M1 or A1m to go north?
Discussion
Well the swinging clubs makes the a1 a clear winner! Not sure my wife will agree! Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check Google maps on the morning and see if there are any delays on certain routes.
Don't think I'll have time to make the detour suggested at the Penrith end of the journey, we're going to be a bit short for time as it is. I checked it out on Google maps though, does indeed look a good route.
Don't think I'll have time to make the detour suggested at the Penrith end of the journey, we're going to be a bit short for time as it is. I checked it out on Google maps though, does indeed look a good route.
Just to conclude the thread, we went m11, a1m. Wasn't too bad a journey, probably a 45 minute hold up in the a14 roadworks on the way up. Trip back was plain sailing. There's lots of 50 limits with average speed cameras on that route at present.
There sure are a lot of sex shops too! I told my wife that loads of the little chefs were now sex shops, not sure she believed me at first, as soon as we joined the a1m, there was one straight away.
There sure are a lot of sex shops too! I told my wife that loads of the little chefs were now sex shops, not sure she believed me at first, as soon as we joined the a1m, there was one straight away.
vindaloo79 said:
DanielSan said:
Outside of rush hour probably M1, but the A1 is more interesting purely for the random stuff that's by it, from random sex shops to that Art Deco looking services.
The american diner cafe places somewhere near nottingham are actually pretty good too..BigTrak79 said:
vindaloo79 said:
DanielSan said:
Outside of rush hour probably M1, but the A1 is more interesting purely for the random stuff that's by it, from random sex shops to that Art Deco looking services.
The american diner cafe places somewhere near nottingham are actually pretty good too..A1 is far more interesting than the M1. The speed cameras along the M1 now are ridiculous. Drive along it at night and you can see them flashing shed loads of times. My mate got a ticket doing 68 in a reduced limit of 60 area the other week and he's one of most law abiding motorists around
The Mad Monk said:
Drive at the speed limit plus no more than 10%; stop calling 'cameras' 'scameras'; and you will be fine.
refer you to the other punter with the 68 in the 60 ....was it a 70 and then flicked to a 60 and so he got caught .... . its that confusion that is the scam imho 3nduro said:
The Mad Monk said:
Drive at the speed limit plus no more than 10%; stop calling 'cameras' 'scameras'; and you will be fine.
refer you to the other punter with the 68 in the 60 ....was it a 70 and then flicked to a 60 and so he got caught .... . its that confusion that is the scam imho "Drive at the speed limit"
I think you will find that everything hinges upon those few words.
Any road, I have now said the same thing three times to you, so I am going to shut up. (For a little while).
Bit of a thread resurrection
I'm now doing the SW London to Newcastle gig fairly regularly. No real things to add on alternatives to the M1 other than it's very time dependent. Later is better.
But, is there any feasible way to avoid the entire Sheffield / Doncaster / Leeds / York conurbation because other than late night travelling it f
ks me every time especially coming south on a Friday evening.
I'm not especially bothered about being any faster than sitting in the muck, but if the journey must take 7.5 hrs rather than 5 hrs I'd rather spend it doing 50-100 miles of A/B roads en route and drop out into Leicestershire somewhere. Having tried it a couple of times it seems every alternative either ends up with having to cross the Humber estuary, run the gauntlet of the M62 which seems to have been having a crash since it was built, or you end up in Bradford, Sheffield or Derby.
I'm now doing the SW London to Newcastle gig fairly regularly. No real things to add on alternatives to the M1 other than it's very time dependent. Later is better.
But, is there any feasible way to avoid the entire Sheffield / Doncaster / Leeds / York conurbation because other than late night travelling it f
ks me every time especially coming south on a Friday evening.I'm not especially bothered about being any faster than sitting in the muck, but if the journey must take 7.5 hrs rather than 5 hrs I'd rather spend it doing 50-100 miles of A/B roads en route and drop out into Leicestershire somewhere. Having tried it a couple of times it seems every alternative either ends up with having to cross the Humber estuary, run the gauntlet of the M62 which seems to have been having a crash since it was built, or you end up in Bradford, Sheffield or Derby.
I’ve often diverted onto the M18 up to the M62 then back over to the A1(M) or vice versa to avoid the Doncaster bypass and that works quite well.
