M4 to Gatwick

I'm travelling from Bristol to Gatwick next month (not school hols) to catch the VS43. I was going to leave Bristol at 6am so would be hitting the M25 around 7.30am/8am. Does anyone have experience of this route at this time of day and if so, would you recommend getting off the M4 before the M25 and rejoining? Or, just bite the bullet and get on the M25 at the M4 junction?

Unfortunately travelling to Gatwick the night before isn't an option.

I'd appreciate hearing your experiences....!

Tomtom took me m25 last week but it was slightly later at 930am.
Personally we always stay the night before in premier inn. If it was me driving that time I'd check the travel reports all the time on the radio but would probably use m25. Other route takes you onto m3 onto m25 I think.

Without wishing to sound too gloomy I'd be very careful about planning to hit the M25 at that sort of time, as it is quite possible for it to take well over an hour to get round to the M23, in which case you'd be cutting it very fine! I would give serious thought to leaving at 4am and getting to the airport early, after all you'll have 10hrs to sleep on the plane!

A really good way to start your holiday is to cut the hassle and stay at an airport hotel the night before ... you can also look for hotel and parking deals.

The queue onto the M25 from the M4 can be awful at that time, and it only takes one prang somewhere for the whole thing to cease up. Why have the pressure?

leave at 4am, its better to waste time at the airport rather than at home.

M25 on any morning is a bloody nightmare..!

I use this part of the M25 every morning and have done for the last 2 years - its truly awful. From Junction 19 to 12 its almost a standstill from 6:30 to 10ish. So at your time do not expect any favours.

Now, you can come off the M4 and hit the M3 and M25 to Gatwick - but its a risk. The M3 can also be a dog getting to the M25...

Post the M3 junction the M25 is normally ok - its slow but steady. However, expect some traffic issue somewhere, especially if you have to be somewhere..!

My advice, set off 30 mins earlier (yes, a horror) but this will help you hit this area 30 mins earlier when there is a lot less traffic. Seriously - 30 mins earlier at that time in the morning can save almost 1 hour. Believe me, I know as am up at 5 every day to make this journey. That 30 mins saves me 1 hour every day! Also, would you rather be in the car or at the airport..?

I also have to agree with the leave earlier philosophy. The number of calls from clients I get saying 'I'm stuck in traffic, going to miss my flight' is unbelievable.

I'd rather spend more time at the airport than stress out in traffic.

[Darren Wheeler]

M4 - A329(M) - M3 - M25 can cut off a corner and misses J4B out.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and advice. I'm going to leave earlier to give myself plenty of time and book into the No1 Lounge. Cheers.

We live 20 miles from M25 Junc 10 with A3 and don't even risk the airport journey on the flight day.
Gatwick Hilton, executive room the night before.
Although it costs £30 extra you get to use the executive lounge in the evening with drinks and food.
Getting to the airport the night before is so stress free.
The M25 can turn into a car park at any time.
Dick D

The M25 can and frequently is a nightmare. We live about 50 mins from Gatwick and have to use the M25, you really always have to allow way more time than necessary. We work backwards from the time we want to arrive at the airport, then allow loads of extra time before that.

And then leave even earlier

Seriously though, it's a road that seems to get worse every time I use it...

If you are going to leave earlier rather than overnighting in hotel, suggest the A329m turn off from M4 to M3 via Bracknell and then onto M25. Is more simple than sounds and is a quicker journey. Least time on M25 the better. That road can kill even the best laid plans. Usually flows but when it goes wrong it can go spectacularly wrong. Would not risk a flight on it !

We work backwards from the time we want to arrive at the airport, then allow loads of extra time before that.

And then leave even earlier

Seriously though, it's a road that seems to get worse every time I use it...

When I used to do weekly commute to Southampton it was a nightmare, but our last few infrequent uses to LHR and LGW have seen it running smoothly, so much so that on one occasion I had to ring the DTCI to say we'd be 30 mins earlier than I'd booked...

I still do take approach that you suggest though. I once saw a family crumble upon being told that they'd missed their flight after being stuck on the M25.

I strongly second the hotel suggestion. You have a very long day ahead of you - don't make it worse by putting in a pre-dawn drive, with all the hassle and uncertainty. This is why twilight check-in exists...

I hate the M25 and all who sail in her. I would definitely a) leave earlier b) do the M4->M3 trick, that M25 stretch from the M4 to M3 is just one massive variable that you should take out the equation. But do check for roadworks on the M3 if you do it as they are starting some up.

It was 1994.
October.
I was off to Heathrow to catch a flight to Scotland and a week's salmon fishing.
I always set off very early, mainly because I love the buzz of airports.

As we approached the airport, eldest daughter, then 12, said....."why do you leave so early to catch a plane?"
A few hundred yards later, with only a few hundred yards to go, we were in a queue.
Two hours later, we were still in the queue.
It was the day the tunnel collapsed at Heathrow.
However, thanks to spare hours, I got my plane.

Things happen.
I live south of Reading, an hour from Gatwick, on the route people are suggesting, via the A329M, M3, M25 and M23.

That hour is however on a good day.
And I cannot predict, in advance, which is going to be a good day.
And starting off a trip with a stress induced heart attack doesn't seem a good idea.
:0
So I always stay the night before at the airport.

So dear OP, if you can, I would make an option of something which, according to your original post, isn't currently.
y)

Things happen.
I live south of Reading, an hour from Gatwick, on the route people are suggesting, via the A329M, M3, M25 and M23.

That hour is however on a good day.
And I cannot predict, in advance, which is going to be a good day.
And starting off a trip with a stress induced heart attack doesn't seem a good idea.
:0
So I always stay the night before at the airport.

I'm also an advocate of a night at the airport if at all possible the night before an early-ish flight (or one you definitely don't want to miss). We're off to MCO in 5 weeks time and are staying up at MAN the night before, even though it is under a 2hr drive for us. It just takes the stress out of the start of the trip. Sure, it adds to the cost, but you know the evening before when you arrive that you are going to make the flight (fingers crossed for no delays / technical issues with the aircraft).

With regard to the routes people have proposed to Gatwick for the OP... a former employer of mine has offices in both Reading & Bracknell. The trip between the two at peak times would often take in excess of an hour [so I was told by more than a few people] - as such, they avoided forcibly relocating people between the two wherever possible. Apparently it's not the distance, more the roads / junctions you have to use - they all clog up at peak times, before any accidents throw further spanners into the works.

If you do take the M4 > M3 route, it can take 45-60 mins just to get from the A329 through Bracknell to the M3. The A322 from Bracknell to M3 junction 3 is often queued right back and takes 20-30 minutes, without an accident.

Not sure on your specific day, but if it's a Friday traffic is always better.

M3 starts to queue from 7am at junc 3. If the overnight hotel stay is definitely not a possibility, i'd suggest try going the M3 just before 7am which should help the time.

Have to agree with Luke12 - when I go to Frimley the M3 to M25 junction always has traffic at that time!

M4 - A329(M) - M3 - M25 can cut off a corner and misses J4B out.

I do this route once a week when travelling from Bath to Maidstone, I always follow the route Darren provided, it will still be slow but in my experience better than M4/M25. As others have said I would leave home much earlier, I would think leaving Bristol at 6am as you suggest could easily leave you with a 4 + hour journey to Gatwick.

Good luck

[Neil]

As this thread is well over a year old, to avoid confusion I am going to lock it.