Driving to Cardiff

[Don Veloci]

Headed down to Cardiff on Saturday morning.

Is it best to be direct heading west around Birmingham (M6 - M5) or
to loop around east (M6 toll - M42 - M5)?

Took the west route a few years ago with little trouble but up to date local knowledge always helps.

[hman]

depends where you are leaving from.

Lets assume you are going south from somewhere above Birmingham

Going east across the toll misses out the ridiculously over trafficed junction near the rac building but ultimately could take longer due to restrictions in speed in the variable part.

Going west generally is my favoured route, howver you may have to deal with the traffic near the RAC building.


I pretty much go the m6 m5 way.

[mat205125]

hman said:

depends where you are leaving from.

Exactly what I thought

[rsole]

I'd go direct - M6 M5. Should be quicker and cheaper.

[hornetrider]

Another tip (may be obvious) would be when heading south on the M5 from where you are - take the M50/A449 and don't head down to the M4/M5 interchange.

[snotrag]

Personally I'd go past Chester, down to Bala, through cut back through towards the Elan valley, then maybe back towards Pembrokshire and along the coast to finish. But thats just me

[hman]

taking in the evo traingle perhaps?

[Allblackdup]

I drove back from Liverpool to Cardiff last saturday afternoon. I went M6, then M5, then M50 down to Newport M4 etc. Traffic was fine all the way, biggest problem was all the 50 mph average speed camera sections on M6, M5 and M4. Just made whole trip that much longer.

[Don Veloci]

Sorry, travelling from Scotland down the M6.

Thanks for the notification of average speed sections. Oh Joy, my soul rejoices.

Will be two of us doing the trip and return in one day splitting the driving.

[OnTheOverrun]

Don Veloci said:

Sorry, travelling from Scotland down the M6.

Thanks for the notification of average speed sections. Oh Joy, my soul rejoices.

Will be two of us doing the trip and return in one day splitting the driving.

M6, M5, M50, A449, M4, A48M.

Easiest and quickest route with no bridge toll.

[jep]

OnTheOverrun said:

Don Veloci said:

Sorry, travelling from Scotland down the M6.

Thanks for the notification of average speed sections. Oh Joy, my soul rejoices.

Will be two of us doing the trip and return in one day splitting the driving.

M6, M5, M50, A449, M4, A48M.

Easiest and quickest route with no bridge toll.

Yup, easiest and definitely the best if it's free of incidents. Watch out for the Specs sections on the M6 from J14 (?) down, and there are frequently mobile Scamera vans on the A40/449 - in particular the Pencraig 50 zone just after Ross-on-Wye. The M4 from Newport to Cardiff is also now Spec'd at 50.

[mercfunder]

Yep, M6,M5, M50,M4 has got to be the easiest route.
Watch out for cash generators (cameras) on M6, M50 and M4.

Nice drive once you get off the M5.

[deeps]

South Wales - rather you than me, be warned they will attempt to relieve you of £60 by all means at their disposal.

[sniff diesel]

Down the A49, it's a nice bit of road when the traffic's not too heavy. Plus you don't have to pay the Severn bridge toll.

[Wattsie]

deeps said:

South Wales - rather you than me, be warned they will attempt to relieve you of £60 by all means at their disposal.

Certainly so - however, I see worse every time I'm in England... Perhaps local knowledge just makes the scumeras fade into the background, I dunno though - Watch for the Talivans in daylight, and Gatsos in the Cardiff roadworks... aaaaand the Specs along the M4 somewhere...

Okay, fine, it is a bit st to the East, but my bit of South Wales is still intact for now