re avoiding central london

[sunskippy10]

Hi

I am driving from north England on sunday and want to avoid driving through central london where my sat nav takes me. Any ideeas of best way to get back to East Dul ? My sat nav only fives option to avoid toll roads sadly not avoid middle of london ? Thank you

[nunhead_man]

Come down the east side of London - various options on a Sunday including

a) through the City and over London Bridge or Tower Bridge (check for openings)

b) through Rotherhithe tunnel but look out for works / closures

c) M25 / M11 Blackwall Tunnel but look out for works / closures

d) M25 / Dartford Crossing (toll) and back in via New Cross and back route to Kings on the Rye etc

[sunskippy10]

Thank you. I will have a wee look incase of closures etc

. Last time it took 3 hours to drive up north and 5 to get back - .

[Penguin68]

If you are driving from the North West come down via the M6 to Birmingham and then the M40 through Oxford and onto the M25 either to the M4 and to ED via Earls Court and cross the river at Battersea Bridge or divert to cross the river at Kew and thus to ED on the South Circular or stay on the M25 and come up via the A23 and Croydon, longer but completely avoids the centre.

[nunhead_man]

Check out the RAC route planner on-line?

[ruffers]

Where in the North?

I do this a fair amount, last Sunday M40 A40 to Shepherds Bush way then over and through Battersea South Circular.

Google maps these days is really good, it updates the best route as it goes. The week before it gave me a different route. Depends on how you're defining central London really.

East side nunhead_man says it all realyy.

[nunhead_man]

sorry - OLR (off line reader) lag

nunhead_man Wrote:

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> Check out the RAC route planner on-line?

[goldilocks]

Not sure what 'tolls' you're trying to avoid - but there is no congestion charge on a sunday! Avoiding central not always best. Depends where you are coming from? We come down from M1 via finchly road, swiss cottage, edgeware road, marble arch and over Vauxhall bridge

[sunskippy10]

Hi thanks everyone - coming from Derby

[pablogrande]

also depends on the time of day on Sunday, from late afternoon the traffic eastbound M4 often gets snarled up by the Hunter welly brigade. Any time after 3pm i'd just go straight through town.

[figgins]

Yes, central London at the weekend can be the quickest route, and no congestion charge. We often come down to Swiss Cottage from the M1, then Regents Park (always deserted) then down to Oxford Circus, then cut across to Park Lane, then down to Vauxhall.

This can all be time-consuming but still better than the North/South Circular or (shudder) M25

[pg500]

M1 then A1 down to Archway, Junction Road to Tufnell Park tube then Brecknock Road/York Way to Kings Cross. Then Blackfriars Bridge, Elephant and Castle, New Kent Road, Old Kent Road and then a right towards Peckham on Trafalgar Avenue.

Sounds fairly central but the Archway - E&C stretch is generally fairly quiet in my experience.

[sunskippy10]

thank you everyone. Last time sat nav brought me through by regents park , and it was a zoo. This is great , thanks its given me lots of options to consider.Really appreciate it :)

[Sue]

The Edgware Road/Park Lane/Victoria/Vauxhall route comes through central London but avoids the congestion charge altogether at all times and days (provided you don't stray from the route by mistake, as I did once).

If you look online there is a map.

[KidKruger]

I go to Huddersfield a bit and do:

- Come off M1 at J1, follow roundabouts to top of Edgeware Rd.

- drive down thru Kilburn to Marble Arch

- Park Lane, Hyde Park Corner, Victoria

- Vauxhall Bridge Rd and bridge

- Oval, Camberwell, ED.

[Sue]

KidKruger Wrote:

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> I go to Huddersfield a bit and do:

> - Come off M1 at J1, follow roundabouts to top of

> Edgeware Rd.

> - drive down thru Kilburn to Marble Arch

> - Park Lane, Hyde Park Corner, Victoria

> - Vauxhall Bridge Rd and bridge

> - Oval, Camberwell, ED.

Yeh that's the one.

The only weird bit is where you have to turn left just before Camberwell Green and go down a tiny side street to get onto the Walworth Road in order to go via Denmark Hill, otherwise you have to go straight on towards Peckham and turn right somewhere to get to ED, which can be a pain depending on traffic.

It's well signposted, but still easy to miss if you don't know it's there :))

[mikeb]

Medlar Street

[treehugger]

Be aware the whole of central London and some bridges will be closed/congested due to the Winter Run for Cancer Research on Sunday 31st. So do check against the route you choose to take. I don't have a link I'm afraid, but you will find it if you google it.

[rabbitears]

London Bridge and Tower Bridge can be really bad on Sundays due to construction and/or Brick Lane crowds + lack of pRking restrictions. (depending on time of day).

[Blackcurrant]

Through central London is usually quickest. If you're coming from NW, take M4 and continue in to Earls Court. From M1 it's trickier but via Park Lane and Victoria is best.

Whatever route you take, a traffic-avoiding app like Waze can usually improve on it. Much better than a dedicated satnav.

[Sue]

Blackcurrant Wrote:

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>

> Whatever route you take, a traffic-avoiding app

> like Waze can usually improve on it. Much better

> than a dedicated satnav.

Just make sure it doesn't take you into the congestion zone, like blooming google satnav did.

It might have been avoiding traffic, but it cost me (though at least I remembered to pay the charge!!)

ETA: I didn't realise until too late, and in any case there was no way to turn round.

[Blackcurrant]

Sue Wrote:

---------------------------------------------

> Just make sure it doesn't take you into the

> congestion zone, like blooming google satnav did.

>

Yikes! If you choose "avoid tolls" in settings before you hit the blue chevron icon to start navigating, it will avoid the congestion area.

It's great fun using it as it takes different routes all the time, revealing parts of London you'd never see otherwise.

[Sue]

Blackcurrant Wrote:

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> Sue Wrote:

> ---------------------------------------------

> > Just make sure it doesn't take you into the

> > congestion zone, like blooming google satnav

> did.

> >

>

> Yikes! If you choose "avoid tolls" in settings

> before you hit the blue chevron icon to start

> navigating, it will avoid the congestion area.

>

> It's great fun using it as it takes different

> routes all the time, revealing parts of London

> you'd never see otherwise.

Thanks, I didn't know you could set it to avoid the congestion charge.

It once sent me past the front of Buckingham Palace, which was quite fun :)

ETA: Ah. I have just realised you are talking about the app and I'm talking about google ....

[Blackcurrant]

Sue Wrote:

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> ETA: Ah. I have just realised you are talking

> about the app and I'm talking about google ....

Same thing - Google bought Waze and incorporated the traffic data into their maps. I use Google Maps on a phone.

> Thanks, I didn't know you could set it to avoid

> the congestion charge.

You can only access it just before starting navigation - don't know why they've hidden it.

> It once sent me past the front of Buckingham

> Palace, which was quite fun :)

Me too. It's interesting where it takes you to avoid Embankment traffic.

[Sue]

Thanks Blackcurrant.