|
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
A friend of mine coming from the west on the M4, hoping to get to London
City Airport by around 6pm on a Sunday evening - what's the traffic likely to be like? Specific points I'm thinking of a M4 from J3 into Chiswick - is this likely to bunch up much (we're talking around 5pm or so at a guess), with people coming back into London from weekends away? Victoria Embankment - worth avoiding? I've known this to be a real pain at the most unexpected of times - would it be worth going via Lambeth Bridge + Southwark Bridge Road (via St George's Circus) or should it be fairly ok around this time? The Highway/Limehouse Link/Aspen Way etc - likely to be all ok heading out? TIA, Peter -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
AstraVanMan wrote:
A friend of mine coming from the west on the M4, hoping to get to London City Airport by around 6pm on a Sunday evening - what's the traffic likely to be like? Specific points I'm thinking of a M4 from J3 into Chiswick - is this likely to bunch up much (we're talking around 5pm or so at a guess), with people coming back into London from weekends away? Yes, the M4 on Sunday evenings does get congested, especially in the summer. Generally I would say the earlier the better. 5 pm may be not too bad, but 4 pm would be safer. Victoria Embankment - worth avoiding? I've known this to be a real pain at the most unexpected of times - would it be worth going via Lambeth Bridge + Southwark Bridge Road (via St George's Circus) or should it be fairly ok around this time? The Highway/Limehouse Link/Aspen Way etc - likely to be all ok heading out? Both probably OK, but I haven't done the journey in that direction on a Sunday afternoon/evening. One problem on Sundays in London is that some shopping streets still have Mon-Sat waiting restrictions, so that people park all over the place on Sundays. This not only clogs up those streets, but diverts traffic to other routes that you would expect to be clear. -- Richard J. (to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address) |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
|
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 20:45:13 GMT, "AstraVanMan"
wrote: A friend of mine coming from the west on the M4, hoping to get to London City Airport by around 6pm on a Sunday evening - what's the traffic likely to be like? Specific points I'm thinking of a M4 from J3 into Chiswick - is this likely to bunch up much (we're talking around 5pm or so at a guess), with people coming back into London from weekends away? Victoria Embankment - worth avoiding? I've known this to be a real pain at the most unexpected of times - would it be worth going via Lambeth Bridge + Southwark Bridge Road (via St George's Circus) or should it be fairly ok around this time? The Highway/Limehouse Link/Aspen Way etc - likely to be all ok heading out? I would do the M40/A40 rather than the M4. The M4 leaving London is pretty good but in the opposite direction you've got the dreaded bus lane and it's usually pretty busy at that time. Use the M25 if necessary to get onto the M40 then take the A40 all the way to Marylebone followed by the A501 round the top of the city and down onto the A13. The route through the city to get onto the A13 isn't great but that area should be quietish on a Sunday I reckon. -- to respond via email, visit: http://tinyurl.com/e48z9 |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
In message , Tom Robinson
writes On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 20:45:13 GMT, "AstraVanMan" wrote: Victoria Embankment - worth avoiding? I've known this to be a real pain at the most unexpected of times - would it be worth going via Lambeth Bridge + Southwark Bridge Road (via St George's Circus) or should it be fairly ok around this time? The Highway/Limehouse Link/Aspen Way etc - likely to be all ok heading out? I would do the M40/A40 rather than the M4. The M4 leaving London is pretty good but in the opposite direction you've got the dreaded bus lane Best thing since sliced bread - for us taxi drivers! ;-))) and it's usually pretty busy at that time. Use the M25 if necessary to get onto the M40 then take the A40 all the way to Marylebone followed by the A501 round the top of the city and down onto the A13. The route through the city to get onto the A13 isn't great but that area should be quietish on a Sunday I reckon. Try this for a route Spur Road M4 East leave by J3 (next one along) N on A312 follow until you get to A40 then all the way through to Euston Rd, Pentonville Road City Road L at Old St Roundabout Bear right Great Eastern St Forward Commercial Street Aldgate one way then follow signs for A13. You then get the choice of staying on East India Dock Road or going via Lime House linkway until you get to roundabout for City airport (where you cross the meridian from W to E) and just follow signs. Of course if you really knew London you'd go straight through via the M4 then Cromwell Road, etc to get to Victoria Embankment from Trafalgar Square but you must be prepared to make diversions if there are demonstrations or other diversions (strangely enough one of the straightest routes takes you over Lambeth Bridge and then via the Rotherhithe Tunnel, but you really must know London for that!) Good luck with your chosen route -- Mike Hughes A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
