The tips and tricks to approaching London by car

So, you have to drive to London. Something’s happened that’s drawn you to the capital and for some reason, the train won’t do.

You might not even be headed into London. You might only be going to an outer borough or one of the home counties, which will inevitably mean tackling the dreaded M25.

However, there are ways to tackle heading south. There’s when to go, where to go, and critically, how long you actually need to spend on the M25.

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So here’s our top three ways of attacking London by road.

M40

The best way to get to London - a five star, A-grade route to go. It might be a little more inconvenient for those on the north side of Coventry but south of the city centre, you simply hop on the A46 and in no time, you’re on the big road to London.

It’s got three to four lanes, minimal speed cameras, no major roadworks, and has some cracking stop offs. Warwick Services is very pleasant and Cherwell Valley Services isn’t bad.

However, the M40 features the best motorway services of anywhere between Coventry and London - arguably even the best motorway services in the country. It is, of course, the British Motor Museum at Gaydon.

You will have to buy a ticket to access it but it gives you a year’s worth of free visits. It has a lovely cafe, playground, and is set in much more luscious surroundings than your average Moto or Welcome Break.

Then there’s what happens when you actually get to London. The A40 is one of the most direct routes into the heart of the city, with the Westway spitting you directly out onto Marylebone Road. The nearby M4 also offers a speedy way into the city.

But overall, this fast flowing, smooth, and relaxing motorway into the capital is one of the better and faster options.

M1

The M1 is still undergoing upgrades to the Smart Motorway system with more emergency bays being constructed, as well as improvements to the central median barrier. This means 50 mph with average speed cameras.

On the other hand, it is easily the most accessible from Coventry. A short burst down the M6 or A14 and you’re there.

Because it is Britain’s oldest motorway, it’s had a lot more time to lodge itself in the national consciousness as the default way to head north. This, combined with Luton Airport traffic, means that traffic can be fierce through Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire if something goes wrong.

What’s more, while the M1 does have brilliant access to the North Circular, going further into London means piling through Cricklewood and Kilburn or winding your way through Hampstead.

Can be fine, can also be unrelentingly slow. Would only use it out of necessity.

A14/M11

Before you hit the x button on the tab above, here this out. This needs painting a picture.

You’re in Essex or Hertfordshire or somewhere on the more eastern side of London. You hear over the traffic news that the M1 and the M25 are both solid.

One of the routes Google Maps can send you is up the M11, depending on how bad the traffic is. While it is a further distance to travel, it can skip the worst of the London traffic by getting you out of London’s orbit altogether.

Once you hit Cambridge and are passing Huntingdon, it’s a relatively easy switch over to the A14 and then it’s a straight shot past Kettering and Market Harborough to the M6 and then Coventry.

Would this be a first choice? Not at all. Think of it more like an “in case of emergency, break glass” option. When London traffic really decides to sock it to you, it’s an option on the table

What’s your chosen route by road to get to London? Let us know in the comments