Xmas Drive to Cumbria Advice

[Biker 1]

Driving from Gatwick area to digs a few miles from Carlisle for Christmas.
M23, M25, M40, M6 toll, M6.
The plan is to drive up on 23rd, return on 26th.
Assuming it doesn't snow & there is no major storm, what time of day does the PH Massive think I should attempt this rather grim looking road trip?

[mmm-five]

I've regularly (about 4 times a year) done the M25 J15 (M4) > M40 > M42 > M6 Toll > M6 > M6 J36 for Kendal South in around 4 hours (off peak though), so you may be able to simply add your normal time from Gatwick area to Heathrow junction (say 40 minutes?) then another hour for the Kendal South to Carlisle bit...so a total of around 6 hours with a short comfort break or two?

If the M40 has an accident on it, or it's slow due to bad weather then I've also carried on the M25 to the M1 > M6 > M42 > M6 Toll > M6...and it didn't seem to add any significant time to the journey.

Edited by mmm-five on Wednesday 3rd December 19:37

[ianrb]

Do you know that the M6 around Penrith will be closed on the first 2 weekends in January?

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/incr...

[mmm-five]

ianrb said:

Do you know that the M6 around Penrith will be closed on the first 2 weekends in January?

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/incr...

I didn't, but neither I, nor the OP are intending to travel up there on those dates - but each time I did any trips up there (March, July & September) north of the M58 there have been some intermittent 40/50mph speed restrictions for work on the M6.

National Highways said:

M6 J36 near Kendal
Monday 17 November to Thursday 4 December 2025

• one lane (of three) closed round-the-clock (24 hours)
• overnight lane and slip road closures
• the first phase is both directions with a speed limit of 50mph through works

Friday 5 December 2025 to Monday 19 January 2026

• northbound carriageway daytime and overnight lane closures
• entry slip road closures

Tuesday 6 January to Wednesday 18 March 2026

• one lane (of three) closed round-the-clock (24 hours)
• the third phase is southbound only with a speed limit of 50mph through works
• we'll install temporary barriers during the scheme

When we need to close junction 36 slip roads, we'll put signed diversions in place.

https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/north-west/north-west-maintenance-schemes/

Edited by mmm-five on Wednesday 3rd December 19:46

[TVR Sagaris]

Regularly go from London to Kendal using the M40, M6 toll, and M6 and past London it's usually fine. It'll obviously be quieter later at night if that's an option for you.

[Biker 1]

I was hoping to do most of the trip in daylight. So allowing for 7 hours would mean leaving around 8am & hitting the M25 at 8.30. Tricky to predict the traffic given the dates. Is the traffic as crap around Birmingham & Manchester as the M25?

[MOMACC]

It's terrible around Birmingham

Manchester isn't horrific but it can be bad

I'd leave at 9am

[TVR Sagaris]

No, the M25 congestion is unique to London. If you use the toll you'll avoid Birmingham traffic and the M6 is disconnected enough from Manchester that it doesn't seem to get backed up there, either.

For reference, if it takes me six hours to do London to Kendal it's been a very slow trip, and that's coming from very very central London. On good days it's under five hours. I appreciate you're coming from further south and going further north, but a big chunk of my trip is just getting out of London.

ETA the last few times I've done this there's been major roadworks at the start of the M42 which have been a big pain.

Edited by TVR Sagaris on Wednesday 3rd December 22:18

[Biker 1]

MOMACC said:

It's terrible around Birmingham

Manchester isn't horrific but it can be bad

I'd leave at 9am

I'll hold you to that & report back if/when I make it!

[JQ]

I'd stick it in Waze two mins before I set off and let it calculate the fastest route based on current traffic conditions and let it re-route me past any issues that occur whilst enroute.

Absolutely infuriates my wife that I use Waze for almost every journey despite knowing the route needed 95% of the time, but the real time traffic updates have been a lifesaver on occasion.

If wanting to know in advance a journey time, I'll stick it in Google Maps and adjust for the date and time I'll be travelling, tends to be fairly accurate, but only provides a range rather than exact journey time.

[andyalan10]

JQ said:

I'd stick it in Waze two mins before I set off and let it calculate the fastest route based on current traffic conditions and let it re-route me past any issues that occur whilst enroute.

Absolutely, checking in real time is key. I've done South London to North Yorkshire via the M40 before now because of real time information on severe hold ups on the A1M and M1.

Also be prepared for the 26th to be a lot worse than the 23rd. People hitting the sales, visiting friends and relatives, and returning home will all be on the road. And for those saying only the M25 will be bad, you've never done the M6 between Lancashire and the M6 toll on Boxing Day have you? Adding 1-2 hours to a 2 hour journey wouldn't be a surprise.

In fact I've just looked at the journey I have done in the past, North Lancashire to just south of Birmingham. Middle of a weekday afternoon (now), just over 3 hours for 130 miles, all bar 3 or 4 miles on Motorway. An average speed of 42 mph.

Sorry to p155 on your bonfire, but at least you can prepare by packing board games, emergency rations, flares and the like.

[Freakuk]

I live in Staffs and travel to Scotland occasionally so know that stretch well.

