Dumb Questions About Driving Through the UK

[JulieWent]

Hi Everyone!

Please excuse my ignorance in advance. I am embarrassed to ask these silly questions, but I thought this might be a good place to get answers.

We're going to take the Adventures by Disney London and Paris tour this summer, but before we join the tour group, we're going to rent a car and tour a little of Southern England. We're going to arrive at Gatwick and drive to Stratford-Upon-Avon. We'll stay there for several days and then drive to Alton Towers. After a day or two there, we'll turn south and drive to Stonehenge. Then we'll drive back to Gatwick where the ABD people will pick us up.

My questions have to do with driving. Most of our driving will be on motorways, and my DH is an especially steady driver. So I'm not too worried about the differences in our driving experiences. But, my son is 11 and has OCD. He frequently needs to stop for restroom breaks or to "grab a little bite." Is the motorway experience at all similar to the interstate experience in the US in that there are reststops with bathrooms and snack areas? If not, can you recommend places to stop along the road side? I know England (Europe in general) is not a place where "road trips" are as common. So I am wondering if we'll be able to find places to stop and stretch as we drive.

See, I told you I would be asking a silly question. Thanks for being patient with me.

Julie

 

[Lisash]

Hi Julie

You don't need to worry about stops as all our motorways have plenty of service areas. They are all relatively similar in style as they are in the main owned by only one or two companies and generally have restrooms a shop or two a restaurant area and a gas station. Food quality is variable and tends to be quite pricey so I wouldn't necessarily eat any 'main' meals there but they are fine for light meals/snacks and as you aren't travelling that far I would have thought that would be all you will need anyway.

Have a great trip

 

[mikki.young]

Most motorways will have 'service areas' where you can snacks and restroom breaks.

Your travel plans may not cover a huge mileage but will probably take a lot longer to get between than in the US. Just to get from Gatwick to Stratford you need to navigate the biggest car park in England (the M25) which probably won't have any services on the stretch you are on but there should be some almost as soon as you leave it (at the begining of the M1).

Main difference on motorway driving between here and some parts of the US is that you are only allowed to overtake on the outside lanes in the UK. There are a lot of lorries/trucks on the motorways so you will be wanting to overtake at times.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[JulieWent]

When you say that you only overtake on the outside lanes, does that basically mean that the main travel lanes (or the "slow lanes") are the inside lanes? That's different from the US where the inside lanes are the "fast lanes."

We've been told to expect travel to take longer, but that's okay. It will allow us to see more of the country, I think, and, as you say, we really aren't going that far distance-wise.

We will be arriving at Gatwick on a Sunday morning. We are hoping that this will help with the traffic on the initial motorways as we adjust. Wish us luck, and thank you for your help.

Julie

 

[Goofyish]

Here is a useful website that gives you details of where there are services on or close to the motorways in the UK:

http://www.5minutesaway.co.uk/frm/index.asp

From Gatwick to Stratford your route (pronounced 'root' in the UK), will be M23, M25 clockwise (heading west), M40. Leave the M40 at junction 15 and follow the signs for the Stratford Upon Avon (A46, A3400).

You can get route maps and directions for free on the AA (Automobile Association) website:

http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp?database=B

Most UK motorways have 3 lanes (some have 4 on busy stretches or where there is steep hill and a 'crawler' lane is added for slow traffic).
If the motorway is clear you should drive in the inside lane (furthest away from the central reservation). The second and third lanes are for overtaking. You only stay in these overtaking lanes if the traffic in the inside lane to yours is moving slower than you are.
Speed limit is 70mph. Where there are road works the speed limit will be reduced. There are also more an more speed cameras on the motorways so keep an eye on your speed

Here's a link to the Government Department of Transport information on motorway driving:

http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/advice/motorwaydriving01.htm

 

[Dimplenose]

M25 is going to be the busiest part of your trip. As said before overtake on the right and beware that on the M25 in particular being in the left hand lane may force you to exit. (Not a big problem if you do as the exits nearly always bring you to a roundabout and you can just drive around and straight back onto the M25 - but a bit of a time waster!) Just keep an eye on the signs.

The M40 has 2 exits from the M25 depending on which direction you are travelling in so do watch the signs. (You'll be heading for Oxford initially.)

I often drive up the M40 and find it relatively peaceful (compared to the M25 and M1). The services on this motorway are all fairly new although for most you will need to exit the motorway where you will come to a roundabout where you will see signs for services. But they are all well signposted from the motorway. You will even see signs telling you how far away the next 2 or 3 service areas are soon after you join the motorway.


(If you have time do visit Warwick Castle it is very close to Stratford.)

Libby

 

[cheryl.UK]

You'll need to watch out for speed cameras on the way to Alton Towers. The A roads around there are notorious for cameras and the speed limits range from 30 to 50 mph.

Are you staying at the Towers hotels?

 

[cheryl.UK]

And if you really have time go to Kennilworth Castle. Unlike Warwick, which is a bit like a stately home, kennilworth is a real ruined castle and in the summer they have falconry displays. The village is pretty too and not as commercialised as Warwick and Stratford.