AIBU driving round the M25 at 8am

[snackerextraordinaire]

AIBU to think that i can drive from the M40 to the M11 (Stansted) round the M25 at 8am on a week day morning and not get stuck in traffic. I can't leave any earlier and have to be at Stansted by 9.30 at the latest.

I have another option of going north of the M25 on the A414 but that goes through lots of towns. Any help appreciated (and apologies if there is a traffic thread but I did try to find one).

Hm you might be ok but if there's one broken down car or an accident it can ruin everything. At this time of night it'll take you an hour - doesnt leave you much wiggle room

Check google maps at 8am for the route for a few days in advance to be sure - will show you how long it'll take. Check on the day and see whether you need to do your back road route (but that's going to take way more than 1.5 hours, at least 2 in the morning )

But if you can't leave earlier you can't leave earlier I guess

I think you're being optimistic if it's a weekday.

I used to regularly do M3 to Luton round the M25. With not much traffic, it's an hour. If I was going to hit rush hour (which was usual, because of work,) then I gave it three hours. Usually it was somewhere in between, but I don't think I'd feel comfortable with just 90 minutes.

With my limited experience of driving on the M25, it's fairly busy even at 4:30am and when I've been driving even a very short section of it as a commute (I work all over the place), it's been very busy by 7/7:30am. There will be lots of traffic. Whether you get stuck or not is another thing. Is it a flight you're catching from Stansted?

You will get traffic unless it's school hols or half term. One accident and your timings are toast.

The A414 is pretty good east of the M1; where are you starting off before the M40?

Also are you catching a flight? What happens if you are late?

I would never cut it fine on the M25. Journeys can often take an hour or more longer than they should do.

Are you going to catch a flight or to collect someone? I certainly wouldn’t risk it if going for a flight.

Do you also need time to park at stansted as that always takes longer than you expect.

And why can't you leave earlier?

Thank you for your comments. I have a meeting in Stansted so not the pressure of missing a flight but still not good to be late. I have driven both the routes in the past but not in rush hour. I have been looking on google maps and it says helpfully an hour to an hour and a half but I know that is how long it takes when not in rush hour.

Greengrass - I could leave earlier but the other person who is coming with me hasn't got childcare until breakfast club starts at 8.

Ah ok
9.30 is a crap time for a meeting if you have to drive! I'd try and move it to 10.30 then set off at 9.

Ideally you'd leave earlier but Doesn't sound like you have a lot of choice- plan to use the M25, check online before you set off and keep the radio on for updates incase you need to detour off. At least you'll have a passenger to set sat nav.

I do a similar journey a lot. Usually leaving at 7am for 9.. I’ve left at 8 a few times and I’m really sorry I don’t think you stand a chance, unless it’s a Friday and you get seriously lucky.

My experience of that section of the m25 ( not regular but done it a resonable number of times) in the morning is as above you don't stand a chance unless you have some amazing luck no idea on the other route sorry

M40 to Stansted is at least a 1.5 hour drive even in the best circumstances. You don't stand a chance. Can you reschedule your meeting to start at 10am (or 10:30am would be even better)?

Not a hope... sorry

The 414 will be slow around Hemel/St Albans, gridlocked if the m25 has an accident.

Hemel to Hertford took an hour at that time in my commute; Stansted is another 30 mins on from Hertford in rush hour...

Are you able to move the meeting to 10?

I'd suggest you try the 414 until you've passed the nightmare of the M1 merge. Try picking the M25 up at J22 or dropping down onto the A1M at Hatfield and picking the M25 up at J23 South Mimms. I've usually found that stretch quite free flowing, but I travel in the opposite direction which tends to slow as you near Heathrow. Going clockwise though you will get a lot of the lorries heading for the docklands and Dover at that time of day.

Lewis does have a point - the 414 between Hemel and Hatfield is very slow ime. There's no magic formula - you're going to get caught either by the M1 merge at J21 or get caught on the 414 with local traffic

I'd try and shift the meeting or at least give the other people a heads up you may be late. Better than letting them know at 9am you're still only part way there.

A414 can be very slow at that time. As someone else said, you'd have a chance on a Friday or also if it was half term/Easter holidays. Other days there is a small possibility you'd make it, but would need a lot of luck!

Get the train.

I don't think you can, your passenger is either going to have to make arrangements so you can leave earlier, go their the previous night or sort out their own travel arrangements.

I would find the stress of driving on the M25 at the time of day bad enough, without having a deadline hanging over me!

Thank you everyone. I am going to talk to my colleague and see if she can get someone else to take her daughter to breakfast club so we can leave a bit earlier. No chance of moving the meeting. We are the smallest fish there IYSWIM.

The M25 is nothing if not unpredictable! I've been in traffic jams on there at 10.30 at night! Can you not get public transport? That would be more reliable (hopefully)