best way out of london towards bala

[kieran]

Hi, heading up to bala from Forest hill area the AA have me going through south west london over kew bridge etc - would it be quicker to head south to M25 and then go around london?

[Matt Robbins]

I make that about right....I am leaving Crystal Palace early Sat morning and am probably going S Circ, Kew Bridge, M4, M25, M40 etc....

Although it might be worth going over Vauxhall Bridge, Victoria, Hyde Park, Marble Arch and on to the A40 at Paddington?

I guess it depends when your leaving....Friday Night will be a nightmare any route...I just hate the drag down to the M25 at any time...though the south circ always seems take forever as well...probably all about the same!

[Gavin]

west of london on the M25 is supposed to be quite bad this weekend according to the metro.

Again it depends what time your going.

[adrian]

If you go early Saturday morning, you could go up through the City (over London or Tower Bridge), then follow signs to the A1 and M1. Then you're away. Worked for me recently.

At any other time of day, yeah, you've little choice but to throw in your lot with the M25.

[John Cochrane]

For many years now I have had to travel up North and to the Midlands to attend motor race meetings and even when travelling on a Saturday I always aim to get past Birmingham before mid-day otherwise you can expect long delays unless your lucky. (The new toll road does help though) This then determines your start from the London area. There's then not a lot to choose between the M25 or straight through London routes. The M25 often seems easier as there are less stops and starts and a greater sense of progress.

[Maria David]

Ok - so I have recently become car-less, but just from my numerous years spent "carrying the bag" I've found that at weekends it's better to go up North through London because the weekend drivers prefer the M25 and so going up through London tended to be a bit clearer, with less chance of accidents holding things up - unlike M25. And anyway, being at Crystal Palace there always seems to be something weird about going south in order to get up north.

When going to North Wales I opted for the M1 followed by M6 etc rather than the M40 because it seemed more direct, and you spend less time in the West Midlands which always seems to be slow moving and busy.

My 2p worth

[John Cochrane]

I would agree with you Maria, if starting from Crystal Palace there seems no point in heading south for the M25. I also use the M1-M6 route. If there are any problems try the A5, much of it is good surface dual carriageways with some slowing down for roundabouts every now and then. It's also very wise to use this route if the boredom of the motorway is making you feel sleepy.