Getting into Coventry
Discussion
I'm not being sent to Coventry! Looking at a job there and wondering about the commute. The AA planner says its an hour from my house (in Milton Keynes) but what's it really like at rush hour? Its going to North on the M1, going to CV1 postcode. Is it busy getting into the City and is the M1 a nightmare?
Other option is the train but that's an hour on the train, plus getting to the station, parking etc. Going to be about 1 and 1/2 hours and cost a f
king fortune.
Job looks great but commute is putting me off.
Other option is the train but that's an hour on the train, plus getting to the station, parking etc. Going to be about 1 and 1/2 hours and cost a f
king fortune.Job looks great but commute is putting me off.
Takes me about 40 mins to get into the office from MK which is right next to the Airport at the toll bar roundabout. Basically M1, M45, A45 - no traffic problems to speak off. But I time it to arrive at tollbar for about 8.55am - it does vary considerably according to time.
Use googe's traffic prediction feature to see what the traffic looks like at specific times you are interested in.
Use googe's traffic prediction feature to see what the traffic looks like at specific times you are interested in.
I've been doing around a dozen commutes a year since 2014, though usually from the north. It is a nightmare whichever way I try, including from lower down the M1 and from the M40 so, having tried umpteen supposedly canny ways to beat the delays I now leave no later than 6.00am and avoid the M1/M69/Coventry ring road like the proverbial. Best way for me is A42/M42 towards the NEC then in on the southern edges of the ring road towards Earlsdon.
I've been doing the opposite direction for the last 3 years, albeit CV7 to MK14, and it takes me an hour each way.
To the city centre, it's a little trickier, but for the moment I'd try to avoid the A45/A46 junction at Tollbar End until the roadworks are completed. You may find it quicker depending on the time of day to head to M6 J2 or J3 and head down the A4600 or A444 to the inner ring road - either that or take the M45, then peel off the A45 onto the Fosse Way and go through Binley.
The inner ring road itself is daunting to the uninitiated, and even many locals stay clear of it. For that reason though, it's usually very free flowing and an efficient way to get around
To the city centre, it's a little trickier, but for the moment I'd try to avoid the A45/A46 junction at Tollbar End until the roadworks are completed. You may find it quicker depending on the time of day to head to M6 J2 or J3 and head down the A4600 or A444 to the inner ring road - either that or take the M45, then peel off the A45 onto the Fosse Way and go through Binley.
The inner ring road itself is daunting to the uninitiated, and even many locals stay clear of it. For that reason though, it's usually very free flowing and an efficient way to get around
legless has it spot-on - A46/A46 interchange roadworks add 20-30minutes onto ANY journey at rush hour, assuming no problems.
City Centre traffic - depends where you're going and where you want to / can park - if your place has a car-park, great, but if not you may want to plan to use a convenient car-park for ingress/egress.
For now, I WOULD consider the train, esp. from MK as the Virgin trains are <1hr door-to-door (the fast service from Cov is <1hr 20 to Euston). Is the new office walkable from the station (i.e. south-side of CV1)
City Centre traffic - depends where you're going and where you want to / can park - if your place has a car-park, great, but if not you may want to plan to use a convenient car-park for ingress/egress.
For now, I WOULD consider the train, esp. from MK as the Virgin trains are <1hr door-to-door (the fast service from Cov is <1hr 20 to Euston). Is the new office walkable from the station (i.e. south-side of CV1)
havoc said:
legless has it spot-on - A46/A46 interchange roadworks add 20-30minutes onto ANY journey at rush hour, assuming no problems.
City Centre traffic - depends where you're going and where you want to / can park - if your place has a car-park, great, but if not you may want to plan to use a convenient car-park for ingress/egress.
For now, I WOULD consider the train, esp. from MK as the Virgin trains are <1hr door-to-door (the fast service from Cov is <1hr 20 to Euston). Is the new office walkable from the station (i.e. south-side of CV1)
The roadworks are due to finish Autumn 2016, allegedly. There are quite a lot of rat runs though.City Centre traffic - depends where you're going and where you want to / can park - if your place has a car-park, great, but if not you may want to plan to use a convenient car-park for ingress/egress.
For now, I WOULD consider the train, esp. from MK as the Virgin trains are <1hr door-to-door (the fast service from Cov is <1hr 20 to Euston). Is the new office walkable from the station (i.e. south-side of CV1)
944fan said:
Thanks for the info all. As I understand the office is very close the train station. Need to find out how much the season ticket is. Annoyingly I am closer to Bletchley train station. Going into London there are fewer trains assume it is the same the other way.
If you can use the train whit it being extortionate I would rather than drive through the hell that is the Coventry ring road.PositronicRay said:
And yes Coventry does have an airport, private and freight, no passenger facilities.
It used to have passenger facilities, we flew to Pisa (Italy) from there many years ago on a charter (Thomson or Thomas Cook?). I say facilities, it was basically a portacabin on the side of the runway 
What are people's issues with the ring road? I've commuted through Coventry for the last 5 years and very rarely had a problem.
Tollbar is a ball ache at the moment admittedly, so I just avoid it. Plenty of other routes to use. Looking forward to it being finished though. Hoping for a nice straight run off the M40 right up to the M69. Still another 12 months to go though
Tollbar is a ball ache at the moment admittedly, so I just avoid it. Plenty of other routes to use. Looking forward to it being finished though. Hoping for a nice straight run off the M40 right up to the M69. Still another 12 months to go though
MrBig said:
What are people's issues with the ring road? I've commuted through Coventry for the last 5 years and very rarely had a problem.
Tollbar is a ball ache at the moment admittedly, so I just avoid it. Plenty of other routes to use. Looking forward to it being finished though. Hoping for a nice straight run off the M40 right up to the M69. Still another 12 months to go though
I think the problem is unpredictability! Seems to get completely gridlocked at odd times - 08:00 on a Sunday for no obvious reason!Tollbar is a ball ache at the moment admittedly, so I just avoid it. Plenty of other routes to use. Looking forward to it being finished though. Hoping for a nice straight run off the M40 right up to the M69. Still another 12 months to go though
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