"Tom Robinson" wrote:
A friend of mine coming from the west on the M4, hoping to get to London City Airport by around 6pm on a Sunday evening - what's the traffic likely to be like? Specific points I'm thinking of a M4 from J3 into Chiswick snip Victoria Embankment - worth avoiding? snip The Highway/Limehouse Link/Aspen Way etc - likely to be all ok heading out? I would do the M40/A40 rather than the M4. The M4 leaving London is pretty good but in the opposite direction you've got the dreaded bus lane and it's usually pretty busy at that time. Use the M25 if necessary to get onto the M40 then take the A40 all the way to Marylebone followed by the A501 round the top of the city and down onto the A13. The route through the city to get onto the A13 isn't great but that area should be quietish on a Sunday I reckon. Ewwwww - I'd do anything to avoid having to use the A501 from Marylebone all the way through to Commercial Road as a through route, especially when the central zone's free, but point taken regarding the A40. -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
"Mike Hughes" wrote:
I would do the M40/A40 rather than the M4. The M4 leaving London is pretty good but in the opposite direction you've got the dreaded bus lane Best thing since sliced bread - for us taxi drivers! ;-))) Try this for a route Spur Road You're assuming the journey starts at Heathrow? It doesn't, but anyway.... M4 East leave by J3 (next one along) N on A312 follow until you get to A40 then all the way through to Euston Rd, Pentonville Road City Road L at Old St Roundabout Bear right Great Eastern St Forward Commercial Street Aldgate one way then follow signs for A13. You then get the choice of staying on East India Dock Road or going via Lime House linkway until you get to roundabout for City airport (where you cross the meridian from W to E) and just follow signs. Ok, well having just ridiculed using the Northern section of the inner ring road, if a cabbie's recommending it I might have to eat my words! So is it likely to be a pretty clear run around 5pm on a Sunday, all the way from Marylebone to Whitechapel, then? Of course if you really knew London you'd go straight through via the M4 then Cromwell Road, etc to get to Victoria Embankment from Trafalgar Square but you must be prepared to make diversions if there are demonstrations or other diversions (strangely enough one of the straightest routes takes you over Lambeth Bridge and then via the Rotherhithe Tunnel, but you really must know London for that!) Heh. Well I'm advising someone who doesn't know London all that well, so a relatively simple route's going to be the best. Personally I'd probably do the Lambeth Bridge route, either coming in via A316/Barnes/Mortlake/Putney/Wandsworth, and crossing the river at Albert Bridge, or just simply M4/A4, going through Beauchamp Place/Belgrave Square, and cutting through Carlisle Place etc to end up on Horseferry Road (used this loads of time and it's a bit windy but usually pretty easy), but I wouldn't want to advise someone with virtually no London knowledge to do this! -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
AstraVanMan wrote:
Ok, well having just ridiculed using the Northern section of the inner ring road, if a cabbie's recommending it I might have to eat my words! Cabbies can use the bus lane, and I don't know whether Mike has taken this into account. |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
"Paul Terry" wrote:
Heh. Well I'm advising someone who doesn't know London all that well, so a relatively simple route's going to be the best. Personally I'd probably do the Lambeth Bridge route, either coming in via A316/Barnes/Mortlake/Putney/Wandsworth, and crossing the river at Albert Bridge, I did almost that route last Sunday, although at about 2.00pm and I crossed at Putney Bridge and then took the New King's Road route to the inner ring road, then embankment. Apart from the usual brief hold up around Cheyne Walk, it was very fast indeed - 22 minutes from Mortlake to Kingsway. However, as was said earlier, it very much depends on the time of day - by 5.00pm expect it to be much slower, with the potential for big jams if you take either the Upper or Lower Richmond Road. What I've often done in the past is gone over the A306 lights after coming out of Barnes, then cut up Common Road, along Queens Ride for a bit, then up Gipsy Lane to join the Upper Richmond Road. That way you avoid any queues through East Sheen and approaching the Priory Lane and A306 (Red Rover) junctions. Going through the lights over Putney High Street has never flowed too badly IME, and after that I've always turned onto Oxford Road and Disraeli Road / Fawe Park Road, picking up Putney Bridge Road for a much easier flow onto the Wandsworth Gyratory. -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