Once I took a trip to Sunderland and due to an accident on the A1 found myself heading up the A15 via Lincoln, then over the Humber Bridge past Hull then up to Beverley, Wetwang, Milton, Pickering and across the moors on the A169 towards Whitby then over to the A19 via the A174. It took ages but it was a pleasant run off the usual motorway run.
I’d be tempted to do the same out of choice but maybe get to Lincoln via the A46 before hitting the rural roads. Not for a couple of months though right now, as North Yorkshire CC have decided to go on a surface dressing binge on many of the routes mentioned over the moors.
Quite often I’ve used the M1 and jumped across to the A1 using the A46, which is quiet until you get to the Newark Bypass, but you can miss the worst by cutting up to the A1 past the sugar beet works and via South Muskham, then stop for a quick coffee at the OK Diner just a couple of miles up the A1.
Personally I prefer the A1 over the M1 mainly for being a bit more interesting and quieter, at least south of Doncaster. I do like driving the hilly and bendy section of the A1 between the Doncaster Bypass and Ferrybridge but only when it is quiet - often that’s been 9pm on a Friday night run to Teesside when most people have got where they need to be.
Once I took a trip to Sunderland and due to an accident on the A1 found myself heading up the A15 via Lincoln, then over the Humber Bridge past Hull then up to Beverley, Wetwang, Milton, Pickering and across the moors on the A169 towards Whitby then over to the A19 via the A174. It took ages but it was a pleasant run off the usual motorway run.
I’d be tempted to do the same out of choice but maybe get to Lincoln via the A46 before hitting the rural roads. Not for a couple of months though right now, as North Yorkshire CC have decided to go on a surface dressing binge on many of the routes mentioned over the moors.
Quite often I’ve used the M1 and jumped across to the A1 using the A46, which is quiet until you get to the Newark Bypass, but you can miss the worst by cutting up to the A1 past the sugar beet works and via South Muskham, then stop for a quick coffee at the OK Diner just a couple of miles up the A1.
Personally I prefer the A1 over the M1 mainly for being a bit more interesting and quieter, at least south of Doncaster. I do like driving the hilly and bendy section of the A1 between the Doncaster Bypass and Ferrybridge but only when it is quiet - often that’s been 9pm on a Friday night run to Teesside when most people have got where they need to be.
Whilst in general I'd always preferred the A1 to the M1, no particular reason, I think there is no always correct answer to this question.
The only thing I can say is if travelling times are not completely free so not got the option of very late/very early hours have a good check of the travel situation before setting off, keep an ear out for travel bulletins, and have a sufficient mental map of the network so if you get notice of a problem then you can head off on an early diversion and not get mixed up in all the other traffic diverting on roads nearer to the problem. Sometimes you can come unstuck with that system, in that you take an early diversion only to find that the problem would have cleared in time.
The only thing I can say is if travelling times are not completely free so not got the option of very late/very early hours have a good check of the travel situation before setting off, keep an ear out for travel bulletins, and have a sufficient mental map of the network so if you get notice of a problem then you can head off on an early diversion and not get mixed up in all the other traffic diverting on roads nearer to the problem. Sometimes you can come unstuck with that system, in that you take an early diversion only to find that the problem would have cleared in time.
I use the old A1/Gt North Road frequently - it starts near Ferrybridge and you can follow the route all the way to Barton , nr Scotch Corner. It alternates between fast , empty dual carriageway for the first few miles to fast A roads (primarily A168/A6055 ) with two slow villages (Micklefield and Aberford ) en route. It is slower than A1M , except when it's really busy , but so much more interesting and enjoyable.
I have written a guide for my car club magazine on the exact route - pm me and you are very welcome to have it
This is what it looks like -
I have written a guide for my car club magazine on the exact route - pm me and you are very welcome to have it
This is what it looks like -
Thank you both for those last 2 comments. The mental map is what I'm essentially asking for a shortcut to 
I've got it down pat south of Nottingham but the rest is new.
The A46 seems to be a little known gem, I only need to use the M1 for about half a mile when I use that option. It's not for daylight hours though as the A1 end of it is 50 miles of truck racing.
I've got it down pat south of Nottingham but the rest is new. The A46 seems to be a little known gem, I only need to use the M1 for about half a mile when I use that option. It's not for daylight hours though as the A1 end of it is 50 miles of truck racing.
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