Riding from North of London (Derby) to South of London (Folkstone)

[Barbel Mick]

Question for you gents who ride in or through London on a regular basis.
We are going via the Chunnel to France at the end of June & wondering what might be the best line of attack to get past/through the capital.
We are riding down on a Thursday and returning on a Saturday (a week later), would an early or late start make much difference to the amount of traffic we may encounter or are the roads busy all day?
Secondly would it be best to come down the M1 and go around the M25 anticlockwise to the M20 and Folkstone or M1 and clockwise on the M25 via the Dartford crossing to the M20 and Folkstone?
We've done both directions before & met a lot of traffic both ways but that was during the day, we're hoping the crack of dawn or very late at night might be a better option.
Thanks for any help.

[Rixington43]

I travel from Sheffield to France via the tunnel several times a year. We usually leave mid afternoon and go clockwise via the Dartford crossing to get a crossing around 9pm, we then stay overnight in the B&B hotel in Calais before setting off the following morning.

[crump]

We nearly always (from Telford) go M54-M6-M1-M25 (clockwise), M2.

We've been quite lucky over the years, we tend to get a lunch time ferry, but usually set off 6-6.30am to be on the safe side (2 coffee/brekkie breaks). We've never missed a ferry yet ( been going nearly 30 years) but it is a bit of a lottery though.

Forgot to say, that's Dover ferryport, would think the chunnel might better M20.

[Upt North]

Mick.....
M1, M25, M2, M20.....
Crap innit.
But at least it's worth it when you get over the other side.
Upt'North.

[kwackboy]

Definitely M1 - M25 - M2 or M20 ..

Don't go through London...

[Hugo Magnus]

If you try anti clockwise you could get into heavy traffic around Heathrow and then around  Clacket lane.
So clockwise would be my choice. I think the Dartford crossing is still free for bikes.

[Barbel Mick]

Thanks for that gents. Definitely not the best or nicest bit of the trip but needs must & all that. 

[Joe Rocket]

You might find the A1 a more comfortable route down as it's less (but not much) hectic. A414 at Hatfield (towards St Albans) is a cut down to the M25 if you go anti-clockwise but in all it's longer distance. How about the A14 across to Cambridge and down the M11? Varies te journey more too, less motorway boredom.

Be warned, there are more sunny uplands and open, traffic free roads over here........enjoy!

[Brockett]

If I have to use motorways to get 'somewhere' then I go for the shortest distance to travel.

 

[Joe Rocket]

Yes Brockett, often then case but on a bike it should be the ride and not the destination. Even in the car I drive across country from Brittany to Strasbourg and East Germany to visit our children, a pleasurable two day trip with hotel stop of course. (My last bike trip in Southern England was GPS set to NO MOTORWAYS from disembarking at Portsmouth and all was fine. No hurry, take in the towns on route, stop for picnic or lunch.)

Motorways are for reps and white van man. 

[TLPower]

Don't be tempted to go via the Yonderman.

I'm alway happy to help.

[Brockett]

Joe I can't agree with your last comment
If I went to West Wales (330 miles) on non motorway routes it would take 12 to 16 hours.

[kwackboy]

Mick , a better route and maybe less boring is A1, A14 , M11 , M25 , M20 or M2 ..

If you're doing the trip well early or Late it'll be pretty clear .

[Joe Rocket]

 Reply #7....... Kwackboy, agreed!

That's only a choice Brockett, especially when on holiday or when you can take your time. Motorways are free in the UK (mostly). My adversion to just gassing it to get there has another consideration over here. Rennes to Strasbourg is only 7 1/2 hours but at a cost of 140€, over 70€ of that is tolls on the autoroutes. That's a hotel for the night, same on the return.

Each trip to their own. 

[Brockett]

Joe - I know nothing of such places as I have never had a passport. Closest I ever got to foreign parts was an italian girlfriend back in 1968.
Mick - A1 - A14 - A12 - M25 - M2 - A2 Cuts out even more motorways

[Barbel Mick]

Thanks for the additional ideas.
Looking on Google maps there isn't a great deal of difference in mileage or time whichever route I take. Even going west from Derby to the M40 then the M25 anti clockwise  is only 15 mins and about 15 miles difference but it's more time on the M25!!

I'm thinking M1, A14, M11, M25 & M20. That way we'll have less time on the M25 which from experience is or can be bloody awful! We'll have to make a decision on the time we make the rides down & back.

Joe, we don't enjoy motorways at all, but this trip is about time spent in Normandy around the WW2 beaches, museums & cemeteries and the sooner we get there the more time we'll have for that.

TLP, I'm hoping to have enough visits to Derbyshire cafes by the end of June to keep my body sustained through nine days of eating Croissants, Coq au vin & Escargots.   

[crump]

We've done A14, M11, M25 before, it's OK not that much different to be honest but as you say less time on the M25.

[Dark-Strom]

Hi Mick, your route choice is the best given the state of the roads on the A2 and roadworks along the M2 at the moment. Wave as you pop by Ashford 

[Rookie]

Maybe as an alternative for the future. Consider the ferry services out of Portsmouth, they go to Le Harve ,Cherbourg, and St Malo. There also used to be a summer service direct to Caen. Also Poole in Dorset used to run services to these ports. But I can't guarantee they are all still running, personally I only use the Plymouth/Roscoff route now. But I expect this would be inconvenient for most people.

[NeilM]

When I visited the Somme in October the Portsmouth to Le Havre ferry was not running.

Just checked and the service starts again in March.