Got to drop a passenger at Stansted tonight to be there for 20:00. I'm starting from NN7 3QG.
Intuitively I'd go A45>A14>M11.
Bing and Google however send me other way round M1>M25>M11. Alternatives are to leave M1 at J13 and use A421/A428 or via the A414>A10>A120.
Bearing in mind a rush hour departure (I'm thinking 17:30 to be on safe side.
Doing it in Berlingo so not going to doing more than 6570.
What does the panel think?
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>> Got to drop a passenger at Stansted tonight to be there for 20:00. I'm starting
>> from NN7 3QG.
>> Intuitively I'd go A45>A14>M11.
Got to be hasn't it.
>> Bing and Google however send me other way round M1>M25>M11.
In the rush hour? madness.
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Have you tried the online TomTom route planner? You can tell it time of start and it uses its IQ routes technology (to send you via Glasgow).
routes.tomtom.com
Also online is
www.tomtom.com/livetraffic
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I'd be going A14 M11 too, unforseen hold ups notwithstanding the really heavy Cambridge traffic will be coming the other way, worse bits for you being Brackmills, W'Boro roundabout and Irthlingborough roundabout and possibly a couple of changes at Spittals (assuming some berk hasn't flipped another lorry there), other than that should be reasonable.
Might be tempted to return M25 route though at similar speed to see how it fares including mileage, easy drive if no hold ups.
Let us know your timings and mileages if you do that Brompton please.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Tue 26 Feb 13 at 13:01
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The man from Tom-Tom says M1>M25 as well. Can only assume it's significantly shorter.
I was only looking for re-assurance that A14/M11 was not me going barking mad. Will go out that way but probably return via M25. The Lad's coming as co-driver so it'll be good experience for him.
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Send your passenger to www.thetrainline.com
Only sensible thing at that time of day. £44 mind, but well worth it for you the driver. 180 miles round trip, so that'll cost you at least £25 in petrol?
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>> Send your passenger to www.thetrainline.com
>>
>> Only sensible thing at that time of day. £44 mind, but well worth it for
>> you the driver. 180 miles round trip, so that'll cost you at least £25 in
>> petrol?
Passenger is my Bro out law who is over from Cork for a funeral. I offered to drive when he said he couldn't get on the BHX>ORK flight this eve. Cannot withdraw now!!
I've avoided Trainline since they started adding fees but London Midland gives same cost and no fee.
Would have sent him to Liverpool St without really thinking, the Tottenham Hale link with Vic line was something I completely overlook.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Tue 26 Feb 13 at 13:35
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Bedford - A1 - Buntingford.
Because if there's any problem you can find a way round, something you can't do if stationary between exits on the A14 or M11.
Use whatever you like coming back, you haven't a 'plane to catch.
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>>Passenger is my Bro out law who is over from Cork for a funeral. I offered to drive when he
>>said he couldn't get on the BHX>ORK flight this eve. Cannot withdraw now!!
If I'd been your passenger I'd have opted for the train, I think. M11 via Cambridge at rush hour, no thanks - possibility for disaster legion! Glad you got him there, anyway.
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> Bing and Google however send me other way round M1>M25>M11.
I suppose that's what you get when you rely on American advertisers to do your British route planning.
In theory, both take traffic into consideration. In practice they only take the traffic as it is at the time of asking into consideration which, for route planning, has "chocolate teapot" written all over it.
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I'd take the northerly route. More usable options if it goes tits up.
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M25 now has roadworks with SPECS-enforced 50 limit and narrow lanes both ways between A1(M) and A121 - I've just been through there both ways doing a Newport Pagnell - Harlow job. Flowed OK but it only takes one numpty to change that.
For NN - Stansted I'd agree A14 -M11 is the most sensible route. When I used to cab it there from Bedford it took me an hour regardless of whether I went across the A428 from St Neots or down to Baldock and either A507/A10/A120 or A505 Duxford and down.
Get to the BP station at the airport, lurk there whilst you check on the flight status and head for the short-stay parking only once it's landed. Take a slow stroll upstairs and they'll be through 10 minutes after the screens show "Baggage in hall". Stansted's pretty quick, sub-40 minutes from touchdown to exiting car park usually.
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Tue 26 Feb 13 at 15:28
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Thanks for contributing to the consensus Dave. Northern route it is.
I'm dropping off the last Ryanair to Cork rather than meeting an arrival. I'll probably accept need to be robbed for 20mins parking as I'll need a pee and a leg stretch by then.
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"The man from Tom-Tom says M1>M25 as well. Can only assume it's significantly shorter."
According to my TomTom there's only half a mile in it - M25 route is 93 miles, A14 route 93.5.
I reckon (but will stand correction!!) TT assumes you can average about 62 mph on motorways and only about 40 on "ordinary roads" so predicts M25 route will be 16 minutes quicker.
However, if you don't intend driving at steady 70 on motorway you won't average 62 (because of 50 limits/congestion etc) and can maintain a decent speed on ordinary roads then you may well make the times very similar.
