Travelling To London By Car
Getting to London by car is relatively easy. It just gets trickier when you arrive and need to find a parking space!
London is ringed by a motorway called the M25, this is often the quickest way to get from one side of London to the other as is relatively fast moving and means that you can avoid the smaller A and B roads and congestion traffic in the centre.
The M25 is connected to several other motorways to help you get to other major cities in the UK and the Airports servicing visitors to London. It is best illustrated in the Map below:
Map Of London Motorways
The motorway you use depends on where you are coming from/ travelling to.
The M1 serves destinations in the North, while the A1(M) is for destinations in the North East of England. The m40 is the fastest and most direct route from London to Birmingham. The M11 takes you to Cambridge and surrounding areas while the M2 takes you to Canterbury.
Heading east the M20 is for traffic to Kent and Dover (perhaps to catch a ferry to continental Europe). Heading south on the M3 will take you towards southern coast destinations such as Southampton and Portsmouth.
The M4 is the quickest way to head West of London towards South Wales and the West Country.
The Map below shows all of the major motorways and A roads in England:
Map of Motorways in England, UK
Planning a trip to or from London by Car
Whether you live in the UK or are visiting, it always makes sense to plan car journeys carefully to ensure the trip is enjoyable as possible.
I would recommending using a Journey Planner such as the one on the Automobile Association’s website – www.theaa.com.
Alternatively the RAC also has a Route Planner for you to plan your car journey.
Up-t0-date traffic news that could affect your journey can be heard on the car radio on selected channels, alternatively you could try this mobile service from the AA.
Using these tools helps to ensure you are travelling on the most direct route and can avoidable possible inconveniences such as traffic delays and or accidents along the way that could slow down your journey.
Don’t forget to also check that you are adequately insured and have the relevant documents to drive a car in the UK.
Hiring a car to travel to or from London
If you are looking to hire a car in London, I will be advising on the best way to find cheap car rental in London in a separate post at a later date.
Another way to get around London is to go to a tourist office first, and then get the necessary maps that you would need. Or you can just get a travel agent to help you around. It’s more expensive, but its also more stress-free. But if you want to explore on your own, try the public transportations, and yes, scourge for cheap car rentals.