drive an extra hour to avoid the motorway?

[pyjamaramadrama]

I want to go somewhere soon, no easy train or coach route. Weekend away with my son.

It's 2 hours on the motorway, 3 on the a roads.

I've got very little motorway experience/confidence and it's the M40 which I've never done.

I'd like to deal with my motorway skills eventually but it won't be in time for this.

Does anyone actually do a roads for long journeys like this? Will I be completely knackered by the time I get there?

Not being funny op but you are situated in the best place to be able to get out and drive on motorways and you have a few to choose from to practice m40 m42 m6

If you lived in a lot of places in the south west its 50 miles to the nearest motorway!

It was one and a half hours from b to hw and I reckon you would take over four on a roads doing the same trip, seriously you will make it more stressful and much harder for yourself trying to avoid something that is there to make life easier and less stressful

Am impressed you are going to do it

You know you don't have to do all motorway or all not motorway don't you?

You could plan your drive with 30mins moorway towards the start and if that goes OK carry on a bit more or get off at the next junction.

Motorways are just dual carriageways without pedestrians and buses.

Just drive under the sign where you want to go.

I've got an app called waze on my phone, it's free but it's the best satnav I've found that gives me easy to understand and clear directions. I get lost just nipping to the shop so I really need one.
You will be fine op, I know exactly how you feel though but like I said have a few runs in between a junction or 2 and you will be fine. I live near M25 and I pop on and off fine now when I want to go to my mums. My mum does it every week too

You'll probably find the thought of it far worse than the reality of being on the motorway. I do tend to sit behind a lorry for the first half mile of motorway, just to get acclimatised to the speed and flow of it - I rarely drive on the motorway, but when I do it's a long journey.

I was always embarrassingly frightened of motorway driving until I had to drive half way across the country for a job interview.

It's only an hour's difference. Only you can know whether that extra hour will have a negative effect on your son but it's unlikely. You can always stop for a long lunch or a visit to a park. Other than the effect on your son, only you will be affected, so trust your own instincts and do what makes you most comfortable. Address the motorway issues another time, but don't make a big deal about not using them this time, and definitely don't go around telling other people what you did and giving them the chance to make you feel stupid.

It's up to how you feel. I regularly do a journey of 1.5 hours and it would be quicker on motorways. My satnav keeps trying to take me via the motorways but I know the A road route so use that - otherwise it would be M4, A329(M), A322, M3, M25... I'm able to avoid all that juggling. Do what you feel comfortable with.

I often get off the motorway because I am fed up with it.

I must say I agree with the minority if you cant drive on motorways/in the dark/in the rain/at tne speed limit, you shouldn't be driving at all.

What's the difference between a dual carriageway and a motorway OP?

Answer = absolutely nothing.

Take the motoroway and stick in the left and middle lanes and you'll be fine.

I grew up and live on an island, with no motorways, A roads, anything like. First 6m of passing (which took me 8 attempts..) I went on the mainland, and did a 4hour drive and 2 motorways. Its honestly fine :)

IMHO You need to just go, don't think about it, just go.
If you sit and think about what if, or this situation, or that, you'll never do it

Please don't stick in the middle lane - that's just annoying!

pyjama, I used to be you. Although I drove regularly on the North Circular (which is to all intents & purposes a motorway for most of it), I 'knew' my route and was confident in doing it. When I had DD and it was so much easier to drive to my parents in the NW than lug baby and baby paraphernalia into London to get a train, I used to go by a horribly circuitous A-road route that was full of lorries and people breaking down, only 1 or 2 proper service stops, just miserable. And then I was forced onto the M1 because of problems on the A road, and it was amazing - so much easier. Even the M25 isn't so bad.

But please don't hog the middle lane. Drive sensibly and good luck!

Highwayrat I passed my test in November. I have never driven on a motorway as you aren't allowed to go on one until you have passed your test. I can't think of one reason why I would ever need to go on one thankfully.

I have to drive down a country road in the pitch black a couple of times a week and it still scares me. The road is windy and I think the speed limits are stupidly too fast. If I could avoid that route I would in a heart beat.

I am a safe driver and there is nothing wrong with not liking certain parts of driving. OP didn't say she can't use the motorway, she prefers not too. That doesn't mean she shouldn't be driving at all.

BTW quite staggered at all those who are stuffed if the satnav dies. Buy a road map and keep it in the car. Then if you need directions, stop at the next services and look it up.

no batteries needed, never get nicked, doesn't distract you by endless speed camera reminders. Which no-one competent to drive should need anyway.

SatNavs are brilliant. If you have a brain and use that in conjunction with it.

Satnavs have their place, especially if you are on your own. However the danger is that you don't look up where you are going and get the bigger picture of the route, then if you have to divert you don't know where you are going. I don't think they do as much as maps to increase your knowledge of where you are going for next time.

They also don't necessarily choose the route that you would have done. I think it's best to choose the outline route first using a map and always keep a map in the car.

I know exactly where you are coming from OP, I used to be like this myself.

After passing my test I rarely got the chance to drive and didn't really need to. When we married DH did all the driving anyway and we both worked at the same place. Eventually it got to the point where I was so nervous at getting behind the wheel that I could barely move the car in a car park.

So one day I arranged refresher lessons with a driving instructor - tirns out to be a much more common occurrence than you might expect apparently. After four lessons I was fine to drive myself around again, but motorway driving still daunted me.

In the end I overcame it because we were going on a holiday that involved a long drive (North West England to just south of Florence) and DH said he wouldn't be able to do it all by himself. With a little practice first I was fine driving on English, French and Italian motorways.

Today I will drive on a motorway when it is the logical route but I must admit I still prefer non-motorway, though I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid it. A few years ago then I would have been you and taking the A-road alternative.

If you do decide to do the motorway route then good on you. If not, don't feel bad but do consider building up to it for another time.

And ignore pointless comments like that of mrknowitall

Take the A roads (it's only an hour extra) but maybe consider taking some extra lessons to get used to the motorway.