Driving Bournemouth Edinburgh
Discussion
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
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
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.
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.
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.
I've got to sell this to my passenger who would rather spend the money and take the train.
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!
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
Here's a good service station if on the M6 (much nicer than the usual McDonalds/Road Chef): http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/Tebay
Fartgalen said:
I'd add a lot of time on for 'her' also 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 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!
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.
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.
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.
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
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.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.
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.
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
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