AstraVanMan wrote: A friend of mine coming from the west on the M4, hoping to get to London City Airport by around 6pm on a Sunday evening - what's the traffic likely to be like? Specific points I'm thinking of a M4 from J3 into Chiswick - is this likely to bunch up much (we're talking around 5pm or so at a guess), with people coming back into London from weekends away? Victoria Embankment - worth avoiding? I've known this to be a real pain at the most unexpected of times - would it be worth going via Lambeth Bridge + Southwark Bridge Road (via St George's Circus) or should it be fairly ok around this time? The Highway/Limehouse Link/Aspen Way etc - likely to be all ok heading out? TIA, Peter -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." I travel this route (Chiswick Roundabout to City Airport) fortnightly at the same time late Sunday afternoon. Generally the best route is the straight one down the A4 all the way up to the Trafalgar Sq. Then Northumberland Ave running to the Embankment. Then follow the Highway/Limehouse Link/Aspen Way down to City Airport. Hotspots are a bit of congestion on the A4 in Chiswick but is generally fine. Otherwise Trafalgar Square can be a bottle neck especially if there is an event on as Sunday drivers will slow down and look and there are kamikaze pedestrians. And a little queue into Piccadilly Circus. Sometimes theres a queue into the limehouse link. But both of these queues run smoothly most of the time. It'll take one hour. Less if theres no problem. I sometimes do the A40 (when I feel like a change) but you can sometimes hit major tailbacks coming off the Westway at Paddington and once again on Commerical Street. If you do get caught then it'll add another 20 minutes to half an hour. But on a clear day this route is quicker by about 5 minutes. There are variations on the A4 route but generally they'll do the same thing but with more/less congestion or complexity. |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
In message , AstraVanMan
writes "Mike Hughes" wrote: I would do the M40/A40 rather than the M4. The M4 leaving London is pretty good but in the opposite direction you've got the dreaded bus lane Best thing since sliced bread - for us taxi drivers! ;-))) Try this for a route Spur Road You're assuming the journey starts at Heathrow? It doesn't, but anyway.... M4 East leave by J3 (next one along) N on A312 follow until you get to A40 then all the way through to Euston Rd, Pentonville Road City Road L at Old St Roundabout Bear right Great Eastern St Forward Commercial Street Aldgate one way then follow signs for A13. You then get the choice of staying on East India Dock Road or going via Lime House linkway until you get to roundabout for City airport (where you cross the meridian from W to E) and just follow signs. Ok, well having just ridiculed using the Northern section of the inner ring road, if a cabbie's recommending it I might have to eat my words! So is it likely to be a pretty clear run around 5pm on a Sunday, all the way from Marylebone to Whitechapel, then? Depends. So9metimes it can be very easy, other times it is very busy. It all depends upon what is happening with road works. Again I have the advantage of being able to use the bus lanes. Of course if you really knew London you'd go straight through via the M4 then Cromwell Road, etc to get to Victoria Embankment from Trafalgar Square but you must be prepared to make diversions if there are demonstrations or other diversions (strangely enough one of the straightest routes takes you over Lambeth Bridge and then via the Rotherhithe Tunnel, but you really must know London for that!) Heh. Well I'm advising someone who doesn't know London all that well, so a relatively simple route's going to be the best. Personally I'd probably do the Lambeth Bridge route, either coming in via A316/Barnes/Mortlake/Putney/Wandsworth, and crossing the river at Albert Bridge, or just simply M4/A4, going through Beauchamp Place/Belgrave Square, and cutting through Carlisle Place etc to end up on Horseferry Road (used this loads of time and it's a bit windy but usually pretty easy), but I wouldn't want to advise someone with virtually no London knowledge to do this! Your route is another good one, but as I said you really must know London reasonably well (for a non taxi driver that is) in case you have to divert. -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." -- Mike Hughes A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
In message , John Rowland
writes AstraVanMan wrote: Ok, well having just ridiculed using the Northern section of the inner ring road, if a cabbie's recommending it I might have to eat my words! Cabbies can use the bus lane, and I don't know whether Mike has taken this into account. I had taken that into account. I would use the M4 myself but for someone who isn't allowed to use bus lanes the northern route may be easier to follow. -- Mike Hughes A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
"Londoncityslicker" wrote:
I travel this route (Chiswick Roundabout to City Airport) fortnightly at the same time late Sunday afternoon. Generally the best route is the straight one down the A4 all the way up to the Trafalgar Sq. Then Northumberland Ave running to the Embankment. Then follow the Highway/Limehouse Link/Aspen Way down to City Airport. Hotspots are a bit of congestion on the A4 in Chiswick but is generally fine. Otherwise Trafalgar Square can be a bottle neck especially if there is an event on as Sunday drivers will slow down and look and there are kamikaze pedestrians. And a little queue into Piccadilly Circus. Sometimes theres a queue into the limehouse link. But both of these queues run smoothly most of the time. It'll take one hour. Less if theres no problem. Is it worth all that messing about when you can just cut through Earls Court and down to the Embankment that way (Cheyne Walk etc) ?? I've always avoided Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square like the plague! Even if I've ever headed into Soho I'd cut up Albermarle Street and around the loop to Vigo Street and cross Regent Street there. Unless it was before the bus lane hours on Piccadilly in the morning.... I sometimes do the A40 (when I feel like a change) but you can sometimes hit major tailbacks coming off the Westway at Paddington and once again on Commerical Street. If you do get caught then it'll add another 20 minutes to half an hour. But on a clear day this route is quicker by about 5 minutes. There are variations on the A4 route but generally they'll do the same thing but with more/less congestion or complexity. Cheers for all that. -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 16:25:20 +0100, Mike Hughes
wrote: In message , AstraVanMan writes Ok, well having just ridiculed using the Northern section of the inner ring road, if a cabbie's recommending it I might have to eat my words! So is it likely to be a pretty clear run around 5pm on a Sunday, all the way from Marylebone to Whitechapel, then? Depends. So9metimes it can be very easy, other times it is very busy. It all depends upon what is happening with road works. Again I have the advantage of being able to use the bus lanes. Don't forget that on actual Sunday evenings everyone can use most of the bus lanes, just check the blue signs they're mostly Mon-Sat 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm. Lots of drivers forget this and completely ignore the bus lanes, which allows you a lot of undertaking potential. -- to respond via email, visit: http://tinyurl.com/e48z9 |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
"AstraVanMan" wrote in message ... "Londoncityslicker" wrote: I travel this route (Chiswick Roundabout to City Airport) fortnightly at the same time late Sunday afternoon. Generally the best route is the straight one down the A4 all the way up to the Trafalgar Sq. Then Northumberland Ave running to the Embankment. Then follow the Highway/Limehouse Link/Aspen Way down to City Airport. Hotspots are a bit of congestion on the A4 in Chiswick but is generally fine. Otherwise Trafalgar Square can be a bottle neck especially if there is an event on as Sunday drivers will slow down and look and there are kamikaze pedestrians. And a little queue into Piccadilly Circus. Sometimes theres a queue into the limehouse link. But both of these queues run smoothly most of the time. It'll take one hour. Less if theres no problem. Is it worth all that messing about when you can just cut through Earls Court and down to the Embankment that way (Cheyne Walk etc) ?? I've always avoided Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square like the plague! Even if I've ever headed into Soho I'd cut up Albermarle Street and around the loop to Vigo Street and cross Regent Street there. Unless it was before the bus lane hours on Piccadilly in the morning.... I sometimes do the A40 (when I feel like a change) but you can sometimes hit major tailbacks coming off the Westway at Paddington and once again on Commerical Street. If you do get caught then it'll add another 20 minutes to half an hour. But on a clear day this route is quicker by about 5 minutes. There are variations on the A4 route but generally they'll do the same thing but with more/less congestion or complexity. Cheers for all that. -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." Cutting through Earls Court is also a possible route. But I find that at 5pm you get stuck a bit in the Earls Court area and the queue onto the Embankment. It also feels like a longer route. But i'm sure there's not much in it. But pleasant views along the river. If you take this route you can also cut out Parliament Square by crossing Lambeth Bridge then continuing on the south-side until Southwark bridge. Or even the Rotherhithe tunnel. As sometimes Lower Thames street get chocka. The south-side is a ghost town for most of the stretch. It's useful in the opposite direction to go south then back north. Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square aren't that bad most of the time. It was even easier before Ken blocked it all up. It moves though. As you can see there are various routes. And there are various options for congestion. Hope the advice helps. A. |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
In message , Tom Robinson
