Swindon to Stevenage tomorrow rush hour - Best route?

[Pulse]

I'm wondering if hitting the M25 is going to be a very silly idea... Any ideas?

I'd be setting off from Swindon at 8.15, and need to be there for 12. I know that's a lot of time to allow, but I want to make sure I'm there on time.

Would it be best to peg it cross country (bearing in mind I'll be in the Corsa) or would I be OK on the M4/M25/M1? I'll be hitting the M25 at about 9.15 I guess.

[s1rallyemark]

did thisis last week and it took just over 2hours to get to the stevenge junction on the a1m, could have been lucky. i left at 7.30 though

[G Man]

I do this route a lot ... go A420 to Oxford A34 North to M40, to M25 Junc21 follow the A405?? North Orbital road to Hatfield and up the A1M

Its a 2 hrs trip unless the traffic is a nightmare

[Zed Ed]

Fab; 2 of Britain's most woeful towns, respect.

[mig25_foxbat2003]

I wish I'd seen this yesterday, how did you get on?

I do Aldsworth (near Burford) to Stevenage each Monday morning. I tried the M25 route once - never again.

If you enjoy driving and you need to do this trip again, may I suggest Swindon --> Lechlade --> Burford --> Chipping Norton --> Buckingham on the Deddington road --> Newton Longville --> Toddington --> Barton Le Clay --> Hitchin --> Steven-hate.

If you leave at 6am you'll be there by 8:45, the only place you'll sit in any kind of traffic is Hitchin (15 minutes if you hit it between 8 and 8:30) and you'll enjoy some cracking (if bumpy) B-roads and some great scenery. The Burford to Chipping Norton leg, in particular, is an absolute corker. Just don't let your satnav take you anywhere near Dunstable or Luton.

HTH, let me know how you get on.

Russell

[Pulse]

It wasn't too bad. Took me about 2 1/2 hours going M25, even with the ridiculous traffic on the M4.

[plenty]

mig25_foxbat2003 said:

If you enjoy driving and you need to do this trip again, may I suggest Swindon --> Lechlade --> Burford --> Chipping Norton --> Buckingham on the Deddington road --> Newton Longville --> Toddington --> Barton Le Clay --> Hitchin --> Steven-hate.

That's a very good call. Also could consider Wantage to Didcot to Wallingford, B4009 to Tring, B489 and cut through the country roads up to Barton, over to Hitchin on the B655 and then down to Stevenage. Probably wouldn't be much quicker than a rush-hour motorway fun but oh so much more enjoyable.