Idiots guide to bank holiday traffic

[Scam]

Sorry for the daft question but being a London resident I don't own a car and all this talk of bank holiday traffic just makes me wonder if it's a bunch of whingeing about nothing or if it really is life-changing

So, thinking of driving away Sat 23rd from west London to Somerset. Is this going to be a nightmare scenario or will it just take a bit longer than Google Maps is optimistically telling me? Am I going to break up with my girlfriend over it? Will it ruin the weekend? Do we have to get up at 4am?

 

[Rroff]

Sorry for the daft question but being a London resident I don't own a car and all this talk of bank holiday traffic just makes me wonder if it's a bunch of whingeing about nothing or if it really is life-changing

So, thinking of driving away Sat 23rd from west London to Somerset. Is this going to be a nightmare scenario or will it just take a bit longer than Google Maps is optimistically telling me? Am I going to break up with my girlfriend over it? Will it ruin the weekend? Do we have to get up at 4am?

Bit of both (moaning and reality) really - A303 will get mental around Stonehenge area typically so being aware of routes around that can be useful.

Depending how far down you are going when you get towards Devon it will probably be bad again.

EDIT: "pro-tip" if you find you need to divert for whatever reason - try to come back on to the A303 at a roundabout or where there is a slip road - if you try to get back on at a junction in bank holiday traffic you can be waiting there quite awhile.

 

[Doobedoo]

Sorry for the daft question but being a London resident I don't own a car and all this talk of bank holiday traffic just makes me wonder if it's a bunch of whingeing about nothing or if it really is life-changing

So, thinking of driving away Sat 23rd from west London to Somerset. Is this going to be a nightmare scenario or will it just take a bit longer than Google Maps is optimistically telling me? Am I going to break up with my girlfriend over it? Will it ruin the weekend? Do we have to get up at 4am?

Where too in Somerset and what time are you setting off. I normally take M5-M4 when going to London, south bound you’ll be alright it’s normally northbound that is the busiest for some strange reason, it’s regularly very busy from Exeter all the way through Bristol especially on a Friday.

 

[ttaskmaster]

NVM

 

[Doobedoo]

Also, the M4 is 50mph limited in various places, for the Smart upgrade, so everyone gets arsey and drives like a *******.

Only on the M5-M4 junction til you get past Bristol and it’s variable depending on traffic which is usually quite busy around that junction.

Their is also roadworks between junction 24/25 and again just after 25 on the m5 as they are carrying out central reservation work although the second set doesn’t have average speed cameras.

 

[ahar]

Take water and food for 2 days.

And a shotgun in case things turn tricky.

 

[Conscript]

RIP.

 

[Doobedoo]

Take water and food for 2 days.

And a shotgun in case things turn tricky.

When in Somerset your shotgun will be no match for our pitchforks .

 

[Scam]

Looking at staying somewhere near Wells, Cheddar... hmn. And we're about 5mins from the M4 in west London. I'm pushing my girlfriend into this and she'd be the one driving. The threat of death-by-girlfriend is quite real if this goes wrong..

 

[iamdjdz]

Go early/late you'll be fine. I'm going to my dad in Oxford and a late night Friday run should be ok (minus any lane closures and there will be many) but not looking forward to the bank holiday Monday drive back that we have to do around lunchtime..

 

[Cookeh]

I've found it can either make zero impact or add 50% to the journey time depending on when you leave. If I leave at say before 0600 I have zero issues and I often best Google's estimates, same thing for after 2000. If I leave around mid-morning to mid-afternoon it is dreadful. Caravans seem to be worse around mid-morning, as opposed to sheer traffic volume at mid-afternoon.

 

[ttaskmaster]

NVM

 

[vanpeebles]

Max Rockatansky stays home on bank holiday weekends.

 

[200sols]

Go early or late basically and its a non issue. Avoid Stonehenge at all costs.

 

[Fubsy]

Have you arrived in Somerset yet?

 

[Semple]

i remember seeing the traffic news on friday for that BH weekend, and it was manic with all the people heading down towards cornwall. Think they were advising about an extra hours worth of traffic.