M4/M25 During Rush Hour

zom247 · 29 Jan 2017 at 11:29

I've got to go to Tunbridge Wells tomorrow morning and have to be there for 1015 hrs. Google maps is quoting a journey time of 2 hrs 15 mins (as of now) but I know there'll be congestion for rush hour and I'll be going along the M4 and then round the M25. I'm thinking of setting off at 0630 hrs and hoping this will give me enough time to get there. Is this a good time to set off or am I cutting it fine? I know I can't predict accidents etc but hopefully 3 1/2 hrs should suffice!

kitfit1 · 29 Jan 2017 at 11:36

In my experience any journey involving the M25, M4 or the M40 for that matter always needs at least an hour added to any time a sat nav gives me.

benjii · 29 Jan 2017 at 11:41

kitfit1 said:
In my experience any journey involving the M25, M4 or the M40 for that matter always needs at least an hour added to any time a sat nav gives me.

Definitely this. It's not uncommon to come to a complete standstill on the M4/M25.

andicole0 · 29 Jan 2017 at 11:43

M25 is so unpredictable.
Where do you need to get to in TW. The normal route, M25-A21 is also troubled on the A21 between Tonbridge and Pembury.
Options are to go off the M25 at the the M23 and just passed Gatwick turn off to
East Grinstead then follow A264 to TW.
Alternatively turn off the A21 at Tonbridge and follow the A26.
Traffic will be bad as it always is in this part of the world.
Have you thought of coming down Sunday and staying in a Travelodge or similar?
Andi.

NoobCannon · 29 Jan 2017 at 11:44

100% add an extra hour onto travel time

nutcase · 29 Jan 2017 at 12:26

kitfit1 said:
In my experience any journey involving the M25, M4 or the M40 for that matter always needs at least an hour added to any time a sat nav gives me.

Agreed. Shocking over-filled road in rush "hour".

Dirk Diggler · 29 Jan 2017 at 12:30

zom247 said:
I've got to go to Tunbridge Wells tomorrow morning and have to be there for 1015 hrs. Google maps is quoting a journey time of 2 hrs 15 mins (as of now) but I know there'll be congestion for rush hour and I'll be going along the M4 and then round the M25. I'm thinking of setting off at 0630 hrs and hoping this will give me enough time to get there. Is this a good time to set off or am I cutting it fine? I know I can't predict accidents etc but hopefully 3 1/2 hrs should suffice!

If you're not there by 10:15, will you be angry?

Terminal_Boy · 29 Jan 2017 at 12:32

Another vote for adding an hour to navigation system estimates.

zom247 · 29 Jan 2017 at 12:59

String said:
If you're not there by 10:15, will you be angry?

Cheesed off cos I'm going to see a consultant and it's taken me ages to get an appt with him.

Dirk Diggler · 29 Jan 2017 at 13:02

zom247 said:
Cheesed off cos I'm going to see a consultant and it's taken me ages to get an appt with him.

Then you'll at least be geographically well placed to submit a complaint, preferably to a national newspaper in the form of a written letter.

Every cloud and all that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disgusted_of_Tunbridge_Wells

coolsurfer · 29 Jan 2017 at 13:06

Add an hour

Uther · 29 Jan 2017 at 13:27

Add at least an hour. It's horrible.

Jimbeam3678 · 29 Jan 2017 at 13:49

zom247 said:
I've got to go to Tunbridge Wells tomorrow morning and have to be there for 1015 hrs. Google maps is quoting a journey time of 2 hrs 15 mins (as of now) but I know there'll be congestion for rush hour and I'll be going along the M4 and then round the M25. I'm thinking of setting off at 0630 hrs and hoping this will give me enough time to get there. Is this a good time to set off or am I cutting it fine? I know I can't predict accidents etc but hopefully 3 1/2 hrs should suffice!

Change time on google maps to when you want to arrive and it will tell you when to set off. Pretty simple to do :confused:

NickK · 29 Jan 2017 at 14:13

benjii said:
Definitely this. It's not uncommon to come to a complete standstill on the M4/M25.

Also the A21 and M23 aren't great either. Resign to attempting to get around the bottom of london before 0700 then factor in the time to get to that boom 0700.. but I tend to set off early and prefer being there early than risk being late. It's likely a 0530 start is needed.

High probability of standing traffic after 0700 on the M25.

Rroff · 29 Jan 2017 at 14:17

M25 is just utterly unpredictable - my most recent journeys (A303->M3->M25->destination) IIRC were something like 9 minutes shorter than expected, ~17 minutes and ~20 minutes longer than expected and one at an hour and a half longer - most of the delay going that way was the M25.

zom247 · 29 Jan 2017 at 14:23

Jimbeam3678 said:
Change time on google maps to when you want to arrive and it will tell you when to set off. Pretty simple to do

Cheers, didn't know you could do that, not a prolific user of google maps

Tells me to set off at 0620 hrs.

scorza · 29 Jan 2017 at 14:35

Can't speak for the M4, but the M25 isn't actually that bad unless there an accident/lane closures. Yes there'll be congestion, but it generally moves at a reasonable average speed and you don't lose as much time as you think overall. I'd suggest leaving an extra couple of hours and stopping for a long breakfast at Cobham services if you're going to be early.

craptakular · 29 Jan 2017 at 14:53

Leave at 6am. I travel along the M20, M25 and M23 frequently and it is usually busy, if there is an accident, even if it is on the hard shoulder add 1-2 hours on to your journey.

Jimbeam3678 · 29 Jan 2017 at 15:27

zom247 said:
Cheers, didn't know you could do that, not a prolific user of google maps Tells me to set off at 0620 hrs.

No problem I use it quite frequently and it's surprising accurate although when you think about how much info Google must have on people maybe its not

Spuj · 29 Jan 2017 at 19:45

The M4 can get quite crappy around Swindon and Reading too so leaving earlier is definitely a good call. The A350 from Chippenham up to the Motorway should be ok at that the time you are planning to leave.