Driving Bournemouth Edinburgh

Driving Bournemouth Edinburgh

Author
Discussion

romeogolf

Original Poster:

2,056 posts

118 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
Partner and I are looking to visit a friend in Edinburgh in the new year and considering driving rather than taking the train or flying. We'd be going up on a Friday afternoon and coming home the following Monday.

Train tickets are £120 return each, so £240 total cost.
Flying isn't an option from Bournemouth, but costs ~£100 each from Southampton plus parking or train there.
Fuel shouldn't cost more than £150 for the return trip, so it's easily the cheapest option, plus convenience of leaving on our own schedule and having the car when up there, if needed.

The furthest I've driven in one go is York, so this is nearly double the distance.

What's the journey like to Edinburgh? Is 7 hours a reasonable estimate of journey time on a Friday afternoon? (We'd leave just before midday, if not earlier) And is driving home approximately the same on a Monday?

Thanks smile

Lost soul

8,712 posts

181 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
They are talking about Friday being the worst day to travel with even more chaos than a normal Friday

romeogolf

Original Poster:

2,056 posts

118 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
Lost soul said:
They are talking about Friday being the worst day to travel with even more chaos than a normal Friday
Not this Friday. It will be in January smile

romeogolf

Original Poster:

2,056 posts

118 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
I meant I'm not travelling until January so this Friday is not an issue to me.

Seesure

1,187 posts

238 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
7 hours is a bit optimistic for a Friday afternoon... Any Friday afternoon..! Roughly speaking that's an average speed of 65mph...Personally I think you will be looking at 8+ as you will be hitting some heavy congestion areas at peak times...

bicycleshorts

1,939 posts

160 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
It'll be fine. I'd take the M6 up the west rather than going East (unless you want to break up the journey with a stop at Donington). Check the condition of the Biggar road (A702) half way up, if it's bad (snow/ice/etc.) then use the M8. Try to time your journey so you aren't hitting any major cities at rush hour.

ETA: For reference I did this exact journey (starting from Edinburgh) a couple of months ago to collect my Legacy. Took around 9 hours from 11pm-8am, but that was with quite a few coffee stops.

Fartgalen

6,630 posts

206 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
I'd add a lot of time on for 'her' also wink If your OH is anything like mine, she'll need to stop and pee every hour. And stop again for a leg stretch. Then stop for something to eat. Etc, etc.

romeogolf

Original Poster:

2,056 posts

118 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
If we left at 9am to avoid the bulk of the rush down here and then arrived sometime before 5pm, that would avoid most the traffic, right? And I assume we can press on a bit more than 65 at various points if the weather is in our favour.

I've got to sell this to my passenger who would rather spend the money and take the train.

silentbrown

8,792 posts

115 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
romeogolf said:
Is 7 hours a reasonable estimate of journey time on a Friday afternoon?
Almost certainly not. M6 will be slow until you're well north of Manchester, and M1 is probably the same. You'll probably hit the worst section at the worst time.

Look at google maps for directions/traffic/roadworks. I've always found the timings pretty accurate. It can also show typical traffic for particular days/times.

I'd allow 10 hours on a Friday afternoon. 8 hours travel time, plus 1 as it's Friday, plus an hour for driver changeovers/coffee/pee breaks.

Monday should be better!

StuntmanMike

11,671 posts

150 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
I would fly, failing this I would do as bicycleshorts says and travel up the north west every time.

bicycleshorts

1,939 posts

160 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
Depends where in Edinburgh it is, the centre can be pretty backed up from about 4.30-6.30 but you'll normally still at least be moving.

Here's a good service station if on the M6 (much nicer than the usual McDonalds/Road Chef): http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/Tebay

romeogolf

Original Poster:

2,056 posts

118 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
Fartgalen said:
I'd add a lot of time on for 'her' also wink If your OH is anything like mine, she'll need to stop and pee every hour. And stop again for a leg stretch. Then stop for something to eat. Etc, etc.
Nah, he can hold it better than me. We'll probably stop once around half-way for a bite to eat, then for a photo op at Gretna. We're fairly efficient travellers tongue out

romeogolf

Original Poster:

2,056 posts

118 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
Thanks Bicycleshorts!

We'd be going up the M40/M6 route - The M1/A1 looks far longer to me.

Craivold

172 posts

199 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
Yeah I reckon the earlier you leave the better. The M6 between Stoke and Blackpool can be horrible at peak times (stuck in a jam there last winter travelling up from down south). The M6 toll is nice though, worth paying for most of the time. Definitely allow plenty of stopping time for the missus - coffee and snack breaks!

IanCress

4,409 posts

165 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
Google maps reckons the currently traveling time is 8 hours, and that's without refuelling and toilet stops. I doubt you could do it between 9 and 5. It's just over 450 miles which is a hell of a long drive, especially when it includes the traffic jam that is the M6 on a Friday.

Personally, i'd be considering doing it over night if possible, or at least try and get past Preston by 7am, otherwise you WILL hit traffic.

parabolica

6,703 posts

183 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
7 hours is an optimistic guess; I drive Surrey to Aberdeen and back a few times a year (due to do it once between Christmas and new year and again in January, weather permitting) and that takes around 10 hours at ever-so-spirited speeds. Getting up to, around, and north of the M25 and then around Birmingham will give you the most grief/traffic. As soon as you get north of Manchester the traffic volume usually drops by around 70% and you can get a good blast up to the borders.

Up to you whether you go all the way to Glasgow then across on the M8; there is a A-road (A702) just north of Moffat that will take you x-country to Edinburgh. It's a nice flowing road; makes a change after 400 miles of motorway.

ETA: add a couple of hours due to your decision to drive on a Friday. The Monday run should be clear.

Edited by parabolica on Thursday 18th December 12:48

cptsideways

13,535 posts

251 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
4am start gets you past M'chester before the traffic, stop for brekkie & head north into the hills traffic free.

My usual trek to Knockhill gets me there late lunchtime

IanCress

4,409 posts

165 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
Which weekend in January? There's a very good offer on Virgin trains for the weekend of 10th Jan.

romeogolf

Original Poster:

2,056 posts

118 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
parabolica said:
7 hours is an optimistic guess; I drive Surrey to Aberdeen and back a few times a year (due to do it once between Christmas and new year and again in January, weather permitting) and that take around 10 hours at ever-so-spirited speeds. Getting up to, around, and north of the M25 and then around Birmingham will give you the most grief/traffic. As soon as you get north of Manchester the traffic volume usually drops by around 70% and you can get a good blast up to the borders.

Up to you whether you go all the way to Glasgow then across on the M8; there is a A-road (A702) just north of Moffat that will take you x-country to Edinburgh. It's a nice flowing road; makes a change after 400 miles of motorway.
We'd skip the M25 altogether going from ours. It would be A31>M27>M3>A34>M40>M6>A74M etc, but I'm keen on the idea of A702 to avoid further motorways.

rockford22

357 posts

131 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
quotequote all
I actually did this exact drive 2 months ago on a Friday afternoon - 9 hours 35 minutes door to door. That did include a few stops (no more than 45 mins in total).

Hit traffic in the usual places and the drive is very dull until you get up in to Scotland - unsure of the road but the last 40 mintues were quite enjoyable.

I was driving a friend's E class so was comfortable and wafty but it was a still a bloody long way.

Edited by rockford22 on Thursday 18th December 12:52