Londoners - directions help please !

Emp_Fab

I'm heading off to the O2 Arena in the morning (we have to be there by 10:00am), and I'm coming from darkest Wales, so I'll be approaching from the West (M4).

What's the best way to get there ?  Google maps suggests going right through the centre of the City - M4, A4, The Mall, Tower of London, St Pauls etc....   but I have my doubts that this will be a sensible choice during rush hour on a Friday morning.  The obvious alternative is to go right round the M25 and head in from the East.  What would be the best (i.e. the least stressful !) route for me ?

Muchos Gracias.

bertie

park at heathrow and take the tube

chrispy108

Don't drive, there is a reason there are trains in London

I'd have thought it was almost impossible to reliably drive to the O2 for 10am, you'll have to get there at 7am or noon, anything in between traffic will likely mess your plans up.

M4 to A2 or A20 on the M25 could easily take you 2 or 3 hours on a weekday morning. Once your on those roads, the traffic will be stop start 30/40s pretty much as soon as you're off the M25.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=M4&daddr=51.4739545,-0.0680046+to:o2+arena&hl=en&ll=51.451012,-0.133896&spn=0.383404,1.056747&sll=51.458713,-0.307617&sspn=0.38334,1.056747&geocode=FUWtEQMdP573_w;FSJuEQMdXPb-_yklfNmNCgN2SDHif_94Zl7eqg;Fb_gEQMd5wsAACHf2rnzDO0dmCmHswdVHKjYRzHf2rnzDO0dmA&mra=prv&t=m&z=11&layer=t&tptime=462600&via=1

The second route Google Maps suggests M4 > A4 round through south london is probably the most sensible, but by no means stress free, you're driving through the middle of London in rush hour!

I'd follow Bertie's advice though, it might take longer than the Google Maps route, but it's pretty much guaranteed to take as long as it says, so you can plan accordingly.

chrispy108

Oh, and before you ask, going round the North of the M25 to the A13 won't be any quicker, you'll get mangled in the queues for the Dartford Crossing, and you'll have to cross the Thames somewhere (probably Blackwell Tunnell), which isn't fun in rush hour.

Best route round the North would be M25 to the M11, then down to the North Circular, then A12 past the Olympic site, but you'll still have to cross the Thames.

bertie

chrispy108 said:

I'd have thought it was almost impossible to reliably drive to the O2 for 10am, you'll have to get there at 7am or noon, anything in between traffic will likely mess your plans up.

this,  either train it completely,  do a park and ride (as in train or tube not bus) - or go up the night before

fretmeister

Yup.

Train or park & ride and then the tube.

Personally - I'd go tonight and find a cheap hotel and then get up at a sensible time rather than battle in with the great unwashed. 

stickyfiddle

I used to live about 2 miles from te O2 and drive in/out regularly down to Devon

If you're determined to drive all the way then the best option by far is M4, M25 south and A2. And believe me, I tried them all!!!

Quickest North route is M11, A12 as Chrispy says, but it's about 20mins slower than south and gets jammed more often.

EDIT: and I wouldn't actually go for the tube at that time I day. It's hideous. If you're gonna be stuck in commuter-city-hell at rush hour you might as well keep your own personal space and music, and guarantee yourself a seat!!

bertie

stickyfiddle said:

I used to live about 2 miles from te O2 and drive in/out regularly down to Devon

not at peak traffic heading into London  tho, I bet

stickyfiddle

bertie;103633" said:

stickyfiddle said:

I used to live about 2 miles from te O2 and drive in/out regularly down to Devon












not at peak traffic heading into London  tho, I bet

Not if I could help it, obviously, but I stand by my post! The tube is a shitty place to be between 7 and 930 in the morning.

chrispy108

But I'd take a "shitty place to be" for a guaranteed hour than sitting in my car for 2-3 hours...

stickyfiddle

chrispy108;103645" said:

But I'd take a "shitty place to be" for a guaranteed hour than sitting in my car for 2-3 hours...

You obviously have a higher tolerance for "other people" than I do!! In any case, the car journey isn't any longer than parking+tubing if nothing gets fucked.

Axe_meister

Now I would cut across to the M40 take that into London and join the A406 North Circular to Join the A12, Go through the Blackwall Tunnel and then turn left to the O2.

McToot

I would have a load of Polish builders dismantle the O2 and bring it to you.  It'd be cheaper and quicker. 

bertie

stickyfiddle said:

Not if I could help it, obviously, but I stand by my post! The tube is a shitty place to be between 7 and 930 in the morning.

shitty it might be, been there got the proverbial - but its still a "better" place to be than stuck in traffic

siremoon

My advice would be not to attempt to drive to the O2.  I would park at an Outer London suburban station in West or South West London (somewhere like Oxshott or Surbiton for example) and take the train/tube in.

Emp_Fab

We have to drive to the O2.  We're taking a shitload of stuff in the car to sell at the "Handmade Christmas Fair" they've got on this weekend.  Going by any other means (apart from rented van or chinook) is not an option.  We have to be at the O2 by 10am and I have to drive all the way there (and back on Sunday night).  These are the parameters I have to work with and they cannot be changed.

So....  so far, I've got Stickyfiddle's M4, M25 south and A2, or Axe_Meister's cut across to the M40 take that into London and join the A406 North Circular to Join the A12, Go through the Blackwall Tunnel and then turn left to the O2.

...and Chrispy's route of course.

Grunfeld

Emp_Fab said:

_Meister's cut across to the M40 take that into London and join the A406 North Circular to Join the A12, Go through the Blackwall Tunnel and then turn left to the O2.

That's the one I'd take as it happens.  I live quite near the O2 and that's how I come back from Wales.

siremoon

In that case my advice would be to leave home very, very early.  The M25 after 7am (and often well before) is usually extremely slow.  Oh and good luck 

stickyfiddle

I'd advise against the blackwall tunnel. It's fine when clear but will cost you an hour if it gets blocked. And it won't save you time if everything's clear.

chillidoggy

I thought for one moment you were a jammy bastard, and you'd blagged a gig at the O2.

thumpingrug

I just want to wish you all the very best of luck.