Driving in England and Journey Times in Google Maps

Soldato
Joined
1 Dec 2003
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I'll be flying to England next week to help out with work for our main site. I've haven't drove in England before and i was just wondering are the journey times sat navs and google maps give accurate? (in general)

my main worry is Friday, where i have to get to stanstead for my flight home. Google maps states:

from Loverock Rd, Reading, Reading, RG30 1DZ to London Stansted Airport, Stansted, Essex: 86.7 mi – about 1 hour 36 mins.

sound about right?
 
Not sure about that route, but google maps has generally been fairly reasonably accurate for me.

For Colchester to Loughborough (for a uni open day ) it says 2hrs 53, and we got there in about 3hrs 10. However, this was with a 1.1l fiesta with an exhaust valve missing 1/4 of its body, thus allowing no compression. This reduced it's already prodigious power a lot, so it was fairly slow ;)
 
Indeed - if it's any time Friday afternoon you'll be making that journey, you could need 3 hours or even 4 to do that journey. There are always accidents on that section of the 25 from the M4, past the M40 and M1. I think it's generally the busiest bit at the best of times, without friday afternoon traffic and accidents.
 
You should be OK with traffic, but you can never tell if there's going to be an accident.

If your flight's at 3, and you need to be there for 2, I'd leave well before 11am. Possibly even 10am. I'd rather be 2 hours early and be able to park up leisurely, and grab a paper and a coffee at the airport than stuck in a traffic jam, bricking it, then having to tank up the M11 at illegal speeds just to get there in time to see the aeroplane taking off!
 
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