Southampton to Holyhead

Anan1

Has anyone done this run before? The AA route planner reckons it's around 350 miles, just under six hours. Sound reasonable?

Steve

What are you driving?
I had to do Bristol - holyhead in a transit 3 yrs ago and it took 5 hrs. I believe the road's improved since then though.

Anan1

911.:) It's a convertible and it's 21 years old though, so I don't envisage making spectacular time. I'm guessing Southampton to Bristol might take 1 1/2 hrs, although it's hard to tell from my 1990 UK atlas! From what you're saying though, 6 hours sounds quite doable, barring torrential rain or bad traffic?

Steve

I'd budget at least 1hr from S'hamton to the M4, another hour to Bristol - take the M42 - (I think, old Severn bridge) it's the same price and a nicer drive - beware of speed cops as you enter Wales - they're everywere so stay under 90.
Nice drive in a 911, I'm jealous:D

OKenora

the tightfisted, no toll roads version....

Follow signs for London, heading for the M3
Leave the M3 at J9 heading A34, Midlands
60 miles on head for the M40 (North - signposted Midlands)
at J3 (or 3A) head for M42 then at J7 head for the M6
Leave m6 at J16 head for A500/A55, Signposted "Chester" mainly then later "North Wales"
Drive till you see Holyhead or fall into the sea

Allowing for a stop and presuming no bad traffic jams and legal limit cruising.....I would allow 6 and a half hours but it could take you 7.
I have done similar runs before from that end of the country, on time we hit 1 big traffic jam and ended with over 8 hours travelling (stopped twice though for food).......

Personally my preference would be to go via Pembroke, same directions but when you leave the A34 head for the M4 not the M40 and stay on it till you start seeing signs for Pembroke/Fishguard. Less long driving stints to do, 4.5 hours to P'broke, break for boat, 3 hours Rosslare to Dublin. Pembroke boat for Irish Ferries is good, the Stena one from Fishguard is a big tugboat Fares the same even if you went out Holyhead and back Pembroke.

Small hint, if you do hit a biggy of a jam, stop for a break at the nearest services (with edible food hopefully), you won't lose that much actual road time, you will spend your time getting food and relaxing rather than steaming in the jam and with any luck they will have started to clear it by the time you get out. Think about it, losing 30 minutes of road time where you would average 5mph is not as bad as stopping later and losing 30 minutes of 70mph time. Amazing how many people sit in jams simply getting more and more frustrated then the minute it clears they pull in for a coffee and to relax

unkel

So you bought it for yourself? A8 back to your brother?

junkyard

The last time I traveled from Swansea to Southampton it took me around 5 hours and I think Hollyhead is about another hour.

Pete4779

Anan1 wrote:

Has anyone done this run before? The AA route planner reckons it's around 350 miles, just under six hours. Sound reasonable?

You can do Oxford to Holyhead in 3 hrs easily keeping up with UK motorway traffic speed (aroudn 80-90mph in the middle lane)

Have a look at www.viamichelin.com for alternative routes - it is far far FAR better than AA's "route planner".

Anan1

Looks like i'll make it in around 6 hours so - thanks everyone!

Unkel - I bought it for myself - couldn't resist! I will be selling it soon enough though, so i'm keeping the A8.

unkel

Anan1 wrote:

I will be selling it soon enough though

I doubt it

Anyway, best of luck with it!

smash

My plane was delayed arriving in to collect a car and I was under pressure so I managed london to fishguard in 3hours 15 mins - as I arrived my boat was leaving the dock!

tabatha

ive done this drive at least 40 times! my husband is from just outside southampton. i drive through wales, midlands, baiscally what OKenora says in the begining of his post. i would get off the ferry normally about 1.30 in the afternoon and arrive about 7 hours after there or there abouts. thats driving to the limit all the way and maybe stopping twice (at least once) along the way also. also i always use the toll road around birmingham as there is never anyone on it and its so much quicker. oxford is normally where you get held up. piece of cake really driving to soton. oh how id love to be there now!

good luck!

ballooba

I did it recently. Not bad at all. Motorway all the way to the top of the M6 as far as I remember. The Holyhead stretch is not as bad as people make out.

Took me 8 hours overall with one stop.

Also M6 toll is so quiet you start to wonder if the world has ended around you. Real like 28 days later. :eek:

OKenora

for future reference.....allow 40mph average for A roads and 50mph average for motorways, both presuming you are doing your best to travel at legal limit and not above/below it. Those speeds include your stops (30 mins every 2 hours is recommended). Stopping once evry 3 hours only ups that average to 52mph on motorways....not really worth it.

Working on those figures you should be able to manage journey times pretty well, I used to do 100k a year and could plan all our journeys usually to within +/- 10 minutes on arrival over hundreds of miles (breakdowns and total feck ups excepted).

gary the great

How can you do it so quick? North Surrey to Holyhead takes me about 6hrs 30mins on a saturday, averaging 65mph on the motorways and 2 taking stops!

Nephew

Anan1 wrote:

911.:) It's a convertible and it's 21 years old though, so I don't envisage making spectacular time. I'm guessing Southampton to Bristol might take 1 1/2 hrs, although it's hard to tell from my 1990 UK atlas! From what you're saying though, 6 hours sounds quite doable, barring torrential rain or bad traffic?

It wouldn't happen to be green? If so I think I saw you on the m50 this morning, I was admiring it while stuck in the traffic.

Anan1

Nephew wrote:

It wouldn't happen to be green? If so I think I saw you on the m50 this morning, I was admiring it while stuck in the traffic.

Not me, mine's white and it's still in Southampton - i'm going over to collect it next week.

Thanks again to everyone - i'm reading all posts with interest!

Eoin

Anan1 wrote:

Not me, mine's white and it's still in Southampton - i'm going over to collect it next week.

Thanks again to everyone - i'm reading all posts with interest!

Best of luck with the trip, and please post here to let us know how you get on - I hope to be doing the same too (not a porsche sadly though).