Directions into Croydon please

[mosschops30]

I am travelling to Crawley this weekend, from the M3 and M25. Really want to go to Aldo for some shoes I have seen and notice there was a shop in Croydon.
Can anyone tell me how far off the motorway it actually is and if I'll be going totally out of my way? Will i be able to re-join the M25 in the right direction and how is parking? Is Aldo in a shopping centre or in the town.

Help is greatly appreciated

You'd go straight down the A23/M23 from Croydon to Crawley but it is at least 20 minutes from M25 into Croydon depending on whereabouts it is ? Personally I hate driving into Croydon, always hit bad traffic and one way systems.

great cos i normally go M25 then M23 into crawley. So from the M25 i follow the signs for croydon (which is the opposite direction i think) yes? Is it easy to park and find shop or are they dotted everywhere

its croydon centrale?

Car parks all over but there is a specific one for Centrale (the main shopping centre), iirc you get in lane near the underpass - tbh they all give me the creeps and look the same !

croydon centrale is the new shopping centre in the centre of croydon. Personally I would never drive into croydon unless I was forced to! It can take up to 30/40 mins to get from M25 as they are doing roadworks at Coulsdon at the moment and it can be awful. No idea where to park as I always go to croydon by train. - is that an option for you

Croydon is miles away from the M25, it'll take you ages, particularly with the road works that have been going on forever in Coulsdon/Purley.
On a weekday it might be ok, but you'd be mad to even think about it on a Sat/Sun.

No idea where my question mark went at the end of that. Sorry !

It is a long way from the M25. I'd say at least 30 minutes (it takes me about 20 minutes to get home from theM25 and I'm about 15 minutes drive from the centre of Croydon. And that's going the quieter A22 route rather than the A23 through Coulsdon.

That's an idea - you could park at Coulsdon South which is only about 5 min drive from M25 (roadworks permitting!), then get a train into East Croydon (only about 2 stops), and then it's a short walk down into the shopping centre. Far easier than trying to drive in there.

I agree about the roadworks - I got stuck for blooming hours (literally) in them the other day!

It's hell isn't it. I live near those roadworks and it's been going on for about 2 years. I still don't quite know what they'll achieve when they've finished, can't see it making that road any better.

Whatever you do mosschops, don't drive!!! Apart from the roadworks, the whole world will be going to Ikea on Sat/Sun!

ok, if u are comign fromt he m25, you will come down purley way. Carry on all the way down until you go past sains on your right. Past taht you will come to a big roundabout with a car dealer on it, and a big office block which used to be vodaphone. Youc an see the faded writing on it still. Turn right at the roundabout (4th exit I think) so the car dealer is on your left. Go straight down til you come to a set of lights/crossroad with a pub on your left. Turn left. Go all the way down to another big crossroads and turn right onto London Road. It's a busy road with lots of multicultural shops. At the end of that when you can see the pedestrainised town center straight ahead of you, turn right. the road bears sharply round to the left and the entrance to centrale is on your right.

I used to live there, on London Road, 5 mins from center. I learned to drive there. It is hellish!

i cant do the train, I need to be in crawley early afternoon and havent got the time. I will be going friday, just before lunchtime.

So thanks for telling me that I'm mad but i will give it a try! So I come off at Croydon (is there only 1 junction) and follow signs into central croydon?

Where is Kingston, would that be easier?

btw purley way will be the road that you end up on after purley, when you start going past lots of big retail stores. You will see the ikea towers on your left jsut before you get into croydon central

kellyk, how do i get back out onto the M23, is it signposted

Yes, I think Kingston would be easier. Come off M25 at J9 (Leatherhead) and follow the signs up past Chessington World of Adventures. There won't be as much traffic as Croydon.

kingston easier but there are (joyfully) roadworks all over the kingston one-way system at the mo - sometimes it's absolutely fine, other times it's hell . I would think on a week day at non-rush hour times you should be OK.

Kingston easier from the M25, also v close to getting to the M3 aswell and if you can survive that stretch of the M25 then you've done well!

For M23 go back down Purley Way(A23), through Purley and Coulsdon and bear left onto M23 (A23 straight on) but don't then join M25 by mistake !

You must really really want these shoes

i have wanted a pair like it since the summer and am now on a mission to get some, but there are no Aldo's anywhere near Cardiff.

So votes for Kingston then? Hands up, as opposed to Croydon. is it the same distance wise, and how do I get to crawley from there

have you tried them on? if so, you could always despatch another m-netter to get them for you.

these

or these

From Kingston, head back towards Chessington World of Adventures (I think it's the A24), then back on the M25 then M23 for Crawley. Should all be signposted. I'd do that rather than Croydon.

or maybe these

croydon is a lot closer, and if you follow my directions you will have no problem.