Main bottlenecks from M6 Junction 14 upwards will likely be

Knutsford services/interchange onto the M56 towards Mcr Airport
Thelwall viaduct all the way through to the M62 junction
Leyland - Preston and where the M61 joins, usually the worst bit
M55 Blackpool can sometimes be an issue

Once you get beyond that things start to ease up the further north you go.

[Skodillac]

So long as the A66 isn't walloped with snow, I'd go M40, A46, M69, M1, M18, A1(M), A66.

This is my regular route from Berkshire to south west Scotland, it avoids all the Birmingham and M6 nonsense entirely and is usually far more pleasant.

[Biker 1]

Skodillac said:

So long as the A66 isn't walloped with snow, I'd go M40, A46, M69, M1, M18, A1(M), A66.

This is my regular route from Berkshire to south west Scotland, it avoids all the Birmingham and M6 nonsense entirely and is usually far more pleasant.

Blimey, that's food for thought!
Thanks for all the other good info from others too.
Amazing what you learn on PH

[GSA_fattie]

i'd go up the M1 to the A50 then across to the M6
its 9/10 the way i always go to and from London these days
M40 is a pain around Oxford junc 9, around Warwick then where it splits with M42
M42 is slow due to HS2 works
Everything else is as already mentioned on the M6
look out for overbridge cameras just before Kendal turnoff M6 and between junc 36 and 37 M6 just as you go over the top of the hill
rail bridge works are a pain as well just before penrith
as already mentioned, go all the way up the M1/A1 to the A66 or even the A69 and then across, very scenic

[Mr Squarekins]

This is Pistonheads. 2 hours door to door

[TVR Sagaris]

GSA_fattie said:

i'd go up the M1 to the A50 then across to the M6
its 9/10 the way i always go to and from London these days
M40 is a pain around Oxford junc 9, around Warwick then where it splits with M42
M42 is slow due to HS2 works
Everything else is as already mentioned on the M6
look out for overbridge cameras just before Kendal turnoff M6 and between junc 36 and 37 M6 just as you go over the top of the hill
rail bridge works are a pain as well just before penrith
as already mentioned, go all the way up the M1/A1 to the A66 or even the A69 and then across, very scenic

Agree with all the info about the slow M42 at the moment, and bridge cameras on M6, but I still prefer the M40 to the M1. Coming out of London, the M1 always seems to be really busy and for some reason, in contrast to the M40, has absolutely shocking lane discipline. It also has long sections with average speed cameras. Just an awful bit of motorway now - whereas most of the M40 still tends to be free flowing and fast.

[Skodillac]

Biker 1 said:

Skodillac said:

So long as the A66 isn't walloped with snow, I'd go M40, A46, M69, M1, M18, A1(M), A66.

This is my regular route from Berkshire to south west Scotland, it avoids all the Birmingham and M6 nonsense entirely and is usually far more pleasant.

Blimey, that's food for thought!
Thanks for all the other good info from others too.
Amazing what you learn on PH

It's a couple more miles, but can be faster when the M6 is buggered. Even when it isn't though, my route is only a few minutes longer. And it's so much prettier, with more options for non-motorway service station food and fuel. If you haven't used the A1(M) Doncaster to Scotch Corner recently, prepare to be amazed. IMHO it's the best motorway in the country now, in terms of traffic conditions, surface quality and lack of smart motorway gubbins.

But don't tell anyone or they'll all be doing it.

[Mammasaid]

Skodillac said:

It's a couple more miles, but can be faster when the M6 is buggered. Even when it isn't though, my route is only a few minutes longer. And it's so much prettier, with more options for non-motorway service station food and fuel. If you haven't used the A1(M) Doncaster to Scotch Corner recently, prepare to be amazed. IMHO it's the best motorway in the country now, in terms of traffic conditions, surface quality and lack of smart motorway gubbins.

But don't tell anyone or they'll all be doing it.

I agree with all that, however in winter in the A66 is prone to closure (wind, snow, etc) and when you arrive at Bowes and the A66 is shut Westbound, then you're faced with a large diversion via the A67, A68 & A69. (It was fun one year when there was 2ft drifts going through Tow Law up to Corbridge in a 1.2 Corsa!)

[Skodillac]

Mammasaid said:

Skodillac said:

It's a couple more miles, but can be faster when the M6 is buggered. Even when it isn't though, my route is only a few minutes longer. And it's so much prettier, with more options for non-motorway service station food and fuel. If you haven't used the A1(M) Doncaster to Scotch Corner recently, prepare to be amazed. IMHO it's the best motorway in the country now, in terms of traffic conditions, surface quality and lack of smart motorway gubbins.

But don't tell anyone or they'll all be doing it.

I agree with all that, however in winter in the A66 is prone to closure (wind, snow, etc) and when you arrive at Bowes and the A66 is shut Westbound, then you're faced with a large diversion via the A67, A68 & A69. (It was fun one year when there was 2ft drifts going through Tow Law up to Corbridge in a 1.2 Corsa!)

Er, yes, see my original post on the matter which mentions this propensity.