As an example, to get to my home in E Midlands from East side of London, TT always routes me via M25, M1 but I find it quicker to go M11, A14, A1 then A 606(?) via Oakham and Melton because TT overestimates the time via this route by about 25 mins! (As long as M11 and A14 are not too congested!!). Similarly coming South from, say Knaresborough, A1, A46 is qucker and shorter than TT route of A1, M18, M1.
P
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No one uses transport direct any more? www.transportdirect.info
It says M25 too and suggests the best public transport option will take 3 hours (compared to 1 hour 52 mins in the car).
It also knows of the roadworks M25: Narrow lanes both ways between J23 A1(M) and J25, Enfield, speed restriction of 50 mph. Until 25th February 2015
The public transport route sounds fun...
- Walk to Bugbrooke, Telephone Exchange (on Kislingbury Road)
- Take Stagecoach in Northants/D3 towards Northampton (Northants), Greyfriars Bus Station
- Walk to Northampton Rail Station
- Take London Midland towards London Euston Rail Station
- At Milton Keynes Take Virgin Trains towards London Euston Rail Station
- Take London Underground/Victoria towards Walthamstow Central Underground Station
- Walk to Tottenham Hale Rail Station
- Take Greater Anglia towards Stansted Airport Rail Station
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"No one uses transport direct any more?"
I used to use it exclusively - I need on a daily basis to find routes between places where I drop off a car and pick up the next one.
But.... I found that it is not always very good. What I tend to do now is use TD for a rough idea, then check with Google, then go to Trainline (or similar - Trainline charges a booking fee, Cross-Country trains doesn't and XCT often uses their own services which can be a lot cheaper than, say, East Coast Mainline for the same route (eg York to Newcastle).
I also look at splitting tickets (eg Honiton to Cheltenham cost me about £19 instead of £36 if I split to Exeter, Exeter to Bristol TM and then Bristol TM to Chelt)
I also check buses - sometimes it is cheaper and easier (esp with the good old bus pass!) but if buses only run infrequently the train might work out better.
So - it ain't just as simple as just using transportdirect!
Can take a while sitting at computer though!
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After a chat with my passenger (BiL) we put departure back by an hour. Reckoned that his being there @20:00 for a 22:15 flight didn't need me to build in too much recovery time.
Scores on the Doors
Outbound via A45>A14>M11 d.18:10 a. 20:00 87 miles
Return via M11>M25>M1 d. 20:30 a. 22:30 96 miles (but knock off 6m and 20m as I routed via Sainsburys to refuel).
Narrative Report
Departure was further postponed as when I put the lights on it was apparent that n/s headlight was out. Fortunately bulb replacement on a Berlingo is pretty easy and as Rob's a Berlingo driver too a change from the kit in boot only took 6 mins (plus a few more wet wiping dirt from fingers).
Once under way we made a reasonable pace. Nene Valley way was slow to Barnes Meadow and Willby Way roundabout was its usual bottleneck (Why oh why is it not grade separated!). After that progress was as brisk as it needed to be except being behind a 40 limited Turners of Soham truck on the un-dualled section east of the A6.
Once in the A14 and M11 it was a steady cruise all the way to STN.
The short term car parks at Stansted are a hop and skip to the terminal. Nipped in to say cheerio and use the bogs and under way again at 20:30. Entirely uneventful running at either 65-70 except 50 limit through roadworks and a short variable stretch on M1.
Slightly extended miles and time by routing via Sainsburys so Mrs B was not left with an empty tank tomorrow as she's working in Aylesbury.
In summary as easy a journey as it could be!!
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In summary as easy a journey as it could be!!
Nice one Brompton, not a fag paper 'tween either route then.
Used to park on the car park road right outside the terminal at one time, rental car loads went straight onto terminal car park, used to take/collect bag of keys from rental desk and then grab a complmentary coffee and indulge in some well earned totty spotting..;)
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>>Used to park on the car park road right outside the terminal at one time
I presume you mean the new terminal. I remember the old one on the other side of the airport (and they had jets!).
;>)
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>> No one uses transport direct any more? www.transportdirect.info
Roger Ford of Modern Railways ridiculed TD when it started with numerous examples of barmy times/routes.
It's much improved since then but for most journeys I do maps, google and my own knowledge of rail (and air) transport mean I don't need it.
The suggestions above are in the OK but category. The postcode I used was for Campion School. The D3 (which is only hourly outside peaks) stops right outside but it's possible the postcode goes further.
It's rarely worth the effort of changing from London Midland to Virgin at MK. Two of the three hourly trains get to Euston in 55 or 62 minutes. The semi fast takes 77 mins but if you've got a decent seat.....
As I said above the Tottenham Hale connection was a discovery. It looks as though all four of the Stansted trains each hour stop there.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Tue 26 Feb 13 at 23:29
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Northampton to Stansted - Best Route? - Zero
