Best way to the M3?

[akc74]

Google maps says to go over Vauxhall Bridge and west along the river, join the M4, then get the M25 back down to the M3.

Is that really the best way?! Leaving at 7.30/8pm on a Friday night if that helps!

[Jeremy]

You could go through Clapham/Putney/Richmond and pick up the A316 - it's a more direct route, but I think the traffic would be heavier.

[annaj]

Tricky. I know both routes fairly well as my parents used to live off the M4 and now live off the M3 (in towns, obviously, not just on the hard shoulder)

For the M3 I do the South Circular and A316 route - Clapham, Putney, East Sheen, Richmond, Twickenham, M3. It's fine when the traffic is fine and awful when it's not. Friday evening will be nearer the awful end of the scale.

The Vauxhall Bridge and embankment route to the M4 is usually ok, even on a Friday, but the M4 will be busy and so will the M25.

I think, on balance, I'd do the South Circular and accept that you might sit in East Sheen for a while...

Good luck.

[Kes]

Hi, we did exactly this last Friday leaving about 7pm, we went south circular then A3 you can then do M25 M3 but as we were going all the way to Devon we followed the A3 as far as Guildford then A31, A331 up to the M3. In daylight its a nice drive over the hogs back!

K

[Dorothy]

I do this journey about once a month and the quickest way is South Circ to Clapham South, Nightingale Lane, Bolingbroke Grove, South Circ through Wandsworth (can be a 'mare but extensive investigation has never come up with much of a way round it!) take left hand fork in the road to Kingston/A3 rather than right hand fork to Putney/Richmond. A3 for a few miles. If you need J1 of the M3 turn off at Robin Hood roundabout go through Kingston I think its the A308 (M3 signposted from hereon), over Kingston Bridge, Hampton Court, etc past the racecourse and on to J1 at Sunbury.

If you need J3 onwards, don't turn off at Robin Hood roundabout. Carry on on A3, all the way to Wisley interchange with the M25 (head for Heathrow). If M25 is ok, its only 2 junctions, about 10 minutes, before you join the M3 at J3.

[felt-tip]

I do this journey alot and Dorothy's route is probably the quickest but it all depends on the traffic and knowing all of them above means you can chop and change. my experience they are all pretty much of a muchness. sometimes i even go down the Purley Way and then join the M25 there and to get to the M3 junction only takes an hour from ED. dont go the Vauxhall Bridge route though - thats really slow.

[RobMiller]

I'd definitely use Kes' route. A3 to Guildford, then the A31 to Winchester where you reach the M3. It's always worked out best for us. You can get to the A3 from Wimbledon and avoid the worst bits of the South Circular.

[ClareC]

And you can get from Clapham to Wimbledon pretty quick (15 mins) using the road that runs parallel with the A3 / South circular, cant remember the road number but you turn right at Clapham South tube :-)

[Huguenot]

Yes, the south circular is an absolute nightmare around and beyond clapham.

If you were up the north end of ED and wanted to be congestion free I'd go...

Half Moon Lane, Norwood Road, at Tulse Hill A205 west towards Streatham. Straight across A23, third left into New Town Road. Follow this straight onto Emmanuel Road and Fernlea Road to Balham Station.

Straight across Balham High Road. First left, first righ into Dendy Road, leading onto Ravenslea Road and finally to Nightingale Lane. Turn left and follow the road down, over Trinity Road onto Burntwood Lane.

At the end turn left onto Garratt Lane, right onto Summerstown Road and right onto Plough Lane (past the old Wimbledon Footie stadium). At the end of Plough Lane go straight over Durnsford Road onto Gap Road. Follow this and take 3rd left onto Alexandra Road (just over the railway).

Follow Alexandra Road all the way down into Wimbledon town centre. At Wimbledon Hill Road turn right, first left onto Worple Road. Go down to the gyratory and follow this round. On the opposite side will be Combe Lane and signposted for A3.

At the A3 go soutbound until you reach the Kingston bypass, come off the A3 here following Kinston Bypass, probably signposted A309 to Hampton Court Palace.

Follow this until you go past East Molesey Station, ovr the Thames, where on the other side Hampton Court Palace will be on your right, but you'll turn immediately left onto Hampton Court Road. Follow this as it turns into Upper Sunbury Road and the Staines Road pas the Kempton Park Racecourse.

About half a mile after the racecourse there'll be a major roundabout where you'll turn left onto the M3.

Yay!

[Dorothy]

"I'd definitely use Kes' route. A3 to Guildford, then the A31 to Winchester where you reach the M3. It's always worked out best for us. You can get to the A3 from Wimbledon and avoid the worst bits of the South Circular."

What happens if the op needs to get on the M3 before Winchester?

[zephyr]

I regularly go to Southampton and have done for years and use a variety of routes there and back depending on traffic conditions.

Outside of busy hours, the vauxhall bridge to A4/M4 then M25 to M3 is the quickest (quicker coming back)

Other times I head to Tooting, Wimbledon to the A3 then either

1. onto the M25 then the M3

or

2. to the A31 all the way to the M3

The above depends on the state of the M25 when I get there

Sort of depends where along the M3 you want to get to.

[RobMiller]

Dorothy: turn right at Winchester, rather than left :)

Or, just join the M25 when the A3 meets it.

[Dorothy]

And what if op wants J1 or J2 of the M3?

Winchester is something like 8 or 9 iirc? Seems a bit daft to drive all the way to Winchester (granted, a lovely ride along the Hogs Back et al) when you actually want junctions 1 - 7 [:))

[DaveR]

Follow Huguenot's directions up to Plough Lane. Turn left into Haydon's Road, right at the bottom into Merton High Street (A238), follow the signs to the A3. Then M25 to M3 - generally not too bad on that section.

[Sue]

The traffic's often less bad on a Friday evening because people leave work early so it peaks earlier than on weekday nights.

[oilworker]

I did this journey every Monday morning for two years - Hugenots route is spot on for rush hour travelling and is the safest bet- a more direct route through streatham, tooting Colliers Wood and past South Wimbledon tube (often Bottle necked in Rush hour!!) then Wimbledon Chase is applicable for non-rush hour.

[AcedOut]

Kes' route +1