Milton Keynes - Stansted rush hour estimate

[Amateurish]

Hi, I need to get to Stansted for 9am latest on Thursday, normal route M1, M25, M11. Will I have to set off at stupid o'clock to miss the rush hour? M1 seems mental southbound at those times normally.

eta clarity

Edited by Amateurish on Monday 6th June 08:22

[funkyrobot]

I would have gone by now if I was you.

[Amateurish]

funkyrobot said:

I would have gone by now if I was you.

Too true

[Jw Vw]

Leaving at 6am should be enough time if the latest you need to be there is 9?

[sleep envy]

Amateurish said:

normal route M1, M25, M11

any reasons why you drive 3 sides of the square?

[Liquid Knight]

sleep envy said:

Amateurish said:

normal route M1, M25, M11

any reasons why you drive 3 sides of the square?

Because he likes the Greg James show?

Allow at least seven hours or take a Taxi and it'll only be two.

[sleep envy]

Liquid Knight said:

Allow at least seven hours or take a Taxi and it'll only be two.

[Amateurish]

sleep envy said:

Amateurish said:

normal route M1, M25, M11

any reasons why you drive 3 sides of the square?

Normally the motorway route would be much faster than the cross country route, but if you know from experience that direct is quicker during rush hour then I'll try that.

[Mr Gearchange]

Don't do that route - the roadwork on the M1 from MK - the hell that is the M25 - plus the usual amount of accidents on the M11.

I'd cut across from Luton - Hatfield.
Then A414 to Hertford.
Then A10.
Then A120.

Thats the way I go from Northampton.

[Cyder]

A421 -> Bedford
A603 -> Sandy
A1 -> Baldock
A507 -> Buntingford
A11 - > Standon
A120 -> Stansted


(Or you can substitute A603/A1 with
A600 -> Shefford
A507 -> Buntingford

This may be quicker)

[STW2010]

Cyder said:

A421 -> Bedford
A603 -> Sandy
A1 -> Baldock
A507 -> Buntingford
A11 - > Standon
A120 -> Stansted


(Or you can substitute A603/A1 with
A600 -> Shefford
A507 -> Buntingford

This may be quicker)

This is a pretty much the route that I would do, and I live somewhere between MK and Northampton.

My route would be-

A421 -> Bedford
A6 or A600 -> A507
A507 -> Baldock
A507 -> Buntingford
A10 -> Puckeridge/Standon (is this what you meant Cyder?)
A120 -> Stansted

So the substituted route as above, it is pretty quick and you should hit minimal traffic.

[Amateurish]

Cheers guys

Any guestimates as to time for that cross country route?

[STW2010]

About 2 hours max on a clear run, so allow 3 hours (I know I said 'minimal traffic', but it's best to be safe)

[Man from UNCLE]

Don't bother going out the way to Bedford, I always go straight across the 507. I live in the Stansted area & it always takes me an hour from MK, add on 30 mins for rush hour so 1.5 hours max I'd say.

[Cyder]

STW2010, Yep, that's what I meant.

Man from UNCLE, A507 isn't too bad a road, although there's more chance of getting stuck in traffic on there than on the A421.

When I commuted up the A507 around Ampthill everyday the traffic was often quite bad.

There's only about 1 mile difference between using A421/A600 and A507 as well.

[Man from UNCLE]

Depends where you live in MK I guess, I was mainly passing through from elsewhere so the 507 is a natural option & I used to avoid the M1 junction by going through Aspley Guise. Only ever used to take an hour, half hour from leaving MK to Baldock & half hour from there to Stansted.

[eltawater]

• J13 M1

A421 -> Bedford
A600 -> Shefford

• A507 -> Baldock

A507 -> Buntingford
A10 -> Puckeridge/Standon

• A120 -> Stansted

^^^^^^^ this route.

A421 @70mph beats the pants off the A507 with its multitude of roundabouts clogging up.
Take the A600 instead of the A6 and you will avoid the Clophill roundabout congestion, although it can get busy at shefford.

• are your congestion pinch points, so allow extra time for them.

A507 Baldock crossroads can get busy as you're passing by the station, and if you're unlucky you'll get stuck behind someone doing 40 in the NSL between Baldock and Buntingford.

Allow at least 20 minutes to get through the A120 little hadham traffic lights at that time in the morning.

Scamera van favourite locations are:
A600, Cotton end around the bend in the 30mph zone
A507, various points, van likes to sit in the laybys and point way way down the long road as people scream down the middle to overtake.
A120, Standon, parked in the laybys both tips of the hill
A120, approaching junction with Bishops Stortford Tescos

Give yourself 2 and a half hours to be safe.

[Cyder]

eltawater said:

* J13 M1
A421 -> Bedford
A600 -> Shefford

• A507 -> Baldock

A507 -> Buntingford
A10 -> Puckeridge/Standon

• A120 -> Stansted

^^^^^^^ this route.

A421 @70mph beats the pants off the A507 with its multitude of roundabouts clogging up.
Take the A600 instead of the A6 and you will avoid the Clophill roundabout congestion, although it can get busy at shefford.

• are your congestion pinch points, so allow extra time for them.

A507 Baldock crossroads can get busy as you're passing by the station, and if you're unlucky you'll get stuck behind someone doing 40 in the NSL between Baldock and Buntingford.

Allow at least 20 minutes to get through the A120 little hadham traffic lights at that time in the morning.

Scamera van favourite locations are:
A600, Cotton end around the bend in the 30mph zone
A507, various points, van likes to sit in the laybys and point way way down the long road as people scream down the middle to overtake.
A120, Standon, parked in the laybys both tips of the hill
A120, approaching junction with Bishops Stortford Tescos

Give yourself 2 and a half hours to be safe.

My thinking too.

[Amateurish]

Cheers guys. So 2.5 hours direct is definitely quicker than the motorway route?

[STW2010]

I would prefer to walk than take the M1/M25/M11 route! Ok, maybe not. But yes, the cross-country route is much better