writes On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 16:25:20 +0100, Mike Hughes wrote: In message , AstraVanMan writes Ok, well having just ridiculed using the Northern section of the inner ring road, if a cabbie's recommending it I might have to eat my words! So is it likely to be a pretty clear run around 5pm on a Sunday, all the way from Marylebone to Whitechapel, then? Depends. So9metimes it can be very easy, other times it is very busy. It all depends upon what is happening with road works. Again I have the advantage of being able to use the bus lanes. Don't forget that on actual Sunday evenings everyone can use most of the bus lanes, just check the blue signs they're mostly Mon-Sat 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm. Lots of drivers forget this and completely ignore the bus lanes, which allows you a lot of undertaking potential. But not the M4 bus lane nor the Marylebone Road one, both of which are 24 hours 7 days a week -- Mike Hughes A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
"londoncityslicker" wrote:
Cutting through Earls Court is also a possible route. But I find that at 5pm you get stuck a bit in the Earls Court area and the queue onto the Embankment. It also feels like a longer route. But i'm sure there's not much in it. But pleasant views along the river. Aye - I must say I've rarely gone this way myself - normally opted for cutting through Beauchamp Place and via Belgrave Square to Victoria, and cutting through there to Lambeth Bridge - just thinking about what's easiest for someone who doesn't know London all that well. If you take this route you can also cut out Parliament Square by crossing Lambeth Bridge then continuing on the south-side until Southwark bridge. Yup - this was my preferred route every single time I've ever crossed London, and it works a treat. Even in the rush hour it's possibly to avoid the queues up to Tower Bridge by dodging around Trinity Square etc. Or even the Rotherhithe tunnel. As sometimes Lower Thames street get chocka. The south-side is a ghost town for most of the stretch. It's useful in the opposite direction to go south then back north. Yup, indeed. Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square aren't that bad most of the time. It was even easier before Ken blocked it all up. It moves though. As you can see there are various routes. And there are various options for congestion. Hope the advice helps. Aye, cheers. I'll work something out! -- "For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died." |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
AstraVanMan wrote:
A friend of mine coming from the west on the M4, hoping to get to London City Airport by around 6pm on a Sunday evening - what's the traffic likely to be like? And I am the friend.... I'm coming in from South Wales, and have been given the following route: M40 / A40 Euston Road Pentonville Road Commercial Street Commercial Road East India Dock Road Looks reasonably simple to me, and I'll have my Sat Nav with me, too. My flight is at 16.55, so I need to have checked in by 4pm at the absolute latest - I'm aiming for 3pm - 3.30pm in reality. I arrive back at 8pm on Tuesday evening and need to get to a hotel in Woking - would I be right in assuming that I can pretty much follow my sat nav at this time of the day and not have to worry too much about traffic? -- Steve H 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo' www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark Alfa 156 2.0 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI - COSOC KOTL BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC # |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
On Sat, 15 Jul 2006 19:47:18 +0100, (SteveH)
wrote: AstraVanMan wrote: A friend of mine coming from the west on the M4, hoping to get to London City Airport by around 6pm on a Sunday evening - what's the traffic likely to be like? And I am the friend.... I'm coming in from South Wales, and have been given the following route: So Steve, why exactly did you decide not to use Heathrow or even Bristol? No flights? -- to respond via email, visit: http://tinyurl.com/e48z9 |
Traffic from M4 to London City Airport?
Tom Robinson wrote:
On Sat, 15 Jul 2006 19:47:18 +0100, (SteveH) wrote: AstraVanMan wrote: A friend of mine coming from the west on the M4, hoping to get to London City Airport by around 6pm on a Sunday evening - what's the traffic likely to be like? And I am the friend.... I'm coming in from South Wales, and have been given the following route: So Steve, why exactly did you decide not to use Heathrow or even Bristol? No flights? Corporate bookings, innit. We only book Lufthansa, BA and OLT. I *could* have possibly booked a flight myself from Bristol, however, Bristol flights don't operate every day, plus I'm in the Woking area for a few days now, and in Ealing on Friday - so it sort of made sense to drive down to London and stay down in this area, IYSWIM. -- Steve H 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo' www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark Alfa 156 2.0 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI - COSOC KOTL BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC # |
| All times are GMT. The time now is 02:31 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2006 LondonBanter.co.uk