Routes To Dover

[Kris H]

Anyone have a view on the best route to Dover and how long it's likely to take from Birmingham/Coventry area? Try to avoid driving in the south east whenever possible so no ideas about this one, despite doing over 20k miles every year for work.

 

Am thinking M40, M25, M26, M20 and then A20. Is there a much better/quicker route than that? M26 then M2?

 

All help and advice greatly appreciated. Looking for the fastest route rather than the most scenic one this time.

 

Kristian

[Mark A]

Kris,

 

i always use the M45, M1, M25 (dartfordcrossing) M20, A20 route.

 

Used to use the M40 way but always found the M25 at Heathrow a nightmare.

 

However what time are you going and coming back. as that is an important part of it.

[Kris H]

Mark

 

Leaving Warwickshire mid morning to aim to get to Dover mid afternoon. What do you reckon?

 

Kristian

[Mark A]

Shouldn't be too bad on the Dartford route, as you are avoiding the 7am-9am rush. It should take approx 3.5 hours, but allow 4.5 to be on the safe side.

[Crash]

Kris,

 

Under normal circumstances the route you described is best, however there's roads works on the M25 near Heathrow at the moment. Got stuck there for an hour last week! Best go the Dartford way...

 

Crash

[avalon]

I spend most working weeks in Kent, commuting back to the Midlands at weekends.

 

The quickest route from B'ham/Coventry is undoubtably M6/M1/M25 over the Dartford crossing and then along the A2/M2 and cut across to the M20.

 

At the present time there are no motorway roadworks along that route, so journey time is purely down to volume of traffic. Its 200 miles so allow 4 hours in daytime.

 

An alternative if the M1/M25 is busy for whatever reason is to leave the M6 after the Rugby turn off (where it joins the M1) and use the A14, which is dual carriageway and then the M11 past Stansted. You then join the M25 only about 20 miles from Dartford. Overall this route is about 25 miles longer but worth it at peak times or if there is any delay or accidents on the M1/M25.

 

The South route M40/M25/M26/M20 looks the most direct on the map but I've always found it takes the longest. As mentioned above the M25 by Heathrow and up to the M3 junction is now (and will be until Jan 06) affected by roadworks as it is being widened to 6 lanes and access roads for the new teminal 5 are constructed. Loads of cameras in the roadworks also. A variable speed limit operates on the rest of that part of the M25 not affected by the roadworks between Heathrow and Leatherhead

[Kris H]

Brilliant - cheers guys - that's probably saved me an hour or two at least, which given my general level of disorganisation, could be important! Still, I gather that as of this morning we have a tent so some progress at least.

 

Kristian