Route advice for South Wales to Cambridge

Route advice for South Wales to Cambridge

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gazzarose

Original Poster:

1,158 posts

132 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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Hi

Im looking for some help with a route from Bridgend (half way between Cardiff and Swansea) to a Skoda dealer in Cambridge to pick up my new to me car (A Honda Accord Tourer Type S in white smile ). Google maps says to go M4, M25 then up to cambridge, but my garmin sat nav says up to Birmingham the across to Cambridge. Ive done the m4 and m25 a fair bit in the past, but never done anything east to Birmingham. Im leaving at 5.30 in the morning in my hire car (1.4 auto Corsa with cruise, heated seats and heated steering wheel, free upgrade from a Chevy spark, lol), so Im probably a bit late to be asking for advice but its worth a go. I should be early enough to miss what Saturady traffic there is and according to google maps theres quite a lot of traffic on the Birmingham route and only one bit on the M4. My head says m4 m25 in kind of a better the devil you know kind of thought. Of course I'll then have to be coming back, leaving there about midday but hopefully on a Saturday there shouldn't be to much about.

Cheers

Gareth

markcoopers

590 posts

192 months

Friday 21st November 2014
quotequote all
I would suggest coming up the m50 to the m5 and then do the Birmingham and m6 A14 route. A14 at Kettering has 40ave speed cameras so keep to outside lane to avoid the ques.
To miss out Birmingham you could head south on the m5 for 1 junction than take a46 to Coventry and pick up the m6 at junction 2. Either way the a14/m1/m6 junction is also ave speed camera in roadworks.

For interesting roads and time no issue.... Get to Cirencester and then take the old road to burford and then from burford to chipping sodbury. Then continue on the A361 but turn off to Aynho then the A45 up to Northampton and on to thrapston and pick up the A14 there.

leggly

1,780 posts

210 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
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markcoopers said:
I would suggest coming up the m50 to the m5 and then do the Birmingham and m6 A14 route. A14 at Kettering has 40ave speed cameras so keep to outside lane to avoid the ques.
To miss out Birmingham you could head south on the m5 for 1 junction than take a46 to Coventry and pick up the m6 at junction 2. Either way the a14/m1/m6 junction is also ave speed camera in roadworks.

For interesting roads and time no issue.... Get to Cirencester and then take the old road to burford and then from burford to chipping sodbury. Then continue on the A361 but turn off to Aynho then the A45 up to Northampton and on to thrapston and pick up the A14 there.
Yep, that's the way I'd go. M50,M5'A46,M6, A14

leggly

1,780 posts

210 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
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Scrub that, there's major roadworks at the Tollbar Roundabout in Coventry. Perhaps the M4 would be a better bet.

Red Devil

13,055 posts

207 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
quotequote all
Leaving that early on a Saturday I wouldn't choose either M4/M25/M11 or M50/M5/etc routes.
Much more interesting/fun to go across country.

markcoopers said:
For interesting roads and time no issue.... Get to Cirencester and then take the old road to burford and then from burford to chipping sodbury. Then continue on the A361 but turn off to Aynho then the A45 up to Northampton and on to thrapston and pick up the A14 there.
yes A couple of nice B roads in there (B4435 and B4031)
Alternatively for some more of them (avoiding most of the A361)
B4437 to Charlbury then B4022.

Another option:

M4 to Swindon
A419/A420 to A34 Oxford western by-pass at Botley
A34/M40/A43 to M1 J15a
A5123/A5076 to A45
A45 to A14 at Thrapston
A14 to Cambridge

Avoids the M1/M6/A14 junction and the Kettering road works.
Smaller percentage of 2 lane roads if time is an issue.
(Only A420 and final bit of the A45).


gazzarose

Original Poster:

1,158 posts

132 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
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Well I got to Cambridge. Left just before 6, and got here at just after 9.30. Just waiting for my lift to drop me to the dealer to collect the new car, then drive back.

Red Devil

13,055 posts

207 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
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You can't leave it hanging like that! furious Which route did you take? smile

gazzarose

Original Poster:

1,158 posts

132 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
quotequote all
Well when I got in the car this morning the Garmin lady said m4 m25. When we left Cambridge in the Accord, it's nav lady said the Swindon way, but I heard back for the m25 m4. We're just passing the m4/m5 intersection on the way home. Been a long day, but the mrs took over the driving 30 minutes ago to give me a break so I've been playing with all the new buttons.


leggly

1,780 posts

210 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
quotequote all
Red Devil said:
You can't leave it hanging like that! furious Which route did you take? smile
rofl We may be considered Anoraks!thumbup I was thinking the same thing.biggrin