lakeside to M4 - north or south???

[custardkid]

at 6ish tomorrow evening i need to go from lakeside to the M4.
is it best to go m25 north or south?

or is it pot luck?

on a solo drive from the alps to Bristol, sitting still on the M25 wouldn't be fun!

cheers Custard

[Sour Kraut]

North. That way you'll pass the M1 earlier than you would the M3.

[kiethton]

i would say to go south, the traffic and average speed camera's are worse around the north. In addition the majority of the jam's are on that side as well.

the other benefit to the south is that you are moving against the general flow of traffic (after your over the bridge) until j10 which is a very large chunk of the motorway.

Only slight thing is the £1.50 for the bridge.

[cailean]

South will be more against the flow of the evening rush hour traffic.

[edo]

dont go to lakeside in the first place

[lost in espace]

Get a traffic report as you get near to the M25 and see which way has fewer problems, or look the traffic on a google map if you have a smartphone.

[Mattt]

I'd say pot luck - at that point you're technically better off going south, but traffic on the M25 will decide things.

[NiceCupOfTea]

North you have the Essex roadworks and the stuff round the NW, plus M11/M1/A1/M40 junctions.
South you have Dartford tunnel, Leatherhead roadworks, SW stretch in rushhour.

Pot luck although I thing I would go South.

[MX7]

Always aviod Heathrow.

[TheGreatSoprendo]

MX7 said:

Always aviod Heathrow.

If you choose to go South, get off at the M3, go one junction (heading away from London) and cut up through Bracknell. It's shorter and avoids Heathrow.

[king arthur]

J21 - 19 can come to a complete standstill late afternoon / early evening, so it depends what time you'd be expecting to get there. However you can skip round those easily by coming off at 21a and taking A405 / A41 back on at J19.

[kiethton]

TheGreatSoprendo said:

MX7 said:

Always aviod Heathrow.

If you choose to go South, get off at the M3, go one junction (heading away from London) and cut up through Bracknell. It's shorter and avoids Heathrow.

definitely this....i used to commute orpington to reading and back daily. It was so much easier and quicker.

[Flintstone]

MX7 said:

Always aviod Heathrow.

Unless you wish to aviate, otherwise aviod it.

[Larry Dickman]

North = 42%
South = 42%
So pot luck then

Personally I'd go north.

As others have said, listen to the radio, but if if every thing's normal it's usually better at that sort of time heading anti clock wise towards the M4 than it is clockwise.

Edited by Larry Dickman on Tuesday 4th January 01:29

[XJSJohn]

kiethton said:

TheGreatSoprendo said:

MX7 said:

Always aviod Heathrow.

If you choose to go South, get off at the M3, go one junction (heading away from London) and cut up through Bracknell. It's shorter and avoids Heathrow.

definitely this....i used to commute orpington to reading and back daily. It was so much easier and quicker.

used to do Isle of Dogs - Reading occasionally back in the day and did the same route.

[custardkid]

cheers everyone, heading off now... wish me luck!

[Sour Kraut]

06.26? You've blown it whichever way you go round now!